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As she celebrates her 10th year in the top job, Emma Slape of Turner Real Estate reflects on the tactics she has deployed to navigate the turbulent seas of change rocking real estate over the last decade.
In just 10 years, global society has been inundated with new technology after new technology, and real estate has been no different, with the chief executive officer believing the sector has experienced “significant advancements” during this period.
Not only has new technology revolutionised the way agents operate through enhancing “so many parts of the transaction” including “the way contracts are prepared and executed through to how tenants and buyers are able to view properties virtually”, but it has also boosted how consumers engage with real estate.
“[Technology] has given consumers more information about property,” she said, adding “the industry has embraced tech which enhances the client experience”.
However, adopting new ways of conducting business has not always been smooth sailing.
“Embracing technology has been a challenge for some businesses,” she explained before caveating that “those that have moved on this quickly have seen a strong response from clients”.
“The way we perform a lot of tasks is very different now and there is a level of transparency that wasn’t there before. This gives us an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and show clients the steps we take to get great results.”
She heralded technology adoption as facilitating Turner Real Estate’s growth as, in her words, the network “simply couldn’t run such a large rental and sales business without the tech and systems we’ve implemented”.
One such platform, Airtable, was spotlighted as critical to the network’s success.
Evidence of their growth can be seen in the numbers. Over the last five years, her team has doubled from 35 to 70, with several women appointed into key leadership positions.
Engrained within the company’s DNA is an emphasis on “encouraging [her] staff to think outside the square, learn new skills, and have a mindset around opportunity”, while she added the outfit “loves to celebrate success”.
But tech hasn’t been the only driver of change, with Ms Slape pointing to undoubtedly the greatest headwind for Australian society over the last decade, the COVID-19 pandemic, as another challenge to overcome.
During this period, Ms Slape revealed she took several key lessons on leadership, including the importance of remaining calm “during the big challenges” and how open communication and active involvement of staff in decision making is ultimately beneficial.
She explained some of the network’s pandemic solutions remain in place today, namely remote working and greater work-hour flexibility.
And while she noted the real estate landscape is starkly different compared to when she first assumed her role, “what has remained constant is Australians’ love of property and the desire to own their own property or become an investor”.
Moving forward, she believes the next 10 years will prove monumental for the real estate industry especially as the “trend towards larger businesses is continuing”.
“I think we see further contraction of the smaller agencies and there is no doubt that embracing technology into our daily work will be part of the changes,” she said.
On a more personal note, she revealed the Turner Real Estate team’s role and goal remains to help people into housing, something she stressed as “really important to keep in mind”.
“Whether it’s a vendor, purchaser, tenant, or owner, they all have different needs and as agents, we need to have that flexibility to be able to offer great service to everyone,” Ms Slape said.
A key part of this progression into future ways of operation will be the continuation of “soft skills” development related to working with technology, which she believes “makes the more routine parts easier”.
“I’d love to see the industry’s professional standing elevated as well, and part of that is everyone stepping to a higher level of service and transparency,” she concluded.
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