COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS

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In a short space of time, Avi Khan has been able to create one of the fastest-growing agencies in Brisbane, driven by his personal leadership style.

Avi puts much of his success down to building the right type of culture – one that empowers his agents to be leaders themselves.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Avi talks about his journey from lawyer to agent, to now operating five rapidly growing offices in South Brisbane, including 39 agents.

He reveals why he wanted to put his own spin on leadership in the industry and why it’s important to build your own leaders as a part of a strong company culture.

He also discusses the value of being community-focused and having a local presence, how to manage and structure a large team and the importance of transparency in workplace culture.

“We are not just there to list and sell real estate. We are actually there to foster better communities. We’re actually there to connect better communities. We’re actually there to help people as well. I think the beautiful thing about real estate is you can make as much money as you can, but we forget along the way that it’s someone else’s journey. We should be humble and grateful to be a part of it.” – Avi Khan

2:38 – Why real estate is harder than it looks.
4:20 – How Avi survived without getting a listing in his first 12 months.
7:08 – How Avi learnt what not to do as a leader through his early experiences.
8:40 – Why you need to create other leaders, build a strong culture and foster a team approach in your business.
11:14 – How Avi uses peer-to-peer learning to help improve his agency.
13:13 – The value of face-to-face interactions and a local presence in an era of technology.
15:16 – How Avi helps build his local community through sponsorships.
16:31 – The way Avi is able to structure his business with 39 agents and the importance of transparency.
21:27 – How Avi was able to manage the decision to stop selling himself and focus on the business.
22:00 – Why agents were so keen to join Avi when he was just getting started.
24:00 – How social media helped launched Avi’s business.

The post Courageous Conversations: Avi Khan on how to empower your team by fostering leadership from within appeared first on Elite Agent.

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Navigating your way through life and in the process trying to find yourself, are some of the biggest challenges we all face.

Nicole Davidson knows this journey well, having spent many years travelling and working overseas as she sought a fulfilling life in every aspect.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Nicole talks about her journey of self-discovery and how walking 750km along the Camino de Santiago, led her to start her business Growth to Success, which is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses create purposeful lives. 

She talks about why people need to stop looking externally for validation and spend more time focusing on developing their emotional self.

Nicole also discusses why she likes to surround herself with people from different backgrounds and the reason she left social media.

“We choose where we use our gifts in this world. Real estate is the industry that people choose to use their gifts through. Not just as somewhere where you go to get a pay cheque or a commission. It’s your life and your soul and your decision about where to spend your time. And we’ve got one life to live.”  – Nicole Davidson

Growth to Success

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Principal of Stone Upper North Shore, Anna Cavill, might have started out as a sales agent later than others, but through hard work and constantly looking to improve, she has been able to quickly establish herself as one of the top performers in the country.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Anna talks about why she waited until the age of 43 to get started in real estate and how she was able to break into the industry as a mum working part-time.

She discusses what she did to get established early in her career and the reason she started building a team and working with a coach very early on.

Anna also talks about the importance of building a strong base when you’re new to real estate, so you can lean on that skill set throughout your career.

“It’s about forming a really good, solid base and then you can bounce from that base. Because if you get the base right, whatever market we are going through, you’ve got that base to rely on.” – Anna Cavill

LinkedIn
Stone Real Estate
Caroline Bolderston
Headstart Home Loans

The post Courageous Conversations: Anna Cavill on launching your real estate career in your 40s appeared first on Elite Agent.

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Performing at a high level is something Harcourts Smith owner, Kate Smith knows well after spending her teenage years playing elite junior basketball at the Australian Institute of Sport.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Kate talks about how she overcame the heartbreak of being cut from the AIS for “not being good enough” and why that helped build resilience in her career in real estate.

They also talk about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone if you want to be an elite performer and why being able to handle rejection and turning “no” into “next opportunity” is something you always need to work on.

Kate also discusses how she is able to manage being a working mother with two young children and how to make real estate and family life work.

“You are going to be told, ‘Sorry, you’re not good enough’ or ‘No, we’ve gone with someone else’, or whatever it might be. But you need to turn it into a positive and use that information to make yourself better. It’s a continuous game of personal growth.” – Kate Smith

Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington:

2:41 – Kate’s early life as an elite-level basketball player and training with the Australian Institute of Sport.
4:35 – Dealing with the heartbreak of not making the cut and being told she wasn’t good enough.
6:05 – The similarities between sport and real estate and what it takes to be an elite performer in any field.
7:03 – How to get over the constant rejection in real estate and how to turn momentum into opportunities.
6:28 – How to have hard conversations with vendors and why it’s vital to tell then “what they need to hear”.
9:00 – The best way to coach your team to get the best out of them.
10:03 – Getting out of your comfort zone and speaking at industry events to help further your career.
11:20 – How to manage being a working mother with young children while trying to maintain your career in real estate.
16:02 – Why Kate moved to Harcourts and how it helped her build a team of 20.
16:44 – The challenges of owning a business compared to listing and selling and how to overcome them.
17:21 – Why you don’t want to build a team of people that are exactly like you.
18:41 – How to set your goals effectively so you will be able to achieve them.
19:44 – Why Kate thinks you need to be a great negotiator in the current market and how putting in face-to-face time with vendors will need to increase.

