Real Estate Recruiter

The REIV Awards for Excellence is the Melbourne’s Real Estate industries glamorous awards evening to recognise industry leaders. I was thrilled to attend this year’s event on the 20^th of October at the grand Crown Palladium ballroom with a few of my colleagues to support our Real Estate clients who were nominated.

Ben & Clare

It was a wonderful evening & an exciting opportunity for Victoria agents to get dressed up in their finest & let their hair down. We enjoyed a delicious three course meal while the champagne flowed & cheered loudly for our clients as the nominations were read & the winners announced.

Property Manager of the year finalists Leah Calnan – Metro Property Management, Carolyn Wright – Your Property Manager, Zac Karvoun – Redina Real Estate & Hayley Mitchell – Mitchell Property Management

The Design & Build crew were seated on the Mitchell Property Management table & were thrilled when Hayley Mitchell took out the prestigious ‘Residential Property Manager of the Year’ award.

Hayley Mitchell & Warren Rapson, Directors, Mitchell Property Management

After all the awards were announced an impressive 80’s cover band hit the stage & soon had most of the room on the dance floor.

Leanne White , Design & Build & Clare Verrall, Design & Build

We had a fantastic evening chatting with many industry leaders & look forward to the 2012 REIV awards!

Full list of the 2011 Awards for Excellence Winners

Individual Awards

Residential Salesperson: Tim Heavyside – Fletchers
Commercial Salesperson: Mark Coster – CBRE
Residential Property Manager: Hayley Mitchell – Mitchell Property Management
Commercial Property Manager: Brett Diston – Ray White Commercial Manningham
Business Broker of the Year: Karli Dunham – Just Business Brokers
Buyer’s Agent of the Year: Melissa Opie – Keyhole Property Investments
Corporate Support Person of the Year: Charlotte Kuebler – Release Property Management
Achievement (Rookie) Award: Max Cookes – CBRE
Senior Auctioneer: Matthew Young – Buxtons St Kilda
Novice Auctioneer: Mark Verrochi – Nelson Alexander
Novice Auctioneer Runner-up: Ben Williams – hockingstuart Carlton

Agency Awards

Small Residential Agency: hockingstuart Mooroolbark
Medium Real Estate Agency: Jellis Craig (Ivanhoe) P/L
Large Residential Agency: Fletchers
Commercial Agency: Nichols Crowder Property Solutions
Innovation Award: hockingstuart
Community Service Award: hockingstuart

Marketing Awards

Residential Marketing Award

Budget Under $2k: Ray White Manningham – 21 Richard Street, Doncaster East
Budgets $2k–$10k: Saint-John Estate Agents Pty Ltd – 8/76 Carlisle St, St Kilda
Budget over $10k: Melbourne Real Estate Pty Ltd – Jaques Richmond, 1 Palmer Street

Rural Marketing Award: Pat Rice & Hawkins – “Tremon Stud”, 188 BlackhillRoad, Gisborne South

Best Commercial and Industrial Sales Campaign

Budget under $5k: Nichols Crowder Property Solutions – 13 Rings Road, Moorabbin
Budget between $5k–$15k: W. B. Simpson & Son – Druids House, 503 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Budget between $15k–$30k: CB Richard Ellis – 269 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Budget in excess of $30k: Colliers International – 160 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands

Best Commercial and Industrial Leasing Campaign

Budget under $5k: Colliers International – 180 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Budget between $5k–$15k: Colliers International – 549 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

C&I Gold Award for Overall Excellence: Colliers International – 160 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands

Website Award: Fletchers

Corporate Promotion Award

Single Office: PhilipWebb Sales P/L Doncaster East

Multiple Offices: hockingstuart

Copywriting Award: Saint-John Estate Agents Pty Ltd – 8/76 Carlisle St, St Kilda

President’s Award: Allan Lord

Well, after months of what seemed like an endless Melbourne winter the sun is finally peeking out from behind the clouds & the excitement that comes with the start of summer is in the air. As the temperatures rise it is important that candidates have planned their personal presentation well in advance to avoid rolling into important job interviews a hot, sweaty mess.

There is nothing worse than wearing full business suit in searing 35 degree heat. I worked in Real Estate for years & stood out the front of OFI’s being roasted by the Australian sun while my make up flowed down my face – I get it. However, when it comes to job interviews it is vital you appear poised, polished & professional even in the summer heat. You don’t want to be sitting across from an interviewer worrying about your sweaty shirt, wilted hairstyle or if that stench of BO you just realised was emanating from you has hit the interviewer’s nostrils yet.

I have some basic tips to help candidates who have important job interviews during the long, hot Australian summer.

Women

Be sparing with heavily scented products such as fake tan, body sprays & perfumes. There is nothing whose than being trapped in a small room chatting to someone’s who’s perfume is giving you a migraine.
It isn’t really necessary to wear a suit, a corporate style dress with capped sleaves is fine but don’t go too crazy with bright, summer prints. There is a fine line between a fun, fresh look & looking like a Gold Coast retiree.
For practical & professional reasons skirts should fall slightly below the knee. You don’t want your potentially sweaty skin sticking to leather chairs & making an awkward sound when you move.
Wear your hair up neatly if possible to prevent it turning into a giant, lioness style frizzball by the time you arrive at the interview.
Apply primer before make up. Primer is a summer life saver, for those of you who haven’t joined the primer revolution now is the time! Keep your make up fresh & light so it doesn’t travel down your face creating a delightful melted make up moustache. I would also recommend using blotting paper or powder.

Men

Take a cool shower just before you don your outfit & apply an unscented anti-perspirant deodorant even if you are one of those men who is convinced they don’t smell. This is not the time to risk going deo free.
Just say no to spray tans. Please. NO!
Arrive early & quickly head to the restroom before your interview. Splash some cold water on your face, fix your hair & give yourself a ‘sniff test’.
I recommend investing in an unlined wool suit as they are much lighter as you need to wear a full suit including jacket & tie. Don’t rock up to interview in just suit pants & a shirt, It’s important that you are dressed up for interview even if the road is melting outside.
Wear an undershirt if you plan to remove your jacket during the interview. I know it’s hot but leave a little to the imagination.

Lastly, Do not wear sunglasses on your head. You are not Alex Perry.

Additional to the visible traits, a great positive attitude, the ability to listen before you speak and being well prepared with answers to those more tricky questions should always be at the top of your interview check list. The heat, commuting in traffic and the hum drum of daily admin can add stress to an already stressful interview experience, so planning ahead and feeling comfortable on your big day is paramount to success.

It’s hot out there peeps, so do everything you can to appear cool, calm, and collected.

In my career I have had some really wonderful jobs with fantastic companies and worked with some really great people.

I’ve also worked at a company where I was absolutely miserable.

I understand that with any role there are challenges. However I refuse to drop my level of professionalism by weathering co workers scathing and rude remarks, negativity, bullying and lack of professionalism. It is a personal choice we make each day as we walk in the door to the office, to get on with what we are employed for and to do so in best practise.

As an aspiring optimist, I thrive on creating positive experiences and relationships in all that I do, and I know this reaps benefits in professional success. It goes without saying that there is simply no time or energy in my work day to deal with narrow minded, racist and negative comments, loose lips, and scathing slander from those I share desk space with.

When the moral fibre of your work place is threadbare, you find yourself feeling trapped and worthless. Not only will your work performance and self confidence suffer in a negative environment, but so will your professional brand as you are associated with a company that becomes known for hosting a difficult workplace within any one industry.

I had all the usual concerns about leaving this role where I was so unhappy; in addition, I had been told by my colleagues this was just how the industry was. I didn’t want to jump out of the pot and into the fire.

