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A new team within Place Estate Agents offers amped-up support for the professionals in its network.
The firm’s new growth and nurture team, composed of existing experts from across the company’s management, looks to ensure that its offices are functioning at a high level across the areas of recruitment, retention and innovation.
The initiative gives Place agents direct access to coaching from Place co-founder and co-director Paul Curtain, head of people and HR Amy Wolter, chief auctioneer Peter Burgin, and corporate sales leader Matthew Foote.
Their property management professionals, meanwhile, benefit from the support of property management director Cathie Crampton, and business development manager Lisa Perruzza.
Ms Wolter noted that because of the solo nature of the industry, many of the high performers who grow into the top jobs haven’t necessarily learned the necessary skills of managing people.
“Real estate agents run an individual’s race and often they have not been exposed to learning leadership skills,” she said.
“As agents grow and have more people join their teams, majority of them aren’t trained in leadership and find themselves asking the questions – how do they make it work? How do they create job descriptions? How do they create flow and synergy?
“That’s where our new team comes in – we will share all our effective processes to the Place offices and teams.”
Place Bulimba agent Meagan Muir has been with the agency for more than 20 years and recently took advantage of the company’s new offering. She described the experience as “invaluable”.
“Defining team member purpose was key to enhancing my business, focusing on what everyone does within the team,” Ms Muir explained.
“We sat down and worked out what my business needs were, defining roles to ensure that everyone came to work with a purpose.”
Managing director of Place, Mr Curtain, said that they expected the program to have benefits beyond employee satisfaction, as effective leadership would allow agents like Ms Muir to “multiply their own ability”.
“We want to produce sustainable teams within our real estate business, providing our people with high-level support and tools, creating an environment for repeated success within their businesses,” Mr Curtain said.
Giving some insight into the program’s structure, Ms Wolton said they decided to focus the training around three key areas:
1. Retention: creating an environment where there is trust, respect and the desire to learn and evolve.
2. Recruitment: growing new agents with strong leadership skills and structure to teams, rather than creating an environment that sees a competition culture through masses of numbers.
3. Customer experience: teaching agents that a positive customer experience promotes loyalty, customer retention and brand reputation. Having a team that works seamlessly creates a positive experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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