The post Courageous Conversations: Kate Smith on dealing with setbacks and overcoming rejection appeared first on Elite Agent.

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Now, after building her rent roll to more than 1300 properties as director of Release Property Management in Geelong, Renee has proven that not only can the model work, it has a lot of advantages.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Renee talks about why she was quick to start her own property management business and how she grew from zero to more than 1300 properties and three offices.

She also takes a deep dive into her steadfast focus on customer service and how she’s built a team that also lives and breathes this ethos.

Renee also shares with Leanne why she’s now starting to add sales to her business and why legislative changes are pushing many landlords to sell.

“What hasn’t changed from the day we opened the doors 15 years ago is building relationships with your clients.” – Renee Reynolds

1:16 – Why Renee started her own property management business and why she eventually added sales into the mix.
4:00 – Why people told her not to go into property management.
5:05 – The reason Renee chose to buy a rent roll after years of building her own.
6:07 – How to make sure your staff have the same customer service values you do.
7:17 – The most effective way to train new staff so they can fit into your team culture and work in multiple roles across the business.
9:10 – How Renee manages staff holiday periods and how to create work/life balance for your team.
10:44 – The new legislation causing property investors to sell and what type of buyers are purchasing the homes.
12:03 – How Renee launched her business and the way she was able to grow her client base.
13:45 – How Renee implements change in her business and gets her team onboard.
15:00 – What the future holds for property management and how Renee encourages in-person contact with her clients.
17:05 – The most effective way to keep your clients up-to-date with current issues in the market by running ‘investor nights’.
18:56 – The best and worst advice Renee has received.

Release Property Management
LinkedIn

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Owner and Managing Director of LJ Hooker Taree, Amanda Tate, has seen first-hand just how bad the rental crisis in her community has become, with many young families and vulnerable people unable to find accommodation and forced to live on the street.

In this episode of the Courageous Conversations podcast with Leanne Pilkington, Amanda talks about how she’s taken on the task of finding homes for people in need in Taree and why she has even started housing at-risk families in her own private properties.

Leanne and Amanda discuss what’s behind the current housing crisis in regional areas and how Amanda has adopted a “transitional housing” model to help get families and those in need back on their feet and into a home of their own.

Amanda also reveals what she’d like to see from the government and improved policies that would benefit renters, private landlords and the overall community and how she’s now trying to help teenagers who have been caught up in the crisis.

2:00 – What’s driving the housing crisis in Taree, and why the town has reached a dire situation with people now living on the street.
3:20 – How Amanda is taking a unique approach to solving the housing crisis and is taking measures into her own hands, including buying a hotel to help house high-risk homeless people.
5:00 – Amanda helps tenants from at-risk backgrounds build a good rental history, which then allows them to move to private rentals.
6:44 – How Amanda’s “transitional” housing model has evolved and how it puts a roof over the head of more than 100 families.
8:05 – The best way to manage people who are in temporary housing situations and how she prioritises those in the most need.
9:00 – How to educate tenants, so they understand how to manage a property and the importance of paying your rent on time.
9:30 – A more effective way of managing rental payments and money from charities that the government should consider to better assist tenants and private landlords.
12:01 – The importance of maintaining a good rental reference and how it can impact you for many years if you end up with a black mark against your name.
12:50 – How Amanda wants to focus on youth housing because she sees children as young as 15 forced to try and live by themselves and survive while managing their lives and trying to find a place to live.
14:30 – Why Amanda purchased a motel, converted it into a youth hostel and teaches young people life skills to enable them to get a job, look after themselves and forge their owna path in life.n p

Samaritans
Compass Housing
Sister to Sister

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Though he was never one to shy away from a new challenge, a perfectionist streak meant Clarence would sometimes be quick to move on if things didn’t go according to plan – that is, until an injury forced him to shake up his mindset.

Dealing with the limitations imposed by his injury forced him to reckon with his personal vulnerability, deal with failure and gain a newfound resilience.

These mindset changes would prove instrumental in him taking out the Australasian Auctioneering Championships (AUSTROS) in 2022, his fifth attempt at the title.

In this Courageous Conversation, Clarence shares his early real estate career trajectory and how his love for the adrenaline rush auctions provide led him to his current path.

He shares his take on what agents are getting wrong with their auction listings and what he does to gain an edge on his competitors and how he makes sure his material always stays fresh.

