There are many reasons someone goes into business for themselves. It could be flexibility (which is great when you have a family), to make money (which is not as easy as it seems), to make a difference, or because you have an idea or concept that can make life easier and more beneficial for people – a better way!
For me, all of these were important but primarily because I saw so many things happening behind the scenes when I was a real estate agent that I disagreed with and went against all of my core values. It drove me to find a solution – a more transparent and easier way for people to sell their homes. Let me explain…
I first started out as a Property Manager back in 1992 in Bondi Beach. For many years my Principal tried to convince me to move into sales, but I didn’t want to become like every other real estate agent that would do ANYTHING to win a new client or to make a sale. Eventually I decided to give it a go but promised myself I would do so with the utmost “honesty & integrity”.
As you could imagine, the industry in the 90’s was not regulated to the extent it is today so anything and everything was possible. Dummy bidding at Auction was so common that our boss would encourage us to bring our friends along to help drive up the price. Over quoting to win business and under quoting to make a sale was pretty much standard practice.
Needless to say, ‘honesty’ didn’t help me win listings or make sales, so to survive I eventually became the same as every other agent. I did so well in fact that I soon became Sales Manager and received many Awards for my achievements. However my conscience eventually got the better of me and I realised it was time to honour that promise I’d made to myself. So I moved into Commercial Property where I remained for many years prior to starting a family.
In 2011 I returned to the industry and was shocked to see that although it was better regulated, there were still agents deceiving their clients and focusing exclusively on their own self interests. There were agencies who were actually ‘training’ their staff to follow a process aimed at misleading their clients on one hand, while making them appear to be doing a great job on the other!
There were other agents who when negotiating a sale would favour the buyer who had offered them their home to sell should they buy for a certain price. When another buyer would come and offer a higher price, the agent would not disclose this to the vendor. This would happen all too often. There were others who would sell an elderly person’s home (usually a development site) to a friend at a reduced price, and claim nobody else was interested to buy it.
It was for these reasons that I became a Vendor Advocate in 2013 to protect home sellers from the tactics some agents still use. Running my own business allows me to live by my Core Values of Honesty, Integrity, Trust and Transparency. My Mission to help others by using the knowledge, experience and insider strategies I’ve gained over the last 3 decades to protect my clients – especially the elderly who are the most vulnerable.
This year I decided to try my luck at entering a few small business awards and was pleasantly surprised when I was announced as a Finalist for both:
- Business NSW – formerly the NSW Chamber of Commerce
- Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards
Although I did not take out the trophy for these, I am extremely honoured that my business was recognised in this way and that what I do every day is making such a difference to people’s lives. My gratitude goes out to my current and previous clients, my amazing support team, tradespeople, and referral partners that have been with me on this journey.
Will I try again next year? Maybe…. Maybe not. The best reward I could ever ask for is when I see the smiles and tears of joy on my client’s faces after we’ve sold their home for more than they could ever dream of.
On a final note, if when selling your property you want confidence knowing the agent has done everything possible to achieve the highest price, having us as your Vendor Advocate is the best way to ensure this.
I truly love what I do and I look forward to helping you too!
To find our more about our Vendor Advocate service, click here. If you would like to speak with us about your current situation, feel free to book in a time with us here.