Then one day I woke up I thought, you know what? I’m not going to put up with this anymore; I don’t deserve to be miserable. So I walked into the office and resigned. Hands down the scariest thing I have ever done. I had no job lined up, minimal savings and no real plan. However I felt that if I had to work with these people for one more second; the next nasty comment might cause me to leap from my desk and attack them with a stapler.

It was the best move I could have made. It turned out the industry isn’t all like my previous organisation; the role I accepted a few months later was with a fantastic company full of wonderful people. There was no bullying; virtually no office politics and my colleagues quickly became friends. Gone was that feeling in the pit of my stomach when my alarm went off each morning. I can honestly say I enjoyed going to work each day.

Life is too short to be in a job that is slowly eroding your soul. Don’t spend another year waking up and dreading going to work. You spend over 38 hours a week at work; why not spend it in a role you enjoy, in a company of like minded professionals?

You don’t deserve to be miserable at work, take action in 2012 and find a job you love.

http://www.greatplacetowork.com.au/

With the turn in the Real Estate Sales market in 2011, I have noticed many of my clients are recognising the value of their rent roll and have decided to employ Business Development Managers to proactively grow this valuable asset. As the popularity of Business Development Managers (BDM’s) has increased I have found myself discussing with a number of clients what type of candidates make great BDM’s. Most clients want me to find them a fantastic Property Manager with great references in a Property Management role who now wants to do Business Development Management. Surprisingly, I have found the best BDM’s are often not ex-Property Managers. Or if they did come from a Property Management background, were not particularly great at it as they tend to lack attention to detail.

Great Property Managers are nurturers, successful BDM’s are great sales people, which is a totally different mindset. The personalities and motivations of outstanding Property Managers, compared to successful Business Development Managers are often as different as chalk and cheese.

I have met many excellent Property Managers and what sets them apart from the pack, is they really care about people. They want people to like them. For a good Property Manager getting an unsolicited testimonial from a happy client is the highlight of their week. They don’t like to push people, which is why many Directors complain as their Property Managers won’t even ask landlords if they have any other properties they could manage. These Property Managers gain listings by delivering such a high level customer service that their clients decide to bring their other properties over for them to manage – they don’t like to ask. PM’s will often take rejection quite personally. If they hold a listing presentation & don’t secure the listing they will take this to heart, desperate to understand why the landlord didn’t like them. When I ask Property Management candidates what is important to them in a new role they will usually list a nice team environment, organised systems & procedures & colleagues who they ‘connect’ with.

Property Managers often don’t see commissions as ‘real money’. They only see their base salary as the income they will be making over the year, even if they are earning commissions for new business they are already bringing in from referrals etc, they tend not to include these commissions when discussing their salary. This is why attempting to convince a Property Manager to accept the lower base salary of a BDM, despite the fact they will actually be earning considerably more than they were on a PM’s base is such a difficult task. Property Managers know what they are worth and won’t accept less than that figure, but they are not only chasing the dollar and seeking the highest potential salary in a new role.

Great BDM’s on the other hand are fantastic sales people. They are like a dog with a bone, they are driven by the dollar and don’t take things too personally. They have no hesitation proactively hunting down leads even if that means picking up the phone, making cold calls and being rejected fifty times before they get in a door. Once they have a listing, they are intent on leasing the property, adding it to the rent role and collecting their commission. They often see administration & paperwork as a waste of time as it is taking up time they could be out there, chasing leads & getting results. If BDM’s have come from a Property Management background they may more often than not have been particularly great Property Managers, as they tend lack attention to detail and not leave a solid paper trail. They are numbers people who are happy to work long hours to make the big bucks. When I ask BDM candidates what is important to them in a new role they usually only focus on one thing; money. They want a job with a company who has a strong reputation in the area which (they recognise) will help them to make as much money as possible.

BDM’s don’t usually have an issue with a lower base plus commissions, as long as it is clear what the commission structure is and how the agency plans to support them (marketing etc) so they can quickly start earning decent commissions. A table showing exactly how much they can earn if they hit specific targets is often a big draw card for these candidates as they can see in black and white exactly how much they can be earning if they succeed.

Obviously there are exceptions. I have met eight outstanding Property Managers who went on to be highly successful BDM’s in the three years I have worked in Real Estate Recruitment but these candidates are certainly an exception, not the norm. For this reason, agencies who decide to combine their BDM role with a reduced portfolio will often find they end up with someone who is so focused on maintaining the small portfolio they are not proactively growing the rent roll; or someone who quickly gets results on the BDM side, but is receiving complaints from tenants/landlords who’s properties they are managing.

Recognising these definitive psychological traits and drivers that clearly differentiate a Property Manger from a Business Development Manager is the key to success in recruiting for longevity. The process should always be about adding value to a business to ensure its’ growth. The value elicited from this process is infinite in the case of placing an insatiably hungry BDM within an agency allowing for huge potential to grow. The same applies when placing a detail oriented Property Manager who nurtures strong relationships and understands the value of delivering top customer service to landlords and tenants alike.

I have had conversations this week with several frustrated clients and candidates who have recently had negative experiences with other recruiters. These experiences with what can only be described as ‘cowboy’ recruiters really made my blood boil. Such behaviours are not only creating obstacles in the path of ethical business, but they are also degrading the broader reputation of recruitment.

The first example of this unprofessional behaviour was provided when one of my clients expressed frustration with a particular recruiter who had flicked her a series of resumes from candidates whom the recruiter themselves had not yet met in person. ‘Here is the resume of so-and-so, I haven’t met them yet but they seem to have good experience, would you be interested in interviewing them?’ (Recruiter). ‘If I wanted to receive random resumes I wouldn’t bother with a recruiter’ my client said to me, ‘I would just advertise on SEEK’. I couldn’t agree more. A good recruiter doesn’t just toss the resumes they receive across to clients without interviewing the candidate first. The process of an interview allows a good recruiter the opportunity to gain a depth of understanding around what a candidate is looking for in a new role and beyond the basic job itself – what type of company and culture they would fit into. All good recruiters know that culture fit is one large portion of any successful placement. Additionally, real privacy breeches come into play as a recruiter casually forwards personal information within a resume on to a third party without first gaining the permission of the candidate. Throwing resumes at clients just to see if one will stick is lazy, unprofessional and shows that the recruiter has no respect for the candidates or clients they are attempting to work ‘with’. Furthermore, from a client’s point of view – it looks as though the recruiter is simply looking to secure themselves a fee at any cost.

Adding further fuel to the fire was the story of a candidate I interviewed, that had been dealing with a recruiter who had not even bothered to arrange a face to face meeting. Instead, upon receiving her resume the recruitment firm called her; reeled off the names of a number of agencies seeking a Property Manager less of any further information on the roles (portfolio size, company culture, remuneration etc) and when the candidate asked for more information about the roles for consideration prior to being put forward, she was told they would get back to her. The candidate did not receive a call back but the the recruitment firm did proceed in emailing the candidate’s resume on to approximately 12 different agencies. Once a few agencies replied saying they would be interested in meeting with the candidate based on their experience, the recruiter called the candidate. Not for a face to face meeting, but to set up interviews directly with the clients! The candidate then attended a number of interviews for roles that were not at all what she was looking for. Despite her extensive Property Management experience, she wanted a role that was more Business Development focused. This was a key condition for any new position which she had shared with the recruiter during the initial phone call. Needless to say the candidate was very frustrated after taking three days annual leave to attend said interviews, which resulted in a complete waste of both the candidate and clients time.

