Each month we interview ONE Great Agent – one of our members to discover their story and have them share their experience with us.
Under the spotlight this month is Michael Lister from One Agency The Forest in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney.
Michael has been in real estate since 2008 after 25 years in the motor trade where he was General Sales Manager for Ferrari. He joined One Agency in May 2010 with business partner Chris Naylor.
What do you love about your work in real estate? What drives you?
In real estate, you have an opportunity that is unique in the business of selling. You create your own inventory by gaining the listing. In my opinion this part is the ‘sell’ because you are selling yourself to the potential vendor. The ‘negotiate’ is to the buyer and it is here that your skills as a true sales person comes to the fore. Anyone can stand there, taking offers, but a true sales person will work those offers, extracting everything possible to create the best outcome for their vendor. Once the right outcome has been achieved you can then hold your head high, knowing you have done the best job possible.
What attracted you to One Agency business model?
One Agency works best for Chris and I as it allows us to tailor our business to suit both our style and our community. This ‘un-chains’ us from the complex corporate structures that the franchises are laboured with. When we were setting up in business, we were approached by some big name franchises and the set up costs were horrific. We figured ‘why are we going to work so hard for somebody else’s benefit?’ and so we decided to go with the One Agency model which suited us much better and allowed us to steer our own ship.
How is the brand working for you?
It is working very well for us, allowing us to grow the business at a comfortable rate. The brand gives us the freedom to build our business without constraint.
Would you recommend One Agency to others?
We would and have recommended the One Agency brand but only to those who have self-drive and who don’t want to be pigeon holed. You need to be a self-starter to build any kind of business and have the determination to achieve goals.