1:39 – Clarence shares his early career path and what led him to be an auctioneer
3:23 – How an injury forced a self-reckoning and a change of mindset
6:18 – Early attempts at success and learning from failure
8:27 – How focusing on technical prowess can give you an edge
9:09 – How making training a team effort can be the key to an individual’s success
11:22 – Identifying what drives you to be the best
12:55 – Dealing with the painful feelings that come with rejection
14:58 – What’s next on the competition agenda
16:16 – Insights on the current property market downturn
18:17 – Did The Block auctioneers get it right?
19:20 – Why the practice of calling a property “on the market” isn’t a good strategy.

The post Courageous Conversations: Clarence White on how embracing imperfection transformed his career appeared first on Elite Agent.

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Jet believes In business and life, some of the toughest conversations are often around mental health.

In professional settings, people are encouraged to “toughen up” and not talk about what’s going on in their personal lives which only makes things harder.

In this Courageous Conversation, Jet outlines the problems that elite performers and business owners can face with mental health and how to start bringing these issues out into the open.

Sometimes, you can be doing incredibly well in business, but behind the scenes, your personal life is falling apart, your marriage is struggling, you’re turning to drugs and alcohol and you don’t know how to turn it around.

Jet also talks about why principals need to be able to reach out to their team members to make sure they’re doing OK and the best way to help.

The conversation around mental health is changing and Jet believes everyone needs to take control of their mental well-being which will help them get the best out of their business and their life.

2:08 – Why so many business owners and agents struggle with mental health
6:01 – Why talking about mental health has been a slow change within the industry
9:02 – How to have the hard discussion on mental health with your team and normalise showing vulnerability instead of just trying to “toughen up”
12:45 – Why the return on investment is so high when you focus on putting people’s mental health first by making for more attractive places to work
14:45 – Why businesses don’t like to offer flexibility and remote work and how your business could benefit from being supportive and promoting new practices
15:31 – The importance of leadership and creating a self-leading team and setting an example to your employees
19:45 – How to go about having hard discussions with someone who is struggling with mental health or personal issues and “why an ear” is often enough
25:01 – Why principals can have trouble having hard conversations with their team and how to listen to what they need.
26:40 – Why real estate isn’t the cause of mental health problems, but it could be the trigger for something else that is going on in our own lives
29:27 – How Leanne manages her mental health and the tools she uses to stay at her best when she feels anxious

The post Courageous Conversations: Jet Xavier on bringing mental health battles out into the open appeared first on Elite Agent.

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But that’s not to say every business decision has been easy or created the results she hoped for. In fact, Hayley notes it’s been a journey with more than a couple of hurdles and a few hard lessons along the way, and the reality is there’s little that prepares you for the challenge of running your own business.

In this Courageous Conversation, Hayley shares how she went from real estate receptionist to one of the industry’s finest leaders, why she thrives on the challenge of managing high-performing teams and how the toughest business lessons became some of the most important she’s learnt.

From gaining trust as a leader to creating transparency in business and the importance of being vulnerable, Hayley candidly shares some of her biggest mistakes, what they taught her and why she’s keen to help others navigate the real estate business challenge.

The post Courageous Conversations: Hayley Van de Ven on the hard choices that took her from receptionist to industry leader appeared first on Elite Agent.

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Ten years ago, she was riding high, enjoying all the trappings of real estate success when it all came crashing down. She lost her business, nearly lost her home and investment property, and was forced to start from scratch.

It was a ‘diabolical’ and ‘highly embarrassing’ blow that Tanja still struggles to talk about today.

But she was never going to let her past become bigger than her future and has spent the past decade re-building a successful career with a unique and highly effective approach to prospecting.

Now she’s keen to give back to the industry that has given so much to her via mentoring, speaking and sharing the strategies that have propelled her to success (not just once, but twice).

Some key highlights of this Courageous Conversation, hosted by Leanne Pilkington:

• 1.37 – How OBrien Real Estate supports women in their careers, and why for many successful female agents, it’s all about time management.
• 4.24 – The challenges of being a top-performer in the real estate industry, the tough choices that women need to make and the guilt that can accompany that.
• 9.29 – The key factors that led to the collapse of Tanja’s previous business, and the hard lessons learned.
• 11.41 – How Tanja restarted her career from scratch, why the support of OBriens was key, and the strategies she used to find her feet quickly.
• 17.26 – Why giving is a great way to gain market recognition and build your database, and the unique strategies Tanja and her team use.  
• 23.05 – The importance of delivering relevant information and creating touchpoints long before someone decides to sell a property.
• 26.01 – How Tanja dealt with the mental side of getting up and starting all over again, and why she shares her story to assist others.
• 29.08 – Why Tanja wants to give back to the real estate industry and how she hopes to be a custodian of the future generation of real estate.

Links mentioned:

• OBrien Real Estate
• Michelle Stephens
• Josh Phegan

The post Courageous Conversations: Why Tanja Neven-Jones will never let her past be bigger than her future, and why real estate success is all about giving back appeared first on Elite Agent.