When I started in real estate, I never thought that the most rewarding part of my job would come from developing the careers of the team members who have joined me...
Welcome to the Place Way Series; where our top performing agents tell us about their real estate careers and what The Place Way means to them. Aaron Woolard from Place New Farm is kicking us off. Hint – there might be an incredible opportunity to join him on the horizon.
I am often told by clients and colleagues that I have the work ethic, passion, and drive combined with the right personality to form the recipe for success in Real Estate. It's not just me that is responsible for this string of success that has come about. I am proud to have a dedicated team who work just as hard, day in day out, weekends and all, to make it happen for our sellers and hit our targets both personally and professionally.
When you start in Real Estate, it’s easy to think that your ultimate career goal is when you’re selling the hottest properties or breaking records. The way I see it, the ultimate fulfilment begins when you start to build a team and get great satisfaction out of fostering their career.
I remember being relatively new to the industry and seeing great agents grow teams and experience some setbacks. This was a quick lesson in just because you’re a good leader, doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great ‘boss.’ That’s no one’s fault, they require a different mindset and a different skillset. In saying that, it’s possible with the right support. When the time came for me to do that, I knew that Place had people and tools to do it sustainably, without compromising my business or clients.
It’s all part of what we fondly call The Place Way. A major part of that is prioritising, engaging, and collaborating in learning, which extends far beyond attending training sessions.
We are incredibly lucky to have access to all our leaders, but more importantly our specialised growth and nurture team who work directly with Agents to help build our brand and the numerous people who make that brand.
To be a good leader to my team, I need someone to help me be that leader and establish our strategic direction, which is exactly what they help me do. This prevents anyone from being thrown in the deep end before their time, so that they can build a sustainable career in the competitive real estate industry.
To help highlight this, I want to talk about my incredible co-Agent Dylan. As Dylan’s career has grown, so has his family life where a new addition will be joining him in August.
I first met Dylan 4 years ago when I was preparing to scale my team. At the time, it was myself and my executive assistant, and we were ready to take the next step.
Dylan had just relocated to Brisbane from overseas and had a diverse business background, most recently operating his own business. He approached Place due to the brand and market presence that stood out to him.
He was completely new to Real Estate and had ambitions of being a Lead Agent, so we discussed him joining my team and identified the opportunity to grow together. Immediately, I was impressed with his approachable demeanour and ability to talk openly about anything, two things I feel are important in Real Estate.
Next thing we knew, Dylan joined Aaron Woolard Property as our Sales Associate. From the get-go, we established a clear team structure and mapped out a progress plan to ensure he could fast track his career, in line with the Place Career Progression Chart.
Today, Dylan is a Lead Agent within our team, working very closely alongside me with all listings and with all clients. As well as this, he identifies his own listing opportunities and manages them from start to finish with the support of the team for all administration requirements. He’s my right-hand man, who allows us to be in two places at once.
As I keep coming back to, I take great pride in being able to incubate young agents and help them build their career.
Speaking to Dylan, he credits his career progression to the sales volume of our team. We do about 120 transactions a year, which gives you plenty of chances to learn and refine your craft! This, alongside Place’s growth and nurture activities are a true recipe for success.
Upon reflection, I hired Dylan for his personality and drive, and he became a valued part of the team not only for his capability but because I could trust him with any of our campaigns and all our clients.
To me, The Place Way is all about our culture and the opportunity to make your career your own. It’s about nurturing young agents by teaming them up with established agents so that they can learn on the job and build a sustainable career.
I hope in sharing this I have shown you the power of the growth and nurture team here at Place. Remember, growing a business is more than just selling more homes and bringing in more team members. It requires coaching, guidance, and clarity of purpose, and that is what this team are here to do.
If you haven’t already picked up on it, we’re looking for our next Dylan to join the team. Someone genuine and down to earth who wants to help us build our presence in the 4005/ 4006 area and support the tight-knit community.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with anyone who is looking to take the next step in their Real Estate Career.
Get in touch with Amy Wolter, Head of People via aw@eplace.com.au or submit an expression of interest here.