Ray White raises the bar for its elites

MORE than 200 of Ray White’s Elite performers from across Australia and New Zealand gathered in Adelaide this week for a special conference aimed to inspire and future proof everyone's businesses.

Ray White acknowledges that its size and scale does not guarantee future success and that is why it is determined to be “more than just a brand” to all its 13,000 members.

Ray White Head of Performance and Recognition Bianca Denham said the Elite Performers’ Conference this year was focused on raising the bar.

“We have an unwavering commitment to accountability, managing high transaction volumes, and future-proofing each and every business. Our theme this year is uncharted territory,” she said.

“We are here for the long haul, success leaves clues and we are all trying to get better. We understand that our industry is changing and dynamic.”

She noted the average team size for our Chairman’s Elite agents was now four, which used to be two, with the best performing teams doubling in size.

“Many of our top agents now have very sophisticated team structures with clearly defined roles to create efficiency.”

Keynote speaker Daniel Bull, a Melbourne-based adventurer and mountain climber who has conquered the Seven Summits and the Volcanic Seven Summits, reminded the agents to be unstoppable.

Daniel Bull became the youngest Australian to climb Ama Dablam in the Himalayas, doing so at the age of 23.

In 2017, he completed back-to-back climbs of both the highest mountain and highest volcano in Antarctica, becoming the first Australian to ascend Mount Sidley.

For the last two decades he has been climbing all over the world, while holding down a day job.

He had some practical strategies to help the agents to overcome their fears.

“Leadership starts with self leadership and by controlling fear. If you have had days where it’s a huge struggle to just get through the day, you have to find a way to keep going.”

He recalled climbing through the dark on May 22 2008 when he summited Mt Everest.

“The mental challenge was the biggest barrier about the uncertainty of what lay ahead. But each of us has the power to defy the limits and reach new heights.”

“Establish your base camp, eyes up and establish your own summit pose!”

Ray White Managing Director Dan White said the Alan White Elite members were the “pinnacle” of the leading group and the entire industry.

“Our elites are taking us to new places and challenging us to improve. It’s important for us to recognise what you've achieved and keep going forward but we know there’s more potential in all of us,” Mr White said.

“We are always looking for ways to get better, to push our limits and we are always challenging ourselves. There’s more potential in all of us.”

He also reminded all the members to always act and behave like leaders.

“We must always make sure our responsibility is to our customers, that is critical. And we must never ever lose sight of that fact. One of our core values is to be proud of every transaction,” he said.

“A strong theme of this conference is about breaking new ground, and going into new territory. Records are being set across the group all the time. We're in territory we've never been before, how do we make sure we keep moving forward together? How do we make sure we're getting sharper? How do we make sure we're bringing you new ideas to keep the momentum?

"That's the really exciting thing, as all of our elites are absolutely committed to that journey together. Elite effort is to be respected, recognised and praised. How fortunate are we to work in our industry? We are in such a fast growing industry which has seen incredible growth in recent years."

Bianca Denham spoke to Alistair Macmillian at Ray White Wilston, a high level performer who has been in the industry for 25 years. He has always been hungry for success, and he was always motivated to succeed.

Ray White Head of Strategy (Real Estate) Mark McLeod reminded all the elites about the importance of open homes.

“Some of our best agents are doing double opens and we have seen some really interesting results. You have to win Saturday. You have to win 46 Saturdays! If I was to drive around your suburb, I will know who is winning Saturdays as the compound effect of connections is the key to growth,” he said.

“When you realise that we are auctioning people, not property, the lightbulb goes off. Great agents move quickly when they track their data.

“Auctions move the position of the owner. If the house is owned by no-one then dont auction. But we are auctioning people and when that penny drops, your business will transform.”

Mark McLeod spoke to one of the top agents in New Zealand, Ray White Mt Eden agent Rachel Berry, about her local market and her journey so far.

“New Zealanders are obsessed with real estate, even more than rugby!" she said.

“I am obsessed with data and my community is critical. When you live and work in your community, community is critical. My kids won’t come anywhere with me now as everything takes so long because I stop to talk to everyone,” she said.

Some 75 per cent of what she sells is in her local area. Ms Berry has the ability to instil genuine trust and confidence in all those she engages with. She is a natural “people connector”, she has a reputation for achieving premium prices through the auction method of sale.

“When you realise that we are auctioning people, not property, the lightbulb goes off. Great agents move quickly when they track their data too," Mr McLeod said.

“Auctions move the position of the owner. If the house is owned by no-one then don’t auction. But we are auctioning people and when that penny drops, your business will transform.

“We do two opens for each house every Sunday. It’s a full work day. Every open is a job interview.”

Mr Smith has strict rules that he adheres to every single day - saying good morning, changing his phone voice message daily depending where he is, writing in a journal and making hard calls on Thursdays (in a blue shirt!).

“Also start before others finish, send your emails early, not late. And learn how people learn. If you are not showing people they are not learning, you have to show people. People learn through visual, audio and feeling.

“Unsubscribe from every single marketing email you receive every single month. This will save you 2-3 hours a week.”

He also reminded the elites to only ever accept water from a vendor. "Never drink tea or coffee as you may offend someone if you don't drink it!"

Nick Lyus of Ray White Epsom in Auckland spoke about the power of authenticity.

He said his three children often say to him that they don't care about how much money he earns, they just want him there and present.

