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A Brisbane agent has recently moved from a physical shopfront to a virtual office after shifting to a new network.
Bryan Carmichael made the conversion after his office joined One Agency at the start of the month when his business’ five year agreement with a former franchise ended.
"We saw the opportunity that we didn’t need a shopfront with the model I’ve got,” he said.
“It’s a family-owned business now, so we’re all set up at home.
“My office is my car and my mobile phone. It’s great because I’m getting a passive income from our former premises that we’ve now leased out, and obviously we’re on the road and being very proactive with our new marketing approach to letterbox drops and local advertising."
While the virtual office model has its supporters, only recently, in a feature article published in the March issue of Real Estate Business, a number of real estate professionals talked up the benefits of retaining a shopfront.
According to Mr Carmichael, One Agency appealed to him because he could retain his independence.
“One Agency came forward and because it was a licensing agreement rather than a franchise, we could run independently with support but still do our own thing. It was very attractive, particularly for the model my wife and I operated,” Mr Carmichael told Real Estate Business.
“This is great because it gave us the best of both worlds – no restrictions yet support when needed.”
He praised the network for helping to ensure a smooth transition for his business.
“One Agency are very thorough in making sure you’re up and running and you’re not thinking about ‘should I be doing this’ or ‘should I be doing that?’ They’re very proactive in making sure you’re feeling comfortable with the move," he said.
Mr Carmichael added that the move has been met with positive feedback from customers.
Managing director of One Agency Paul Davies said he welcomed Mr Carmichael and his wife Brenda’s addition to the network.
“Bryan was able to move out of his shopfront and operate his new One Agency business without the necessity for costly premises,” he said. “Bryan has established himself very quickly under the One Agency brand with 16 listings in less than a month, specialising in and around the Arana Hills areas.”
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