SEEF CENTURION
What are your top three secrets to success?
(1) A positive attitude and perseverance. (2) Always answer your phone, be there! (3) Knowledge of your area will give you confidence.
What is the one thing you wish someone had taught you or told you when you first started out in property and why?
It is a full-time job, seven days a week and it is necessary to take ‘time out’ to recharge. The successes and sales are most rewarding though and the longer you are in the property market, the more you will enjoy it.
What is the most vital business tool that estate agents should have at their disposal in today’s market and why?
Your cell phone and laptop. Many clients complain that agents do not answer their phones; your phone is business and clients need to communicate with you. With your laptop you can go onto the Internet when you are with your client and browse through the listed properties and photographs in your area there and then.
Do you remember the first property you sold? Please tell us about it.
I joined Seeff Centurion in February 2007. I only sold my first property in November of 2007 – which was nine months after I started. I had become a little despondent and worried as I had no success for nine months. It was a strain financially, but patience paid off. I think that initial sale gave me confidence and I continued to sell regularly thereafter. The sale itself went quite smoothly. Once you have made the connection between a willing buyer and a willing seller, it is a most rewarding feeling and you will want it to happen again and again.
What advice would you give to new kids on the block about making a success in their career in property?
Be reliable and honest to your clients. If you do not know something about the property or the business, find out for them. Clients don’t expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to find out, be reliable and honest and come back to them. You will have your ‘down’ days, but with a positive attitude tomorrow will be better (it’s not what you say, it’s what you do!).
