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Marshall White Bayside director and auctioneer Matthew Pillios was the number one agent in the REB Top 50 Agents Victoria 2023 rankings. He told REB this was a result of consistency, hard work and multiple referrals.
Mr Pillios rose from number nine last year to one in this year’s ranking after selling 134 properties for a total value of $370.5 million across the 2022 calendar year. This is a jump from last year, when he sold 101 properties for $246.9 million.
Throughout 2022, Mr Pillios primarily sold luxury family homes for between $3 million and $12 million in suburbs such as Brighton, Brighton East, Elwood, Hampton, Black Rock and Beaumaris.
He attributed his success to achieving strong sales for vendors, which resulted in referrals.
“I’ve had multiple times where a competitor or a colleague has been tracking a vendor for two or three years,” Mr Pillios told REB.
“But because of some successful results, I’ll be heavily referred to. The vendor will ring me and ask me to sell their property. It’s a privilege to get that word of mouth.
“If you do a good job people will talk about you. Similarly, they’ll talk about you if you do a bad job too.”
Alongside this, Mr Pillios said he “upped the ante” on his real estate marketing to remain relevant, including using social media to promote his services and successes.
He also drops marketing materials and professional distribution letters in residents’ letterboxes, and sends emails to his database with just listed updates and property market reports.
Despite stock levels plummeting in Victoria (along with other parts of Australia), Mr Pillios said his stock levels have been strong, which he credited to taking a flexible approach to selling property.
“For example, my commission is usually 1.5 per cent. If someone has been offered 1 per cent, I’m open to matching that, and at the vendor’s discretion, increasing that over time. Some agents are robotic, but I think being open-minded is important,” he said.
Recruiting an agent with a Chinese background has also helped Mr Pillios’ agency break the language barrier and reach a broader base, including Chinese buyers purchasing property in Australia.
Being active in his community has helped Mr Pillios build his local presence too.
“I sponsor Brighton Primary School, the local school in our community,” Mr Pillios shared.
“We’re also a major sponsor of the East Brighton Football Club, a huge footy club in my area.”
While Mr Pillios works hard, he said he takes breaks during the July and Christmas period to “recharge and regroup”.
As for how other agents could replicate his success, Mr Pillios urged them to be dedicated and committed to real estate, and professional and consistent in the marketplace.
“Consistency builds trust. People who trust you will use you,” Mr Pillios concluded.
Click here to view the REB Top 50 Agents Victoria 2023 and the Top 100 Agents 2023 rankings.
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