NSW & ACT together for Unite 2020

MORE than 450 Ray White Group members from across New South Wales today descended on Sydney's Ivy Hotel for Unite 2020.

Hosted across capital cities by Australasia’s biggest real estate group, the Unite 2020 program would provide a new and improved training format for salespeople and property managers.

The sessions were designed to help its agents navigate and adapt to current market conditions.

Ray White Group Managing Director Dan White (pictured above) said it was wonderful to see so many members in attendance from across the state.

"The group’s members worked so hard last year and never gave up hope, and as the market picked up, we were in the right spot as momentum increased," Mr White said.

"We need to have one eye on the microscope and one eye on the telescope. We put more focus on auctions and auctions skills than ever last year, which is unusual as we're known as an auction house, but the refocus is paying dividends.

"Looking ahead, we need to take risks and ask ourselves what are we going to do differently, and keep advancing.

"We've just invested in some technology to help agents be more productive with better seamless communication skills. There'll be a lot coming available for our members in the next 12 months.

"This'll help us be more relevant in 2020, and our skills must keep improving. Everyone must have pride in the group and take some risks to ensure that this year is even better than our last."

Ray White NSW co-CEOs Jason Andrew and Andrew McCulloch (pictured above) said the future goal was to sell one in every five homes in New South Wales.

"By 2025 I want us to have a market share of 15 per cent (right now we're at 12 per cent) but in fact we need to push for 20 per cent market share," Mr Andrew said.

"It’s important to get the goal right so we can say we sell one in every five homes. We want to be able to control that narrative, we want to be able to say that we have more buyers than anyone else, which equals more competition."

"I want to congratulate the marketing team and the Ray White Group as a whole for their roles in the real estate industry-wide Beyond the Bricks bushfire campaign," Mr McCulloch said.

"The relief, rebuild and restore drive has so far raised more than $1,000,000 and we'll proudly hold a charity event today to help raise even more funds for this important cause."

Keynote speaker and a former captain in the SAS Mark Wales (pictured above) said mental health was very important and people in high performance jobs needed to manage their mental state.

"Sometimes people overwork themselves for years and a burn out creeps up on them. So, putting yourself first – and that means eating, sleeping and resting properly – is incredibly important," Mr Wales said.

"Research shows that 120 minutes of vigorous exercise a week is a great way for suppressing symptoms of depression and improve cognition.

"Eating well is more simple than people think as well. Leafy greens, vegetables, lean meats and less sugar and alcohol is a clear path to wellness.

"And when it comes to sleep, it’s recommended you get between seven and nine hours of sleep. And for those who struggle to settle, reading a fiction book to take you into a different world is a great tip."

Ray White Communications and Customer Experience Manager Natalie Hortz (pictured above) and Head of Marketing Lisa Pennell spoke of how technology had become so important.

"Video is now the way of the future. Video guidelines takes the stress and cost out of putting together stylish and effective videos," Ms Hortz said.

"Video is the best way to promote your business, and it's the best way to promote the energy you can bring to a campaign."

"Proof points are important for any product or service, and fortunately we have absolute and clear evidence that our marketing strategy and campaigns are effective in hitting the mark, by generating more business for members," Ms Pennell said.

Ray White General Counsel Alexandra Coleman (pictured above) then shone a light on upcoming property and licensing reforms in New South Wales.

"It’s important we all understand the changes that are happening and get it right. These reforms come into effect on 23 March - so now's the time to do this," Ms Coleman said.

"We’ve already sent out lots of information and will keep doing so - the Office of Fair Trading website is also a great place to visit.

"There'll be three licence levels under the new systems (anyone who currently has a licence or certificate will automatically convert to the comparable licence of certificate).

"Various functions will change depending on your level of licence (you may not be entitled to do what you currently can) and only class one agents can authorise withdrawal from trust accounts.

"Certificate holders will no longer be able to sign agency agreements and licence holders will need to complete a number of CPD hours per year.

"Businesses will need to update their processes and procedures to make sure they are compliant going forward."

Adam Downes, Ray White Group's Head of Performance, showed members the finer points of the Pulse dashboard which enables agents to track their own individual performance against the broader network.

Mr Downes said the group had built a platform whereby all agents can track their performance in real time and strive to reach their goals and potential.

Mr Downes and Ray White New Farm Principal Matt Lancashire (pictured above) discussed how to understand your value.

"It took me nine months to make my first sale - I was pretty ordinary at it. I wasn’t sure of what I was doing or what I wanted to achieve," Mr Lancashire said.

"At the time I was 26, I’d gotten myself into $50,000 credit card debt, and had to move back in with my parents. In 2010, I made the decision to have a really red hot crack at real estate.

"You need to be a big advocate of print and/or a big advertiser, you have to do auctions, and you need to become an extremely hard worker and out-work your competition.

"One thing I like to do is play to my strengths and cut my weaknesses."

Ray White Head of Growth Mark Mcleod (pictured above) said in the modern world customers want a relationship with their real estate agent.

"The next 10 years is all about execution and providing our agents with the tools for them to execute better and to deliver an even better customer experience," Mr McLeod said.

"We need to look at moving out of our comfort zone, move into more of a fear zone, and then into a learning zone. All of these will move us forward into a growth zone.

"When you look at who'll be around in 10 years time - it'll be the individuals who take advantage of getting closer to the customer.

"It'll also be the individuals who make it harder to fail than it is to succeed - put the work in so you simply can't fail."

In the final session of the day, Ray White NSW co-CEO Jason Andrew sat down with Ray White Upper North Shore Director David Walker (pictured above) to discuss listing presentation skills.

"A listing presentation is giving your potential vendor the belief that you're going to achieve the highest possible price for them," Mr Walker said.

"The key is to never focus on another agent - try and do something completely different to them. Use what you can to prove you are the best choice for the vendor.

"Everyone in my team is just as important as everyone else, without people in the team you wouldn't be where you are. There is no one above anyone else."

The day also featured a charity auction (pictured below) for the Beyond the Bricks bushfire campaign that raised $2,500 for two short-stays in Mollymook and Manyana - two regions that were most affected by the devastating fires.

The Unite 2020 day was well received by Ray White Group members across New South Wales with different highlights ticking the boxes.

"I really liked the keynote speaker. The key takeaway I got from him was to always be prepared and put plans in place so it's harder to fail," said Ray White Goulburn Sales Consultant Justin Gay.

"David Walker and Matt Lancashire were the highlights for me. I love coming to days like this so I can learn and improve processes," said Ray White North Richmond Sales Executive Cindy Cash.

"I personally liked the presentation by Matt Lancashire and the main takeaway for me was to recognise your weaknesses and fix them," said Ray White Bankstown Director Tony Roumanous.