Young Gun to Industry Leader: The Team-Building Formula Behind Savva Koulouris’ Success

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” Savva said.

Approaching ten years in real estate this year, Savva has built a tight-knit four-person team at Place Woolloongabba, working out of the brand’s iconic Prohibition-style office - a space he said reflects the culture, trust and shared success behind the business.

“If people feel valued and respected, they want to stay and grow with you,” he said.

“The results aren’t just mine; they belong to my team and the office leadership as well. It’s always a shared effort.”

Today Team Savva includes Piper Ellings (team manager and executive assistant), Michael Garcia (lead agent) and Will Gale (co-agent), with each role evolving as the business continues to grow.

Both Piper and Michael first worked within the Place Woolloongabba office in different roles before joining the team, something Savva said reflects the focus on developing talent from within.

Savva said building a team that wants to stay requires consistent effort and investment in people.

He focuses on:

• Developing talent from within the office, giving team members the opportunity to grow into new roles
• Sharing success across the team, recognising that results are never achieved by one person alone
• Creating flexibility, allowing team members to work from home where it improves productivity
• Backing his team publicly while addressing challenges constructively
• Investing in culture through team rewards, celebrations and shared goals

Place Woolloongabba Principal Denis Najzar, who first hired Savva as a young associate, said his ability to build relationships quickly set him apart.

“Savva has always had an incredible work ethic and a genuine way of connecting with people,” Denis said.

After two and a half years learning the industry under Denis, Savva stepped out on his own in early 2019, backing himself just months before the uncertainty of COVID hit the property market.

Rather than slowing down, he doubled his efforts.

“I just decided to go all in, meet more people, list more homes and work harder than anyone else,” he said.

That drive helped accelerate the growth of his business, with around 80 per cent of his sales now coming from referrals.

“In real estate you have to be a person first and an agent second,” Savva said.

Place Woolloongabba Principal James Curtain said Savva represented a new generation of agents building sustainable businesses through strong teams.

“He’s taken the lessons he learnt early in his career and built a strong team culture around it, which is why bringing him into the partnership last year was a natural step.”

Looking ahead, Savva said the focus remains on growing the team while continuing to deliver for clients.

“The goal over the next five to ten years is to keep building on what we’ve created and continue getting better every year.”