Another candidate I spoke with expressed her apprehension about working with a recruiter again having registered with another recruiter who had proven to be incredibly pushy. This candidate had a strong background in Property Management but wanted to move into a Sales Administration role. She had met with the recruiter who had discussed a number of Property Manager vacancies with her. Feeling that the recruiter was not listening to her after reviewing these vacancies, the candidate clarified that she was only interested in Sales Administration roles. Over the next few weeks the recruiter called her constantly to arrange interviews for Property Management roles, which she had specifically requested not to be put forward for. The recruiter then acted aggressively, telling the candidate that she should go to the interviews, accept Property Management roles she didn’t want and then ‘see how she felt in 4 months or so’. The recruiter even pressured her accept a role that was over a 1.5 hour drive from her home! Not only is the candidate left with an skewed impression of the recruitment process, the client may have well been saddled with a non committal candidate in a permanent position, costing them thousands to replace ‘4 or so’ months down the track. Appalling behaviour.

There appears to be a community of ‘cowboy recruiters’ out there, who hide lazily behind their computer screens, flicking resumes around the city via email, dismissing the vital requirement for a face to face interview prior to referring a candidate onto clients; and in the process failing to forge and maintain any form of relationship with the clients or candidates they are working with. Additionally, the specific needs and interests of the key stakeholders involved in the process are not being addressed.

This cowboy behaviour is not only an insult to those of us who take pride in what we do, it is damaging to the reputation of the recruitment as a whole. Not unlike the effect that a few dodgy Real Estate Agents can have on the reputation of the entire industry.

My message to those cowboy recruiters is this: You have the power to change people’s lives and to contribute to the success of a business. This is a huge responsibility and not to be taken lightly. You’re not selling toilet seats, or planks of wood, you are helping to guide people’s careers and assisting the growth of Australia’s businesses. Your job is not to bully someone into accepting a job you know isn’t right for them just to make a quick buck or to flick candidates resumes around like throwing cooked pasta at a wall in the hope something sticks and a client will happen to hire them so you can pocket a fee.

Your job is to provide support and guidance during the job search process and to help a candidate secure the right career role where they can excel, using your knowledge and genuine, well founded networks in the industry. Your job is to provide your valued client with a quality candidate who has the right skills set for the job and who fits the company culture.

Lift your game.

Or leave the industry.

We recently had a workplace health & safety officer attend our offices to provide further training for our consultants about WH&S for our contracting candidates.

I’ll be honest; it scared the hell out of me!

It turns out I was ignorant to the huge fines that can be imposed on employers by authorities if someone injures themselves in the workplace. Even the smallest things can result in fines that would cripple most agencies should they lack previously implemented controls around WH&S. During the visit, we were told horror stories detailing incidents where people slipped off their chairs resulting in $500,000 dollar fines where liability would have been easily minimised if the employer had better WH&S polices in place. These fines are not covered by most insurance policies, and subsequently they must be paid by the company.

Could your agency financially survive a $500,000 fine?

I instantly thought of the many Real Estate offices I worked with that I knew were completely unaware of the risks they are exposing themselves to by not having strict WH&S policies in place. For this reason I approached Adrian Taylor, Managing Director of 80:20 Management Consulting to write a guest post about WH&S, highlighting some of the risks Real Estate Agencies are exposed to and how these agencies can attempt to protect themselves & their employees. I really hope this post gets everyone thinking about how they can better protect their employees and their businesses. My message to all of the agencies out there who do not have a WH&S policy in place: Please don’t wait until it is too late.

Spotlight on WH&S in the Real Estate Industry

The moment I mention health and safety in an office environment, I sense most of the audience switch off. There are a couple of points however, that never cease to rouse their attention:

Don’t have an “If you are injured” poster displayed in your workplace? Penalties of up to $35,835* apply to your company as well as up to $7,167* for an individual can apply. Additionally, this $35,835 poster must be displayed where all workers can read it.
Breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act? Penalties of up to $1,075,050* for a company and $215,010 for an individual.

* WorkSafe Victoria Website, as at 1^st May 2012

These are just a few of the potential penalties that apply to office environments who are unprepared. Your OH&S obligations also increase dramatically if you have employees who are working off site (such as holding inspections at properties.)

The link below outlines the minimum requirements of an employer when taking into account employee safety and I am always amazed at how few people know what these requirements are, particularly within white collar environments.

http://bit.ly/IWkEfg

Health and Safety doesn’t just relate to the physical either. Many people I speak to have never heard of “Brodie’s Law” and its implications. Brodie’s Law details that workplace bullying and Harassment Laws can lead to prison terms of 10 years as well as massive fines for businesses. Employers are liable for turning a blind eye to workplace harassment as much as they are for participating.

I know it all sounds like doom and gloom but unfortunately sometimes it’s the only way to get people thinking about it and making the changes required by Law.

Consulting your employees in relation to their Health & Safety is often the first step in providing a safer work place. If you discuss the concerns and hazards identified by your staff, document the findings and start working towards implementing controls, you can help improve the safety of your workplace.

From a Real Estate point of view there are a number of different risks that confront staff every time they go to a customer property, for example;

Driving Hazards en route to property
Electrical Hazards on site (old/faulty wiring)
Maintenance Hazards (Damaged floors, Termite Damage, Asbestos)
Un-Restrained Animals
Working alone with the general public
Trip hazzards

WorkSafe Victoria has provided a good starting point with their Real Estate “Out of Office Safety” publication available here:

http://bit.ly/J2c1Ni

When sending employees off-site, you need to implement effective policies and procedures to ensure that they are safe on the journey to the site, whilst on-site and on their return journey.

Does your office have task specific policies in place to protect your staff? Or have you put WH&S to the bottom of the pile, potentially risking everything you are working so hard to achieve? Protect yourselves now; don’t wait until an incident occurs to put the spotlight on safety.

If you require guidance on where to begin with assessing your safety risks, implementing controls and ensuring compliance with your regulatory requirements please contact Adrian on 0403 523 352.

Adrian@8020mc.com.au

www.8020mc.com.au

+61 403 523 352

Adrian Taylor is a Safety, Quality and Environmental Consultant with over 10 years’ experience developing and implementing Safety Management Systems for small, medium and large organisations.

As Managing Director and Principal Consultant of 80:20 Management Consulting, Adrian has worked with a broad cross section of businesses from small manufacturing companies to large construction, Gas and Infrastructure projects.

So, you have seen Real Estate Agents whizzing about town in their expensive suits in their European cars and you have decided you would like to get into Real Estate too? But where do you start? Breaking into the Real Estate, like getting a foot in the door in any new industry isn’t easy, however once someone gives you that chance, Real Estate can be a very rewarding career.

Required Certification

First things first, to work in Real Estate in Melbourne you need to complete the Agents Representative Certificate. This course introduces students to the Real Estate industry and it’s functionality. Successful completion of this course is necessary to obtain employment in a licensed estate agency and to work in Property Sales or Property Management. This course can be completed through a number of universities and TAFE’s. The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) is a good place to start http://www.reiv.com.au/

In order to commence employment as an Agent’s Representative, you must meet the following requirements of the Business Licensing Authority (BLA):

Be at least 18 years of age;
Have a registered address in Victoria;
Pass the prescribed course (Agent’s Representative)
Present a police check not more than six months old (police check form can be found here: www.police.vic.gov.au)
Provide a Statutory Declaration confirming your eligibility to practice Real Estate.

Entry level Jobs in Real Estate

There are two distinct paths you can take in your Real Estate career, Sales or Property Management. If you are looking to break into Sales, a Sales Personal Assistant role supporting an established agent or a Sales Cadet role with a well known agency is a great place to start. If Property Management is the direction you want to take, an Assistant Property Management role or a Leasing Consultant role is a great place to start. Reception is also a common starting point for Property Managers. Reception is also a fantastic place to start if you are unsure if Sales or Property Management appeals to you more, as this role gives you a complete overview of a Real Estate office, and places you in good stead for progressing into your desired role smoothly.

Starting Salary

Ok, so you have your Agents Representative Certificate and you are ready to secure your first role in Real Estate. Starting salaries in Real Estate are low, so you need to be realistic about the wage you will receive and whether it suits your existing financial commitments. You will not be driving a Porsche within the first year working in Real Estate!

