Jason Spagnuolo may not have started in property, but he certainly seems to be a man born for it. With an easy attitude, an absolute focus on customer care and some serious skills at the negotiation table, it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy dealing with Jason - and his growing database of satisfied customers is a testament to that.
A well-known figure in both the sporting and real estate circles of Adelaide, Jason is a man who is as much a part of the community as he is an agent. With such a sterling reputation and sales results to boot, it's no wonder he is often described as one of real estates' extraordinary success stories - though he'd not be one to admit it.
As a person that anyone entering the industry should look up to, Jason takes the time to talk about his journey up to this point, and how Ray White helped enable his successes.
Sport and support
We've mentioned that Jason is something of a sportsman, and the name should already be familiar to the football fans of Adelaide. Playing professionally and semi-professionally since 1992, Spagnuolo has played for Adelaide City, Adelaide United and the Enfield City Falcons (amongst others) during his time on the pitch. Despite a solid sporting career with all the pressure that comes with in, Jason explains that his time in real estate was even tougher - at least to begin with.
"I used to think the sport was hard, and then you get into real estate and phew - it's the hardest, most challenging thing I've ever done. I do enjoy the challenge and the first couple of years are really, really, really difficult, and I don't want anyone to think otherwise," he explains.
"There's nothing glamorous about it - it's all hard work. And I think that's what I like about it. The work you put in, you're rewarded on that."
Jason doesn't want anyone to be under the impression that being an agent is easy. But he goes on to explain that Ray White supported him thoroughly through the difficult moments, and lauded him rightly when he put in the work and succeeded.
"I had some good support in my Ray White office and they kept me focused and said it will turn - just keep making calls!", says Jason.
Jason put it simply: "You're either winning, or learning."
The power of community
And what does winning look like in the real estate world of Adelaide? According to Jason, it's all about a high level of customer service: ensuring that the buyer and the seller are happy at the end of what is for many people a very difficult period. By providing the right support to his clients, Jason makes sure that everybody walks away with a smile on their face and a thank you on their lips.
"Being able to provide the consumer with relevant information, following them up, staying in touch with them, more often than not through a phone call. That's happened since day one and it's just grown and grown and grown," explains Jason, describing how his office uses a vast database of customers to make sure they can provide the best level of service to as wide a group of people as possible.
"I think people appreciate us staying in touch with them, not necessarily because they are going to be selling, but because they own a property and we obviously want to build a relationship... when you get them on the phone afterwards... when you can hear them smiling on the other end of the line - it's good. It's good, it's nice. Just the thanks - it makes it all worthwhile."
Beyond the client care, Jason and his team also try to give back to the community as often as possible, hosting barbecues and sponsoring locals and even fronting a charity auction or two. It isn't just about getting the biggest sales figures or even the best client responses - it's about being a part of your local neighbourhood on a truly significant level.
Advice to others
To summarise, we asked Jason about whether he would recommend a similar journey to others.
"Real estate is an industry that anyone can do. As long as you're prepared to make some sacrifices and work hard it's a rewarding industry and Ray White has just helped me enjoy it, basically, and give it a fair shot with the right tools in the right environment... anyone can do it," he explained.
Through Ray White, Jason managed to take his attitude on the pitch and mould it into the real estate industry and, despite a few trials and tribulations along the way, he put in the hard yards to pull off some seriously impressive customer reviews and sales figures.
