Staff Reporter
Chinese property website Juwai.com has set up an Australian sales team to strengthen relations between Chinese buyers and local agents.
The listing portal announced yesterday that Misty O’Connell-Lever had become its Victoria business development manager as part its new Australian account management team.
She will visit agents across Victoria to help them profit more from working with Chinese buyers and sellers.
“Juwai.com is unique in being a Chinese consumer real estate brand that also understands what agents and developers in Australia need,” said Juwai.com co-CEO Andrew Taylor.
"Of the 3,000 or so real estate agencies in Victoria, Misty already has a working relationship with about 2,999 of them.
“We are showing our commitment and leadership in Australia by building a team to work directly and in person with real estate agents and developers.”
Ms O’Connell-Lever is an experienced real estate media salesperson who has previously served as team leader for realestate.com.au in Victoria, national sales manager for the Real Estate Institute of Victoria's RealEstateView.com.au, and media marketing consultant with Classified AdVentures, the company launched by Simon Baker - the former CEO of the REA Group.
“Misty understands real estate agencies better than anyone,” said Caroline Hammill, manager of sales and investments at independent agency Woodards. “I am always impressed at how well she understands what I need and how I can achieve it.
“Misty will be able to explain to agents exactly what they need to know about working with Chinese buyers and how to profit from the trend."
Jason Marston, director of Marston Cook, added that when Misty assisted his office, “Her expertise has helped us make sure we are not falling behind the times. We have always wanted to be ahead of the game”.
According to Juwai.com, Australia is the second most popular country for Chinese property hunters, after the USA and before the UK, Canada and Germany.