Sales Personal Assistants and Sales Cadets are usually paid minimum wage plus commissions, and are often required to work at least six days a week. Receptionists and Assistant Property Managers without existing industry experience are usually started on between $33,000 – $35,000 plus superannuation, per annum and are required to work some Saturdays (usually every 2^nd or 3^rd Saturday on a roster.)

Getting that first start in Real Estate

Breaking into any new industry without experience can be difficult, Real Estate is no different. You need to be patient, persistent and you need to prepare yourself positively for potential rejection, understanding that it should not be taken ‘personally’. Searching for roles on the online job board SEEK is the obvious place to start. There are usually a number of different roles being advertised directly by Real Estate Agencies or through Recruitment Companies. Candidates without any Real Estate experience are best off applying to Real Estate agents directly, who are advertising for staff. The reason being, that Agents have to pay a fee to Recruitment companies who refer and screen candidates, for this reason prospective employers generally prefer candidates from Recruiters who have existing Real Estate experience. You are more likely to secure your first Real Estate job through an agency that is advertising a role directly rather than by going through a recruiter, as they are more willing to take a punt and give someone new to the industry a chance when they don’t have to pay a substantial fee to a recruiter in order to secure them.

I recommend that candidates looking to break into Real Estate take a look at www.realestate.com.au and visit the ‘find an agent’ section, using it to search for agents in their local area. Many of these agencies have websites with careers pages that allow you to submit your resume for their consideration. Many agents, who have a position to fill, will go through resumes submitted on their career pages prior to advertising the role, so this is a very worthwhile exercise.

Job Interviews

Job interviews can stressful, but they don’t need to be, especially if you have prepared well in advance. As with all things, preparation is key to success. I strongly recommend you thoroughly research the company you are interested in working for, starting with their website.

Make sure your interview attire is highly corporate. For men this means a suit, shirt and tie with polished shoes. For women this means a skirt or pant suit with a shirt or nice top under a jacket or a corporate dress. Stockings should be worn along with plain closed toe heels. Keep jewellery to a minimum and ensure your hair is neat. Presentation is crucial in a front facing industry such as Real Estate, so ensuring you get your interview attire right is all important when securing a role.

Bring with you a well presented and organised portfolio, containing all requirement documentation as well as copies that you can leave with the interviewer (your resume, written testimonials, written references, a copy of your Agents Representative certificate and your police check.).

It is extremely important that you are on time for the interview, as punctuality is vital in Real Estate. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going, how long it will take to get there and what the parking options are available (do you need change for parking meters etc?). You should aim to arrive at least ten minutes early.

It is essential to make the right impression from the moment you enter the company for your job interview. Present yourself positively to everyone you meet and leave behind a good impression. You will be remembered as a candidate who was polite and friendly. As you arrive for your job interview, ensure that you turn off your mobile phone. Greet the Receptionist politely and speak confidently and clearly when you introduce yourself. Remember that many interviewers will ask the Receptionists to provide their impression of you after the interview.

Finally…

Real Estate can be a fantastic career path, however it isn’t easy. Those agents you see in their expensive cars work six to seven days a week starting early and often finishing after 9pm. They started on minimum wage and through complete dedication to their role over a number of years, they clawed their way up to earning $100K+ (in Sales) or $60K+ (in Property Management.) They didn’t start earning this type of money overnight. If you are looking for easy money, then Real Estate isn’t the career path for you.

However if you are hardworking, dedicated and have a real passion for property, Real Estate can be an exciting career path with impressive financial rewards.

The REIV Awards for Excellence is without a doubt The Melbourne Real Estate industry’s night of nights. The awards were judged by an independent panel, established from entries submitted by the REIV’s 7,000 members. The Design & Build Real Estate team Clare Verrall & Natasha Simondson were thrilled to attend this year’s event last Thursday evening (18^th of October) at the grand Crown Palladium ballroom, to show our ongoing support and celebrate with many of our Real Estate clients & candidates who were nominated for this year’s Awards.

2011 Property Manager of the year Award winner Hayley Mitchell with 2012 Property Manager of the year nominees Leah Calnan & Sam Nokes

The Awards are always a fantastic evening & an opportunity for industry leaders to be recognised. At the event we enjoyed an impressive three course meal while the champagne flowed, the crowd grew more festive by the moment and we cheered loudly for our clients and candidates as the winners were announced.

Winners of the Small Residential Agency of the Year Award & Residential Marketing Award (budget over $10k) – Melbourne Real Estate’s Stephen Fitzsimon & Peter Hooymans with Clare Verrall

Following the official Awards ceremony, it was time to hit the dance floor. The highlight of the evening was hands down, when the PSY internet sensation ‘Gangnam Style’ was played – resulting in a large portion of attendees jumping at the opportunity to flex their very own ‘Gangnam style’ dance moves. Needless to say, some of Melbourne’s notable Real Estate and Property professionals also happen to know how to burn up a dance floor!

2011 Property Manager of the year Hayley Mitchell of Mitchell Property Management, Clare Verrall of Design & Build 2012 Property Manager of the year winner Virginia Sier of Philip Webb

Amy McIntosh, Hayley Mitchell, Abigail Greer, Samantha Middleton, Clare Verrall, Natasha Simondson & Kate McGrath

Design & Build Real Estate team Natasha Simondson & Clare Verrall

The Design & Build Real Estate team had a fantastic evening chatting with many of Melbourne’s industry leaders & are looking forward to next year’s Awards. We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate those Award Winners whose efforts represent industry excellence and stand out performance.

Talia Mansell & Shannon Ferrif

2012 Award Winners

Individual Awards

Presidents Award - Bruce Ludeman, Ludeman Real Etate

Life Membership granted to – Valda Walsh, Walsh Cairnes & Co

Residential Salesperson of the Year (Principals) – Tim Heavyside, Fletchers
Residential Salesperson of the Year (Non-Principals) – Jason Salan, Fletchers
Residential Property Manager of the Year (Principals) – Andrew Paterson, Fletchers
Residential Property Manager of the Year (Non-Principals) – Virginia Sier, Philip Webb Rentals
Commercial Salesperson of the Year – David Aiello, CBRE (V)
Commercial Property Manager of the Year – Fiona Flett, CBRE
Business Broker of the Year – Shaun Perera, The One Business Brokers
Buyer’s Agent of the Year – Janet Spencer, Buyer Solutions
Corporate Support Person of the Year – Alexandra Kamberis, Jells Craig Inner North
Achievement Award – Owen Sharkey, Taylor First National
Novice Auctioneer – Michael Kelly, Nelson Alexander
Senior Auctioneer – Winner: Jeremy Tyrrell, Fletchers
Runner-Up: Harry Li, McDonald Real Estate Springvale
Owners Corporation Manager of the Year – Lesley Duffell, Doepel Lilley & Taylor

Agency Awards

Small Residential Agency of the Year – Melbourne Real Estate Pty. Ltd.
Medium Real Estate Agency of the Year – Jellis Craig Doncaster
Large Residential Agency of the Year – Fletchers
Commercial Agency of the Year – Colliers International
Innovation Award – Keyhole Property Investments
Community Service Award – Nelson Alexander
Communications Award – Just Business Brokers.com

Marketing Awards

Residential Marketing Award

Budget under $2k – First National Real Estate Lindellas
Budget $2k – $10k - Barry Plant (Bayswater)
Budget over $10k - Melbourne Real Estate Pty. Ltd.

