Cooperatives emerge as the progressive, agent-first alternative in a challenging real estate market

In an industry where franchises prioritise corporate profits, First National’s cooperative model offers agents the best chance of success, combining transparent financials, tailored training, and genuine influence over the network’s direction to help members grow stronger businesses and shape their future.

Unlike the top-down structures of traditional networks, First National operates as a not-for-profit cooperative. That distinction is more than cosmetic: it reshapes how money flows, who makes decisions, and what benefits reach members.

Darren Pearce, Membership Director at First National, says the structure provides an antidote to the pressures agents often feel when trapped inside revenue-driven models. “In a franchise, the more you earn, the more you owe. With us, members pay a fixed levy, and the rest is theirs to keep.”

The fixed-fee model means agency owners are not punished for success. Instead, they gain financial predictability. “It removes the anxiety that comes from knowing part of every dollar will be clipped,” Pearce explains.

Because First National reinvests all member levies into operations, training, and marketing, Pearce argues the structure is inherently fairer. “It’s transparent. There are no hidden percentages. Members can see exactly how their fees build the network.”

Importantly, the governance model puts members in charge. Regional Councils feed into a board of directors, both comprised of agents who know the realities of the profession.

“This isn’t about being dictated to from above,” Pearce says. “Members shape the direction of the brand. They bring their ideas, and those ideas influence national strategy.”

“This level of involvement fosters accountability, transparency, and a sense of ownership. Agents feel invested in the network’s success, knowing that their input can influence marketing campaigns, training programs, and overall business priorities.”

That element of democratic participation appeals to agents weary of compliance-heavy, corporate hierarchies. It makes the cooperative model progressive not because it looks backwards, but because it hands professionals a voice in their own futures.

Yet governance alone does not win members. The network has recently completed an overhaul of its training and professional development programmes, an investment Pearce calls “long overdue but transformative.”

Gone are the marathon seminars and outdated binders of content. Instead, members now access bite-sized learning via mobile devices, attend interactive webinars with experts, and take part in peer-led discussions.

“We wanted training to be relevant, accessible, and engaging,” Pearce says. “People are time-poor. They need content that fits around real life, not the other way around.”

That modernisation reflects broader trends in workplace learning but also underscores the cooperative’s promise: reinvesting levies in tools that make agents sharper and more competitive.

Equally transformative has been the expansion of in-house marketing support. First National employs a team of graphic designers who produce bespoke campaigns for local offices, rather than leaving them to generic, cookie-cutter templates.

“The key is flexibility,” Pearce notes. “Our designers work with members to capture what’s unique about their markets. The end product feels personal, not mass-produced.”

That blend of national backing with local identity is central to the First National philosophy. Offices carry the national brand but retain their business names, enabling them to stay grounded in their communities while signalling trust through association.

“You’re part of a big network,” Pearce says. “But it’s still personal. Our members aren’t swallowed by the brand, they’re supported by it.”

This ensures that an office in suburban Sydney can project a completely different personality and message to one in regional Victoria, while still benefiting from the strength of the national brand.

Pearce argues this balance of individuality and consistency is critical in winning listings. “Vendors can tell when marketing feels authentic,” he says. “Personalised branding helps our agents stand out and connect.”

The culture of the network, too, reflects its cooperative roots. Pearce describes it as collaborative rather than competitive, with members across states willing to share insights and strategies.

“Ask anyone in First National what stands out, and they’ll tell you it’s the people,” Pearce says. “There’s a generosity of spirit, a willingness to help each other succeed.”

Critics may dismiss cooperatives as relics of the past, but Pearce believes the opposite is true. In an age of rising costs, fierce competition, and workforce burnout, the cooperative is an agent-first, progressive alternative.

“It’s about putting people back at the centre,” Pearce argues. “Too often, networks prioritise corporate profits over member wellbeing. Our structure ensures the opposite.”

For agents weighing up the next stage of their careers, that message carries weight. A predictable fee model removes financial stress, training and marketing support strengthen competitiveness, and governance gives members real influence.

“Ultimately, it’s simple,” Pearce says. “The cooperative model is about empowerment. It lets agents thrive on their own terms while being part of something bigger.”

In an industry where every margin counts and every advantage matters, the cooperative may well prove to be the most modern idea of all.

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