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Breaking into real estate can be tough for new agents, but a young auctioneer told REB that starting as an auctioneer gave him the edge when he shifted to property sales.
Whilst many begin a real estate career in sales, Place Ascot auctioneer and lead agent Jordan Curd took a different approach, starting as an auction associate with the network.
After a stint in cyber security sales, Curd knew he wanted a career in real estate and initially planned to work under an auctioneer just “for a few months” until finding a sales agent mentor.
However, once he began in his new role, Curd had a change of heart.
“It was probably after the first few auctions that it was clear to me that, at least for the time being, auctions were the path I wanted to go down,” Curd told REB.
“I was 22 when I started calling auctions, and I am 23 now, so it hasn’t been a long time, but I feel like I have made an impact.”
Curd has risen quickly through the auction industry, even winning state awards as auctioneer of the year, despite being in the industry for only 3 years.
“The pathway that the majority of auctioneers take is that they start with an established sales career and use their experience to transition into an auctioneering role.”
“Doing it the other way around was, for me, the best thing I could have done.”
An auctioneer’s edge
Curd said that his prior experience as an auctioneer had made it easier to break into the sales side of the business, as he had already been involved in many transactions, a point he leaned on with buyers.
“I may have done fewer transactions than a lot of agents you are speaking to, but what I can tell you is that none of those agents has been involved in as many negotiations as I have over the past 12 months.”
When it comes to building relationships with buyers, Curd said he often draws on the skills he developed as an auctioneer.
“Auctions have given me a lot of reps learning how to quickly connect with people and how to present to them.”
“That skill set, while obviously it has helped me as an auctioneer, it has also been great in terms of building a sales business.”
In the first 12 months of working in sales, Curd said the relationships he had built with other agents as an auctioneer had increased his visibility and laid the foundation for him to grow his business, now to the point of having his own sales associate.
The advantage of youth
Curd said that it was common for younger agents to be overlooked in the early stages of their career and that they should look to align themselves with a team to help them kickstart their journey.
“The hardest part is to get the initial runs on the board.”
“That’s where working for a larger brand is great, because you can really lean on the results and experience of other agents and professionals in your business.”
While many would consider his youth and lack of experience as a disadvantage, Curd said that he had been able to leverage them in his favour.
“I think being young and hungry breeds success in a lot of cases.”
“The vibrancy or energy that I or someone my age can bring to the table often creates opportunities, because people can feel that you are excited about every opportunity that is in front of you.”
“Every transaction means more to a young agent who is just getting started than and experienced agent who has thousands of transactions under their belt.”
Additionally, Curd said that, as an agent in his early 20s, he was able to devote more time to his clients because he had few outside-of-work commitments.
“If a seller calls me at any hour, unless I am in an appointment with another seller or at an open home, chances are I am on the other end of the phone.”
By aligning themselves with a strong team or larger network, Curd said that young agents could mitigate the struggles of building from scratch.
While clients would eventually find out his age, Curd said that he didn’t “advertise” his youth.
“That’s why I decided to grow a beard. I think it probably gives me an extra five years when you first see me,” Curd joked.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mathew Williams
Born in the rural town of Griffith NSW, Mathew Williams is a graduate journalist who has always had a passion for storytelling. Having graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Sports Media in 2023, Mathew recently made the move to Sydney from Canberra to pursue a career in journalism and has joined the Momentum Media team, writing for their real estate brands. Outside of journalism, Mathew is an avid fan of all things sports and regularly attends sporting events across Sydney. Get in touch at
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