Rural Marketing Award – RT Edgar (Macedon Ranges) Pty. Ltd.
Website of the Year – Jellis Craig Corporation Pty. Ltd.
Corporate Promotion Award (Single Office) – Ray White (Manningham)
Corporate Promotion Award (Multiple Offices) – Jellis Craig Corporation

Copywriting Award – Woodards

Commercial & Industrial Marketing Awards

C&I Gold Award for Overall Excellence – Colliers International

Best Sales Campaign

Budget under $5k – Nichols Crowder Property Solutions
Budget between $5k–$15k – Nichols Crowder Property Solutions
Budget between $15k–$30k – Colliers International

Budget in excess of $30k – CBRE

Best Development Site Sales Campaign – CBRE

Best Leasing Campaign

Budget under $5k – W.B. Simpson & Son
Budget between $5k–$15k – Colliers International
Budget between $15k–$30k – Colliers International
Budget in excess of $30k – Jones Lang LaSalle

Wednesday 14th Nov 2012 Encore, St Kilda Melbourne

Earlier this week, REIV bought together some of the global industry’s award winning marketing, social media and digital specialists to provide up to the minute advice, trending and insight into the digital applications available to Real Estate professionals looking to harness market leading online advertising strategy, search optimisation and social media.

Around half a dozen national and international industry thought leaders gathered on Wednesday at the REIV Digital Conference held at Encore, St Kilda here in Melbourne, taking the podium to discuss poignant digital topics, including everything from Social Media ROI, Facebook strategies that produce results and Real Estate in the digital age.

Speakers included Andrew Beecher, Head of Marketing & Products at realestateVIEW.com.au, discussing : Driving ROI; Willie Pang, CEO and MD of Ventures in Digital Media discussing Search Engine Optimisation; International Keynote Speaker from the U.S. Chris Smith from Inman News, discussing Facebook Strategies That Produce Results and the Mobile Revolution; Laurel Papworth, CEO from The Community Crew discussing, Five Top Tips for Facebook, Twitter & Social Media; as well as Lucien Schneller, Manager Real Estate Division, Google and Pedro Queiroz, Senior Industry Analyst Media & Classifieds, Google discussing Real Estate in the Digital Age.

I was thrilled to attend the conference on behalf of Design & Build, keeping my audience up to date with regular tweets (#REIVdigital), photos and facebook posts throughout the day. The stand out delivery from International Keynote speaker, U.S. based Chris Smith proved a highlight for me, as did the myriad of social media applications and websites available to Real Estate professionals looking to embrace technology in an effort to enhance efficiency on the job.

On return to the office, I decided to put together an iPhone app and web tool cheat sheet based on Chris Smith’s presentation, for those readers are looking to learn more about how social media can be used effectively in Real Estate – for little more than the price of the average phone app!

Nimble

This brilliant little breakthrough acts as a Social Media relationship manager and quasi database for all of your contacts, communications, activities and sales! Perfect for the self managed agent or independent business person, Nimble provides a tailored CRM where the user can access multiple resources in one central domain.

“With Nimble, you can send messages, add tasks and events, edit or download the contact profile…right from the contact’s profile window. View core contact information, and all activities, emails, notes, and social conversations related to that contact, in one clean and simple screen. Nimble will automatically identify contact’s social profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter so that you and your team can easily connect, listen, and engage with your most important business associates.” (ref. Nimble website)

Mingly

Personal relationship management. “Mingly makes it easy to sort through the noise of social networks and connect with the people you care about.”

(ref. Mingly website)

This is a fantastic tool for merging and consolidating your contacts from various platforms into one manageable address book. Perfect for time poor Real Estate professionals running several different social media accounts looking to organise their contacts and stay one step ahead in terms of who’s doing what. The programme “lives” inside your Gmail account and works to aggregate your contacts across Gmail, Facebook, Linked In and Twitter into one address book which you can search and reference accordingly. The address provides key reminders for milestones such as Birthdays, job changes etc, to one single feed.

ReelMoments

Shoot time-lapse video with your iPhone!

ReelMoments allows you the ability to create a time-lapse video, using either your iPhone 3G or 3GS. The app requires you to focus and shoot, providing a set timer and interval and takes care of the rest, allowing you to take capture moments in your working day on the fly! Film clips are able to be shared via email or store as part of a show reel. This is the perfect tool for providing polished and cost effective film reels as part of your real estate advertising strategy.

Evernote

Evernote is the independent Real Estate professional’s dream come true. Do you have 20 browser tabs open at any one time, afraid to delete them for fear you will lose it forever? Do you flick through a reader of 70 different sites each morning, work within a sea of post-its at your desk and struggle to sync your outlook calendar to your paper diary? Evernotes provides an ‘all in’ platform where you can categorise and organise your ideas, notes, priorities and to do lists from various medium under the one hat. The application is available using your home or work computer, as well as your iPhone and Tablet.

Snapseed

Snapseed provides instant image filters for ensuring your marketing images are looking tip top – and you can share them everywhere!

Zite

Finally – the most comprehensive and personalised magazine maker at your finger tips! Looking to send a bulletin to your team (or yourself!) with relevant articles from your top 5 reputable news sites? Zite allow you the freedom to do so! Zite’s intuitive technology screens news and editorial material online against your interest categories on a daily basis, providing you with a current and relevant selection that is delivered automatically to your iPhone or Tablet.

If this then that

A wonderfully innovative app that ensures you can co-ordinate your public relations and social media activities in one by simply setting up a few rules. The ITTT site operates to automatically perform pre-programmed tasks on your behalf in the digital space. For example – if you are tagged in a Photograph, post it via your Twitter feed and send you a text message alert.

Here’s what the website has to say about the product:

“The this part of a Recipe is a Trigger. Some example Triggers are “I’m tagged in a photo on Facebook” or “I check in on Foursquare.”

Actions

The that part of a Recipe is an Action. Some example Actions are “send me a text message” or “create a status message on Facebook.”

Ingredients

Pieces of data from a Trigger are called Ingredients. For example, the Ingredients of an Email Trigger could be: subject, body, attachment, received date, and the sender’s address.

Recipes

Personal Recipes are a combination of a Trigger and an Action from your active Channels.”

(ref. If this then That website)

Thank you to REIV for putting on such a brilliant event, and thank you to those speakers who took the time to share their knowledge and inspire us into harnessing technology for effective business practise.

For further event highlights visit the Design & Build Facebook page. For current Real Estate roles visit www.designandbuild.com.au

If you have been considering a sea change in the career department, the beginning of a new year is a great time to take action. The thorough and thoughtful planning of your next move is integral to your success locking in a great new role. A clear strategy will serve you well, and what better place to begin than by brushing up your resume and your public online profile.

Updating your Resume

Recruiters are often sent Resumes that feature very obvious mistakes. Out dated phone numbers, “blank spots” in a candidate’s career history, inappropriate email addresses such as “xxxhot@mail.com” and typos appearing where they should never appear are among the most common! First impressions count. Attention to the small details inside your resume will differentiate you from a stack of other less discerning applicants
Ideally aim for a resume no longer than 2-3 pages
Ensure you include the details of your present role to the resume you send out when making applications
Ensure the content is concise and that you don’t leave any blank spots in your career history. It is best to include an explanation as to why you didn’t work for 6 months (Travelled through Europe – June 2012 – Jan 2011) than leave it open to speculation.
Tailor your content to the individual application. Include work history relevant to the role you are applying for in full detail. List key responsibilities of that role, any relative project details and any key achievements you might have gained
Ensure you refresh the list of references you use, and notify your references of the fact you are job seeking with details about the particular jobs you are applying for, so they are not caught off guard when they are asked to perform a reference
Reading your resume out loud will help to highlight any errors you may have made
Finally, ask someone with a sharp eye for detail to check through and proof your Resume before you save it off as the final copy

Cleaning up your Digital Footprint!

