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Brisbane-based agent Tony O’Doherty has urged agents to “drop the ego”, stop promoting themselves and provide good customer service to be successful.
The principal of Belle Property Bulimba has placed second for the third consecutive year in the REB Top 50 Agents 2023 Queensland ranking, and climbed two places to 34th in the REB Top 100 Agents 2023 ranking.
He attributed his success to selling properties for strong prices, and delivering high levels of service to clients in small communities.
“This tends to have a compounding impact on your career. We were successful last year because of everything we did in previous years,” Mr O’Doherty told REB, adding that he sold properties to 165 buyers from 165 vendors.
Commit to customised client care
In addition, he credited his robust team for his success, which endeavours to present properties optimally at all times.
“We run individual campaigns because while one property might be suited to auction, another might be suited to tender or a price guide,” Mr O’Doherty explained.
“We don’t push every property down a specific avenue. Sometimes we have to work hard to present properties well, or we might have a new build that we need to present perfectly because somebody will be paying for something that is brand new.”
As part of their campaign, the agency undertakes “pre-works”, which include providing quotes for painting, styling, renovations or landscaping at no cost to the vendors, Mr O’Doherty said.
He and his team also ensure that their vendors’ properties are highly visible across Australia and internationally.
Noting that buyer’s agents conduct off-market inspections for buyers, which is diluting or removing competition, Mr O’Doherty said it is his responsibility to run a smooth process to attract buyers.
“We want to sell properties at the best possible price for vendors while ensuring buyers are happy with what they’ve bought,” he said.
“We want buyers to pay a price they’re not comfortable with but are willing to pay. That’s our job. We are ruthless on behalf of our sellers but honest and transparent with our buyers.”
Perfection is not always possible
Communication and negotiation skills are critical for agents not only to succeed but to handle unhappy vendors and buyers, as Mr O’Doherty and his team learned.
Out of the 330 transactions in 2022, Mr O’Doherty said he received two complaints, one of which was from a prospective buyer at an auction.
The team met her in a private room to negotiate her price closer to the vendors’ reserve, which she met.
The agency then offered the property back out in the market, where another bidder outbid the prospective buyer.
“The first prospective buyer was disgruntled because she didn’t realise that people could outbid her when she was the highest bidder,” Mr O’Doherty said.
“She was from Melbourne and was applying Melbourne law in Queensland. The complaint was dealt with by our head office, and ultimately dismissed.”
Mr O’Doherty said the experience taught him that achieving perfection is not always possible despite striving to provide a smooth experience for clients.
“You have to be okay with not being perfect and stop focusing on the negative,” he said.
Drop the ego
Mr O’Doherty advised newer agents to work hard and dedicate themselves to the profession to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
“If you give it a lot, you can really stand out. Invest in yourself and get better. The writing will happen automatically,” he said.
He also urged agents to “drop the ego” and interact well with vendors and buyers to attract referrals.
“Stop marketing to other agents. Relentlessly promoting yourself does not attract clients. Clients remember how you make them feel, what you say, how hard you work and how you carry yourself,” he remarked.
“Stop being real estate agents. Be a good human being instead.”
Click here to view the REB Top 50 Agents 2023 rankings for Queensland and the Top 100 Agents 2023.
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