Simon Parker and Matthew Sullivan
Young agents willing to forgo their ego and work in teams will be the most likely to succeed in the years ahead, an audience of aspiring industry professionals heard last night at the REINSW Young Agents Chapter ‘End of Year Bash’.
“When the market slows down, working together with a team is the perfect solution,” Real Estate Institute of NSW Young Agents Chapter chairperson, and principal at Sydney-based True Property, Braden Walters, told Real Estate Business last night.
“When the market slows down the way it has we need to band together, we need to work in teams and drop that ego," he said. "Other people in the office that you might feel are your competitors are also in the same position you, so speak to them and you may find guidance.”
“Sometimes two people attacking the one opponent is better than a one-on-one situation. So if you can share your income a lot of it is exponential growth from there.”
Last night 80 young real estate professionals, all members of the REINSW Young Agents Chapter, attended the Ivy Bar in Sydney to discuss the challenges facing the industry and share their experiences with other like-minded peers. They also heard from Andrew Morello, winner of ‘The Apprentice’ and Yellow Brick Road’s head of business development; Greg Vincent, founder of ‘X Factor Agents’; and Simon Orbell, director of Smartmove Professional Mortgage Advisors.
Mr Morello focused much of his talk on the benfits of teamwork and working hard, saying that when he was a real estate agent operating in Melbourne, most of his property sales were secured on Friday nights, when his competitors were usually out at the local pub.
Eddy Piddington, deputy chairperson of the REINSW Young Agents Chapter and sales executive for Sydney-based agency Cunningham Property, said many agents new to the industry think it's all 'glitz and glamour', but unfortunately many fall short of their aspirations.
“Within the first 12 months of entering the industry 82 per cent of those agents quit and the majority of those are young agents,” Mr Piddington told Real Estate Business.
“Everybody sees from the outside in, the flashy cars, the flashy suits, the flashy watches and then they get into the industry and say; why isn’t my phone ringing?”
“That is why we are all here tonight, to talk about the challenges, the difficulties we are facing and help each other by offering support.”
Speaking about the event, recently elected REINSW president Christian Payne said it was encouraging to see so many youthful and aspirational professionals attending an event which aims to support and boost their careers.
“The young agents are the future of real estate. It is great that they are engaging on the same level as the rest of the profession,” Mr Payne said.
“I love the fact that it [the REINSW Young Agents Chapter ‘End of Year Bash’] is young and positioned as a successful event that is hip and informal.
"That is the Y generation and it is really important that they get to have event tailored to them.”
“They are all aspirational people that love coming to great venues and talking to other aspirational and determined individuals. The REINSW will continue to support these events, because it is all about getting the values and ideals of young agents to meet with those of the REINSW.”
Young agents who are members of the REINSW can attend a series of breakfast meetings next year, with the first scheduled for March 1. Another two breakfasts, on May 29 and October 10, have also been planned.