In an age of social media, digital content and online professional platforms such as Linked In, it’s all important to know exactly what’s on show when your name is googled. Where credibility is concerned, your future employer has every reason to be concerned about how your name is presented publically (and online) to their clients and business community, and lets’ be honest – most of us have years and years of internet activity stored up online by now. A scary thought for some! Job Seeking provides an excellent opportunity to lock down your facebook privacy settings, edit your Twitter page, vet your photographs and blog posts, and fine tune your Linked In profile to represent the best version of yourself.

Facebook

It’s wise to ensure that your facebook page has its’ security settings set up so that the general public cannot access items such as your “wall”, photos of you and personal comments made on your profile from your friends. Whether the content be offensive or not – a clear line between your personal life and your professional life displays a sense of integrity, discretion and maturity – values that your future employer will be looking for.
It’s also wise to ensure that any photographs that feature in the selection of “profile photos” are tasteful – as they remain public by default. Like it or lump it, legal or illegal, facebook stalking is definitely alive and kicking and it’s very difficult to regulate.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s idea of “appropriate” photos on facebook was deemed a little questionable.

Twitter & Blogs

In terms of the content you have posted via a Twitter account, this is also public and should be edited with discretion. Strong political views and any aggressive, callous and inappropriate content should not be left open to public when you are hoping to appear neutral and professional to a prospective employer.
If you keep a blog under your name, it is also worth considering the type of content you have posted in the past. Sound like you might need to do a spring clean?

Image reference: http://sparkboutik.com

LinkedIn

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, now is a great time to start one! Ensure you use every category available on the profile to display past experience and key skills
Write a tailored summary featuring key industry terms to attract employers and show them that you are serious.
LinkedIn is a widely used professional networking platform, and many users display their work experience, recommendations from past employers and details about their education on their profiles. It’s worth editing the content you have displayed to suit your resume identically – leaving no gaps between your paper version and your LinkedIn profile
Remember that spelling, grammar and punctuation are equally important on your Linked In profile. Ask a reliable party to proof what you have written before you make it live!

Seeking a mentor for advice

Seeking discrete advice and guidance from a senior in your profession or someone who has walked in your shoes can be a great way to build your confidence when applying and interviewing for new jobs. Job seeking can be lonely and unfamiliar territory, and an experienced and trustworthy mentor may help you make the next step positively and confidently.

With a squeaky clean online presence and a concise and accurate Resume, you will be in a great position to hit the ground running on the job hunt!

A great mentor will set you on the right career path for you

As a real estate recruiter I speak to a number of property managers each week who have 5+ years property management experience and have decided they are now ready to step up into a senior/department manager type role. I then ask them what makes them feel they are ready for this next step in their career and 99% of candidates will say “I have been a property manager for ‘x’ years now so I’m ready to manage a department”. To me, this shows the candidates lack of understanding about what a department manager actually entails and that they have not created a career development plan. Promotions are not based on how long you have been in a role, but your career development. Feeling that you are entitled to a managerial role purely because you have had ‘x’ years of experience is an indicator that you are not ready to be a manager.

It is vital that you understand that managing a team is very different from being a property manager. Becoming an effective manager is difficult because of the great gulf that separates the work of management from the work of individual performers. Many new managers initially believe that managing others will be an extension of managing themselves. They assume they will be doing what they did previously, except they will exercise more control over their work and the work of others. This is not the case. Becoming an effective manager requires that you not only acquire new skills and knowledge but also undergo extensive personal growth. In addition to this you need to understand that you will ultimately be held responsible for the actions of your staff. You need to learn how to motivate different personality types, how to create a solid team environment, how to effectively coach staff and how to hold staff accountable. You need to learn to become a ‘people’ manager rather than a ‘property’ manager which is a very different skill set. Attempting to learn these skills ‘on the job’ will quickly result in disaster (resignations, complaints, missed targets, stress and unimpressed senior management.)

So, your long term goal is to become a manager – what steps should you be implementing in your career development plan?

Do Your Homework

Find out what department managers do. Watch the managers in your organisation and see what they do and how they do it. Read books on management and leadership and learn what/what not to do. (The Times ‘top 25 most influential business management books’ is a good place to start: http://ti.me/11AIwHo ) Ask questions of managers you know both inside and outside the real estate industry.

Do Your Job Well

Nobody is going to put you in charge if you can’t do your own job. The first step toward landing a management job is being exceptional at the role you have.

Study

Complete a management course such as the Certificate IV in Frontline Management or a Diploma of Management. These courses can be completed part time or via correspondence so you can complete them while working full time and will provide you with vital skills required to be a successful manager. Certifications also show that you are serious about your career development and happy to invest in your future.

Develop People Skills

The single most important skill for any manager is the ability to manage people. Learn how people think, react, and function when faced with different outside forces. Develop respect for people, even those different from you. Learn how to work with people and then you can learn how to influence their behaviour. Nobody will promote you to a management position if you can’t manage people. Anyone who gets a management position and can’t manage people is doomed to failure.

Find a Mentor

Mentors are people with whom you can talk openly and honestly about work-related issues. A mentor should be more experienced than you, and good mentors can point out your blind spots, offer suggestions, applaud your successes, and guide your career. Think about whom, besides your boss, might be open to spending time with you to help you grow. A mentor can also be instrumental in spreading positive press by championing your skills, talents and abilities throughout the real estate industry.

Network

Industry events and general networking events/conferences will enable you to expand your knowledge base and build a network of industry professionals beyond your employer. These events are also great places to meet inspiring industry heavy weights and mentors. There are also many forums available online on LinkedIn and Facebook – contribute to these forums as this is an easy and cost free way to build your personal brand in the industry.

Show Initiative

Don’t sit at your desk and wait for someone to hand you a management job. Remember that you don’t become a leader by being promoted. You get promoted because you are a leader. Demonstrate initiative. Take on whatever you can without negatively impacting your performance of your main job. Lead from your current position. Don’t try to convince yourself that once you change jobs you’ll lead.

Be patient

Having a clear career development plan won’t result in you being promoted into a managerial role by the end of the week. While you are waiting for the right opportunity to present itself you are building your skill base, expanding your network, gaining confidence and preparing yourself to become the best manager you can be so you may actually be considered for this type of role when an opportunity presents itself. You must demonstrate patience; after all, that’s what leaders are made of!

We are delighted to announce the first Australian Property Manager Community training event to be held on Wednesday the 31st of July from 8:30am – 12:30pm at QPO in Kew. We are lucky enough to have secured some wonderful speakers including Adrian Taylor Director of 80:20 Management Consulting, Hayley Mitchell Director of Mitchell Property Management, Sadhana Smiles CEO of Harcourts, Pernille Cavanough General Manager at Dixon Kestles & Co, Carolyn Pethick of the Boroondara Police Department & Brian Williams of Consumer Affairs Victoria.

For those of you not famililar with the Australian Property Manager Community it is a thriving Property Management Community on facebook created by myself (Clare Verrall) in December 2012 that has grown to over 1300 members in six months and recently featured in Residential Property Manager Magazine.

Anyone professionally involved in Property Management or Real Estate in Australia is welcome to join the group located at www.facebook.com/groups/Australianpropertymanagercommunity Requests must be approved by one of the administrators: Hayley Mitchell, Lyndsey Clarke, Blanche (Bee) Grimaux or Clare Verrall if you do not have your employment details publicly viewable on your facebook page please send a private message to one of the administrators informing us how you are involved in the industry so we can approve your request.

Feel free to pass the invitation to our first training event on to your office network and Property Managers you think may be interested in attending. There are only 100 seats available though so be quick!

We are delighted to announce the first Australian Property Manager Community training event to be held on Wednesday the 31st of July from 8:30am – 12:30pm at QPO in Kew. Cost is $28.50 per person.