“To help me with my work life balance, I am family focused from 5-7pm every day. I finish all my calls before I walk in the house at 5pm. Then I turn my phone off until 7pm. Mentally, it's been a release not to have the phone on 24/7. And I also book family holidays at the start of the year. In fact, we get our kids to pitch their ideal holiday and budget to my wife and I. They have to do a little presentation!

“The key message is we have all this amazing technology but we are all leaders and if you can get everyone in your team to be authentic and engaged with the mission you will be successful.

“Never dampen anyone’s ambition. You only have one life so you have to make the best of every opportunity. The number one regret of the dying is that people regret not having the courage to be themselves, so it's never too late to be 100 per cent authentically to you.”

Ray White Rockhampton | Yeppoon business owners David Bell and Riley Neaton gave the elites an insight into their partnership and how they run their top performing high volume Chairman's Elite Leader business in regional Queensland.

In Rockhampton, the business has 50 per cent market share, and similar in Yeppoon.

“The key to get from Elite to Chairman’s Elite is delegation,” Mr Neaton said.

“We cross sell a lot in our office. I talk to my owners, go to appraisals and prospect my hot stock. That is my non-negotiables. The magic is in the work that you are avoiding doing.”

Their office has six elite level performers, which is a remarkable outcome.

Mr Bell runs a highly structured associate program and he says he "doesn’t have any time for fools".

“My associates shadow me. I run into a house and they follow me and run around and get the fans on, and make sure there's no dead cockroaches! The house I am showing is a reflection of us and I always insist the lawns are mowed etc! No excuses.”

Mr Bell has trained up eight associates in recent years. “If you want to be a volume business you need to cracking six opens on a Saturday, I open everything twice now on Saturdays too.”

Ray White Group Head of Recognition and Performance Bianca Denham also interviewed million dollar writer Jamie Wood of Ray White Barossa Valley | Two Wells.

The former bricklayer who has been in real estate for almost six years.He has been a business owner with Darren Pratt now for two years and they are both selling principals.

One of the country’s top pub brokers, Andrew Jolliffe of HTL, spent time discussing his incredible business.

“Hotels are institutions of memories, of events. A badgeless membership. A belonging. They are public houses. Hotels, pubs, they are run by innkeepers. By raconteurs. Hosts. They are and always will be the epicentre around which communities’ orbit. Invariably they will survive wars, recessions, depressions, pandemics and poor government decisions. In equal parts, they employ and entertain.”

David Walker, Thomas Merriman, Adam McKay, Domenic Maxwell and Jessica Cao of the powerhouse team Ray White Upper North Shore in Sydney spoke on panel.

They spoke about the importance of culture, auctions, team structure and geo databases. “Energy is our currency,” Mr Walker said.

Successful business owner Jody Fewster of Ray White Cottesloe | Mosman Park said the amount of training on offer at Ray White was second to none.

“The access to great professionals is what sets our network apart from anyone else. I have had such a fantastic time at this Elite conference and Macca’s point about making 50 sales was crucial. How do you become an elite? It takes hard work. But the leg up that you get from being part of Ray White is also key. Ray White provides the systems, the tools and the education that you need to accelerate your progression in the industry.”

Robyn Hoare of Ray White Collective in Brisbane said she had to pinch herself to realise she had made it to become an elite level agent.

“Be brave. That's what I tell myself every day. Be brave. I know I've got the ability. I've brought up seven human beings that have now got incredible jobs and careers. I’ve only been in the industry for three and a half years. And to think that I'm in a position where I am now? But it hasn't come without a lot of work. And, you know, anything good takes a lot of work. I suppose I just had to learn what sort of work was the right work. Real estate is multi-layered and different facets of real estate blew me away. I'm now in a position where I know what I don't know, and that's where I'm seeking help and inspiration for understanding those parts of business, because my life skills get me so far, but there's real processes and skills that I need to whip up. That’s why conferences like these are wonderful places to learn.”

Ray White Cheltenham elite agent Trevor Bowen is a self-declared “conference junkie” who loves attending them and picking up new skills.

“Macca says that if you can sell 50 homes, the next 25 or 50 will come even easier. What does it take to become an elite? It takes systems, drive and not taking no for an answer.

“I love meeting likeminded people at conferences, there’s such great camaraderie.

“People probably think I am weird for what I do and here I get to meet lots of other weird people just like me.

“My first elite conference showed me all the systems that are available to us at Ray White, and there’s such a big collection of tools in the Ray White toolbox. These tools I use in my listing presentations and the data and stats makes it easier for the vendor to say yes rather than no.”

Business owner Daniel Kelly of Ray White Yamba | McLean said he always took something home with him to implement with his own team for the future from the group's conferences.

“I am a proud business owner inside such a wonderful family business. I love coming to Ray White conferences as you get to gel with other people from across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

“What does it take to become an elite? Always work hard and consistency is the key. You also have to believe that you can do it too. We are so blessed at Ray White to have so many great tools and support people to help us grow and train, our corporate team knows what it takes to succeed and they will all help you.”

Business owner Brandon Pilgrim of Ray White Burnside said there were always things changing in the industry. “I love attending these events as there’s always something new that we can implement. At the moment, there's a really big focus on the numbers, and trying to get in front of as many people as we possibly can and really win Saturdays. That’s our focus area. Everyone's got a little different approach. So you can take your little magic bullets everywhere and sort of try and add that into your business and hopefully create some more structure and just get it moving in the right direction.”