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Peter Florentzos was recruited into real estate by someone who could see his ability to provide excellent customer care.
Florentzos first came to know Peter Crowther as a customer in his fish and chip takeaway shop at Pineland Plaza in Sunnybank Hills. Long displaying an entrepreneurial spirit, Florentzos bought the business at age 20, soon forging strong community ties that would lead him to establish relationships like the one with Crowther.
Now, the two are longtime colleagues – Crowther the director of LJ Hooker Property Partners and Florentzos an agent and partner in the business – but back then, it was a friendship forged over frequent lunchtime conversations that led Crowther to recognise Florentzos’ potential as an agent.
“I was always interested in real estate from a young age, having bought my first home at 18,” Florentzos told REB. But it was Crowther’s assurance in his skills that made him begin to consider it as a career.
“One day I ran into Peter, as I did on numerous occasions, and during our conversation a lot of people were walking past and saying hello to me, and Peter realised that I knew a lot of people within the community,” Florentzos said.
When he decided to close the business in 2001 and find a new career path, Crowther wasn’t the only one who came knocking, with Florentzos’ strong local ties leading to a number of opportunities. But his interest in real estate, coupled with the comfort he felt with the team Crowther had built, convinced him that joining the LJ Hooker team was the right move.
It helped that Crowther told him he’d already ordered the new recruit a tie.
Starting out in the agency, Florentzos recalled that he found the job a change and yet similar to the hospitality business he had been running.
“I have always loved looking after people and for this, real estate was a perfect fit,” he explained.
He said he soon learnt that the job was about more than just good customer service, rather he is now in an industry where success rests on “customer care”.
This skill propelled the agent’s success, leading him to grow from new starter to business partner in the LJ Hooker agency within just six years.
Moving into a leadership position, he soon found that his people-centric focus helped him not only deliver results for clients, but maintain strong community relationships and cultivate the next generation of real estate leaders.
“Just as I love the ‘care’ aspect of real estate, passing on my knowledge and experience to the next generation of agents is something I am just as passionate about. I give back to the network by offering training and mentoring sessions within the industry, and I am always available to talk and offer guidance or advice should anyone within the industry need my help,” he shared.
His dedication to his team as well as the network under which it is housed is apparent to his peers, and led him to be recognised recently with the brand’s highest honour.
Christine Mikhael, CEO of the LJ Hooker Group, noted his collegial generosity specifically when bestowing him with the network’s 2024 Sir Leslie Hooker Award, which is given to an individual who “represents the heart and soul of the organisation”.
“Peter is not just a leader in his office but also a role model within the LJ Hooker Group network as a guest trainer and mentor, generously sharing his expertise, guidance and support to others,” she said.
Mikhael noted that though Florentzos now serves in a leadership role, he is far from being finished with his own educational journey.
“He understands continuous learning, always looking for new ways to expand his knowledge and improve skills,” Mikhael added.
According to the real estate veteran, this dedication to honing his own skill set is part of what keeps him working as an agent, as it’s in “being on the frontline” with clients that still ultimately fuels the passion he discovered on entering the business over two decades ago.
“Helping people to find their next home, whether it be upsizing for the growing family or downsizing to a simpler lifestyle, meeting and assisting people at all stages in their life, was what I found the most rewarding,” he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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