The first Australian Property Manager Community training event was held on the 31st of July at QPO in Kew. We were lucky enough to have some wonderful speakers including Adrian Taylor Director of 80:20 Management Consulting, Hayley Mitchell Director of Mitchell Property Management, Sadhana Smiles CEO of Harcourts, Pernille Cavanough General Manager at Dixon Kestles & Co, Carolyn Pethick of the Boroondara Police Department & Brian Williams of Consumer Affairs Victoria.

For those of you not familiar with the Australian Property Manager Community it is a thriving Property Management Community on facebook created by myself (Clare Verrall) in December 2012 that has grown to over 1300 members in six months and recently featured in Residential Property Manager Magazine.

The Secret to Google Places for Real Estate

Google places is a business listing service by Google. Real estate professionals can claim your business listing with Google Places for Business so that clients can find you when looking for real estate help on Google Search and on Google Maps. Here are a few secrets to help you rank higher:

1. Verify Your Google Listings. The first step to getting your real estate Google places to rank higher on Google for real estate searches is to verify your listing. You can verify your listing through a phone call, SMS or mail.

2. Build Your Google Citations. Just like when you wrote an essay for school and had to cite your sources, the same works for Google places. When you add your address and phone number to your Google real estate listing, Google searches the web for other places that has that same phone number and address. The stronger citations means higher Google places rankings when someone searches Google for real estate related keywords.

Pro tip: You can build citations by adding your real estate business to other online directories as well as writing real estate press releases and making sure your address and phone number are on your real estate website.

3. Use Your Real Business Name. Don’t use a real estate SEO keyword as your business name, use your real name. You are not fooling Google Places by doing that.

4. If your real estate business is local, use a local phone number. Do not ever use a 1800 number in your Real Estate Google listing, Google correlates the phone number to your address. If they match that’s extra Google love for you.

5. Match Your Address. Make sure that the address on your website is the same that is on your real estate Google places listing.

Pro tip: Put your address and phone number is on every page of your website.

6. Get At least 5 good reviews. Reviews are the foundation of your Google Places real estate ranking. Don’t be shy about asking your real estate clients to post a review on Google. Remember, Google requires at least 5 reviews to display the star ratings on your real estate places page.

Pro tip: After a positive sale/leasing experience, ask your real estate client if they would take 15 minutes to sit down with you and write a detailed review of their experience on your real estate Google Places, Business Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Walk your clients through how to posting the review and ask them to mention your primary real estate keyword at least once.

7. Add Tons of Real Estate Images. Google lets you add up to 10 images. Pictures of your real estate listings and your headshot are good options. Use a real estate SEO keyword to name each of your images. The first image is what shows up first in Google for real estate keywords, so choose the first image wisely.

Pro tip: Get your clients and friends to post pictures to your Google real estate places page. When someone else uploads an image from their google account it will show up as “From a Google user” helping your ranking in Google for real estate keywords and increasing click-throughs.

8. Keep Categories Honest. Never put your real estate keywords in your Google Places categories. Only choose the best category for your real estate business.

9. Get Links From Related Businesses. Here is an awesome trick! For example, if you are ranked 6th in Google places for your real estate keywords and you want to pass up the real estate business ahead of you, click on their Google Places listing. At the bottom you will see a box called “More about this place”. In order to pass up that real estate business in the results, you need to get links to your website from the websites listed in the box.

10. Get A 100% Completion Rating. Fill out all of your real estate business information, upload real estate related videos and virtual tours, upload pictures. Fill out every single piece of information for the best results.

11. Post Website Links To Your Google Places Listing. Most real estate professionals don’t know about the “post” feature which allows you to post an update to your real estate business Google Places page. Use this feature to link to your home search page, your listings page, your about us page or any other information that is helpful to home buyers and home sellers.

12. Reply to every review. Don’t just respond to negative reviews. Respond to positive reviews a well! It shows that you care about your real estate clients. Plus you can slip in info about you and your specialties.

Pro tip: If you receive a negative review on any site (Google, Facebook etc) resist the temptation to delete it as this will often make the person even angrier. Deal with the negative review publicly, then take it private. For example “Dear Negative Reviewer, we apologise that you had this experience. Here at OUR COMPANY we pride ourselves on delivering high level customer service & your feedback is very important to us, please contact our customer service specialist NAME CONTACT INFO ASAP so they can follow up on this issue with you”

I have some basic tips to help candidates who have important job interviews during the long, hot Australian summer.

Women

Be sparing with heavily scented products such as fake tan, body sprays & perfumes. There is nothing whose than being trapped in a small room chatting to someone’s who’s perfume is giving you a migraine.
It isn’t really necessary to wear a suit, a corporate style dress with capped sleaves is fine but don’t go too crazy with bright, summer prints. There is a fine line between a fun, fresh look & looking like a Gold Coast retiree.
For practical & professional reasons skirts should fall slightly below the knee. You don’t want your potentially sweaty skin sticking to leather chairs & making an awkward sound when you move.
Wear your hair up neatly if possible to prevent it turning into a giant, lioness style frizzball by the time you arrive at the interview.
Apply primer before make up. Primer is a summer life saver, for those of you who haven’t joined the primer revolution now is the time! Keep your make up fresh & light so it doesn’t travel down your face creating a delightful melted make up moustache. I would also recommend using blotting paper or powder.

Men

Take a cool shower just before you don your outfit & apply an unscented anti-perspirant deodorant even if you are one of those men who is convinced they don’t smell. This is not the time to risk going deo free.
Just say no to spray tans. Please. NO!
Arrive early & quickly head to the restroom before your interview. Splash some cold water on your face, fix your hair & give yourself a ‘sniff test’.
I recommend investing in an unlined wool suit as they are much lighter as you need to wear a full suit including jacket & tie. Don’t rock up to interview in just suit pants & a shirt, It’s important that you are dressed up for interview even if the road is melting outside.
Wear an undershirt if you plan to remove your jacket during the interview. I know it’s hot but leave a little to the imagination.

Lastly, Do not wear sunglasses on your head. You are not Alex Perry.

It’s hot out there peeps, so do everything you can to appear cool, calm, and collected.

In my career I have had some really wonderful jobs with fantastic companies and worked with some really great people.

I’ve also worked at a company where I was absolutely miserable.

You don’t deserve to be miserable at work, take action in 2012 and find a job you love.

http://www.greatplacetowork.com.au/

Google Places for Real Estate

Whether they are looking for properties to buy, exploring locations to move to, selecting an agent or exploring income opportunities, using Google for real estate is the way to reach buyers and sellers. It’s the way you get more leads and you sell/lease more properties.

The Secret to Google Places for Real Estate

3. Use Your Real Business Name. Don’t use a real estate SEO keyword as your business name, use your real name. You are not fooling Google Places by doing that.

5. Match Your Address. Make sure that the address on your website is the same that is on your real estate Google places listing.

Pro tip: Put your address and phone number is on every page of your website.

8. Keep Categories Honest. Never put your real estate keywords in your Google Places categories. Only choose the best category for your real estate business.

sweaty-worker1

Summer is well & truly here! As the temperatures rises it is important that candidates have planned their personal presentation well in advance to avoid rolling into important job interviews a hot, sweaty mess.

I have some basic tips to help candidates who have important job interviews during the long, hot Australian summer.

Women

Be sparing with heavily scented products such as fake tan, body sprays & perfumes. There is nothing worse than being trapped in a small room chatting to someone’s who’s perfume is giving you a migraine.
It isn’t really necessary to wear a suit, a corporate style dress with capped sleeves is fine but don’t go too crazy with bright, summer prints. There is a fine line between a fun, fresh look & looking like a Gold Coast retiree.
For practical & professional reasons skirts should fall slightly below the knee. You don’t want your potentially sweaty skin sticking to leather chairs & making an awkward sound when you move.
Wear your hair up neatly if possible to prevent it turning into a giant, lioness style frizzball by the time you arrive at the interview.
Apply primer before make up. Primer is a summer life saver, for those of you who haven’t joined the primer revolution now is the time! Keep your make up fresh & light so it doesn’t travel down your face creating a delightful melted make up moustache. I would also recommend using blotting paper or powder.

Men

Take a cool shower just before you don your outfit & apply an unscented anti-perspirant deodorant even if you are one of those men who is convinced they don’t smell. This is not the time to risk going deo free.
Just say no to spray tans. Please. NO!
Arrive early & quickly head to the restroom before your interview. Splash some cold water on your face, fix your hair & give yourself a ‘sniff test’.
I recommend investing in an unlined wool suit as they are much lighter as you need to wear a full suit including jacket & tie. Don’t rock up to interview in just suit pants & a shirt, It’s important that you are dressed up for interview even if the road is melting outside.
Wear an undershirt if you plan to remove your jacket during the interview. I know it’s hot but leave a little to the imagination.

Lastly, Do not wear sunglasses on your head. You are not Alex Perry.

It’s hot out there peeps, so do everything you can to appear cool, calm, and collected.

By Clare Verrall

doing_it_wrong

I have lots of Real Estate Professionals on my twitter, Facebook & Linkedin. I know many of you are new to the space & just feeling your way. While I think it is fantastic that Real Estate Professionals have jumped on the bandwagon & starting to utilise social media I think many Agents need to think about if what they are posting is interesting to the people following them. As someone who follows a large number of Agents I feel I need to stand up & let you guys know that many of you are boring us all to death.

Hey, if I can’t tell you who will??

I find many Agents have hit social media with a 100% TAKE attitude. They clog up my feed with “OFI – PROPERTY ADDRESS” & “SOLD – PROPERTY ADDRESS”. I deal with this by simply turning off the feed – just as I put a “no unsolicited mail” sticker on my mail box to stop the five boring letterbox drops a day that were clogging my mail box.

Just like that, connection lost. These updates do not make me or anyone else want to use your services. Instead they make me hate you a little.

Ok, ask yourself, what value am I bringing to this space? Am I adding any value to the lives of the people who follow me?

Firstly, while you are able to connect your Twitter/Facebook account to your Linkedin account (nifty I know) I believe these social mediums all need to be treated very differently.

Linkedin is a professional network of industry contacts. Don’t smash your connections with marketing material, the 7 OFI’s you had that day or any other self-serving communication.These people are your peers, they couldn’t give a rats what OFI’s you are holding. Also, a professional network like Linkedin is not the place to share 10 personal status updates a day. Your professional contacts don’t care what you had for lunch that day, that you went to the gym or that your kids have diarrhoea.

Personally – I have a different style of photo & post style for each of these social mediums. On Linkedin I have a professional photo. I only post things I believe people will find professionally interesting & I only post about once a week so I’m not spamming my professional contacts.

On facebook I’m more relaxed, I have a personal photo & post status updates usually once or twice a day. I try to operate on a rule of is 90% give, 10% take. What I mean by this is 75% of the time my posts are something (I hope!) my contacts will find interesting (from professional blogs, to the odd YouTube clip that made laugh or some other kind of link or update that people will appreciate), 15% of the time I post personal status updates to allow my network to get to know me better on a personal level. Something strange or funny that happened to me that day, something people can get a laugh out or relate to. I want my contacts to know that I am a real person who they can connect with. I want them to feel no hesitation in emailing or picking up the phone to me for the first time as they feel like they already know me.

My 10% ‘take’ is the sell, putting up a link to a job ad or putting up a photo of something I received from a happy candidate (bunch of flowers, a nice card etc).

I also have a professional Facebook & a personal Facebook. I find the two don’t mix, the last thing you want is your professional FB friends seeing a photo of you at your friends hens night where you puked in a flower pot then passed out on the stairs & your personal friends don’t give a rats about all the ‘interesting’ professional blogs you are posting that have nothing to do with their industry.

Twitter I use differently again, since it was invented by Lady GaGa I let the more quirky side of me through. Twitter I would have 30% personal updates (I’m much more opinionated & risqué on twitter than on FB as it seems to suit the space), 30% interesting non-professional links that my follows would enjoy (a funny photo, you tube clip or whatever), 30% professional links (blogs, industry related news etc) & again maximum 10% ‘take’ (again, job ads etc). I’m only new to twitter but I’m finding it a fascinating space.

Now, before your next post stop & think, you have this amazing opportunity to build strong new connections with people by being motivational, entertaining, and educational. Are you wasting it?

I was chatting to a Senior Property Manager friend this weekend about the joys of Property Management & she told me about a situation she had just had with a tenant. The tenant was being evicted for rent arrears & became increasingly abusive throughout the process. The warrant of possession was eventually obtained & the tenant elected to vacate the night before the warrant was to be actioned. When my friend went to carry out the final inspection she found a delightful little message written in the dirty pavers by the tenants just for her.

We had a bit of a chuckle about the effort the tenant had gone to in order to really get his message across & I told her to let me know what happened at the VCAT hearing for the property the following week. She sent me the following email advising me how the hearing went this morning & gave me permission to share it with you, but has requested to remain anonymous.

“You would think that VCAT would learn some form of consistency in their orders, but alas it seems this is still not the case.

This week I attended what I thought would be a fairly straight forward hearing. Difficult tenants who were evicted for rent arrears. I claimed most of the bond to cover rent arrears, steam cleaning costs (due to no receipt being provided despite numerous attempts to have this produced), VCAT application fees, registered post fees and paver cleaning. I anticipated that the rent and cleaning costs would be an easy one, while the fees would not be awarded – I have tried to claim the fees at owners’ requests in the past and the Member has always turned down flat.

The Member heard both our sides and came up with the following order:

Rent – awarded in full.
VCAT application fee for 2 hearings – awarded at $39.50 each, and registered post costs awarded at 2x$5.00 registered post charges. This, in itself was quite a shock.
Steam cleaning costs – not awarded as the tenant said he cleaned them. The receipt was unfortunately taken by aliens when he was abducted and probed. That’s obviously why he couldn’t produce the receipt.

The most shocking part of the order was the paver cleaning. Now, call me crazy, but I thought this part was a no-brainer. The tenants were evicted for rent arrears. There were numerous abusive emails from the tenant to me about how unfair it was that I was going to evict him just because he didn’t pay his rent (the injustice of it all!).

The tenants finally handed back keys overnight on a Tuesday at around 11pm. The final inspection was carried out Wednesday 10am & I discovered the lovely message demonstrating the tenants’ extensive vocabulary written on the dirty pavers. The Member who shall remain nameless asked the tenant if they did it.

The response was “No”.

The member then started reading out his order stating the cleaning cost would not be covered. At this point, I piped up and started firing up asking what grounds this decision was reached. The response was simply:

“Because he swore on the bible he didn’t do it”. Now, as shocked as I am his hand didn’t burst into flames when he swore himself in. I thought this was THE most ridiculous reason to base an order on! I started throwing questions at him like “Do we need cameras installed in each property to prove a tenant caused damage?”, “Does this mean if carpet is badly stained in a property, and there is no one there to witness it, it isn’t the tenants fault if they promise (without their fingers crossed) that they didn’t do it?” He didn’t say much to this, but went on with his order.

In short, the only logical explanation for the paver profanity is apparently this:

The tenants handed back possession and went and tucked themselves into bed after a warm cup of milk. At around 1am, someone scaled the walls of the secure building (with a gurney in hand) and proceeded to leave me a little note without waking a single soul. After creatively leaving this message in the pitch black, they jumped the fence again and ran off into the night never to be seen again.

Obviously that makes much more sense than these tenants; who have no issue refusing to pay rent & blaming everyone around them when they are finally evicted doing something as unthinkable as perjuring themselves at VCAT”

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