We all need heroes

It has crept up on us, but for a while we’ve been living in a society which doesn’t value quality as highly as it does quick solutions and immediate satisfaction.

Our parents and grandparents came from generations where you knew you had to do the hard yards to advance up your chosen ladder, personally or professionally. Reality TV introduced us to the cult of celebrity, teaching people they can be catapulted virtually overnight to the final rung just because they showed up.

The death of Michael Jackson and other great figures has shown us we all advance because of the greatness of things individuals do and by not by rewarding mediocrity and instant solutions.

Jacko’s amazing commercial and artistic success went hand-in-hand with a highly-criticised, turbulent and controversial personal life. Society often punishes that oddness – for good or bad – even when it may well be what fuels creativity in the first place. Ironically, it’s these people who can contribute so much to our everyday lives.

Despite his personal issues, would Americans have ever been able to dream of how great a nation they could have without someone like JFK? Popularity aside, John Howard always had a vision for our country and people responded by taking ownership of Australia and dreaming about what we’re capable of.

Human nature naturally has us looking towards someone or something to believe in; something that’s bigger than we are and by association carries us forward to be part of something good – and if we’re lucky, something great and life-changing.

That’s why we still need heroes in all aspects of our lives and why they need to be those who through quality hard work have shown their best. They help us be better people and strive for our dreams. They are inspirational; they empower us and offer the leverage to kick up to the next rung.

We need to remember to recognise quality. The cult of celebrity is like fast food – it tastes great now but the high doesn’t last long. Alternatively a lovingly home-cooked meal fuels dreams for the long run.

Nothing great comes without sacrifice. We’ve been lulled into thinking that as long as we buy a ticket and get on the train it will deliver us to the top of the mountain without effort. Sorry! You’ll have to expend some creativity and effort over time to get there.

You might not be able to do it alone either. Michael Jackson did some of his best work with other talents like Quincy Jones, I do it with my team when we are both looking in the same direction and successful companies thrive on collective creative effort with heroes to guide them.

We’d love to know who your heroes are. Are they famous or is it someone in your local community whose simple everyday actions are inspirational?

Realmark the aging pop star?

This month at Realmark we are celebrating a very significant milestone – we turn 20.

20 years ago my wife and business partner Anita and I flung open the doors to our tiny little agency, just the two of us and some second-hand office furniture.

We now employ a team of more than 120 people across seven residential offices and a commercial division. I’ve been asked many a time what is the key to our longevity, how did we survive this long in the notoriously fickle world of real estate? Well I’ve got to say, we took a leaf out of Madonna’s book and learnt to reinvent ourselves over and over again.

No matter what you think about Madonna, there is no denying that the woman has managed to sustain a very successful career over many years through adapting and making herself relevant to the next generation of music fans. We may operate in the far less glamorous world of real estate but let me tell you, Realmark have had many different looks over the past twenty years and I honestly think that is what it takes to succeed in this industry.

Real estate is a funny business, it is so heavily influenced by the economy, by consumer sentiment – it is unpredictable. So if you want to work in that space, you have to be ready to take the ride and be willing to adapt and evolve with industry as necessary. While this definitely rings true for real estate, it really applies to any business – you need to stay relevant. Change can be a scary thing for many, but it is not something we fear around here because we cannot afford to. A major part of our everyday business strategy is keeping one step ahead. We are continuously researching technology, communication, marketing – anything that may improve the way we service our customers and help us stand out from the crowd.

No, Realmark is not the same business it was in 1989, and we won’t be the same business we are now five years down the track, I will make sure of it.

For me the past 20 years have been a challenging but very fulfilling ride. If I may get a little sentimental for a minute (well it is my blog after all), many people often measure success in dollars, but I can honestly say that for Anita and myself the highlight of the last 20 years is seeing the business and the people in it grow and prosper. What is a business without its people? We are lucky to have the best of the best working with us, so thanks to all of you.

Happy birthday Realmark.

Downturn? What Downturn?

It can be hard to ignore the endless headlines of doom and gloom, but I refuse to participate. Realmark is not participating in the recession.

I am not denying that things have certainly changed, but this is nothing new, this is what happens in this industry and I have seen it many a time before. Panic is not going to see you these times, being prepared and having a clear head will.

If you manage to look past all the bad news you will see a range of rare opportunities that don’t come about very often. The words recession and opportunity might not seem to fit together, but the way I see it, recession is a time full of opportunity for my business.

So exactly what opportunities am I talking about? Firstly the demand for agents has decreased significantly so recruiting quality people is much easier. Realmark has just employed seven new team members, something that was almost impossible during the boom. We are using the downturn to build our ‘dream team’. We launched an online careers website and to help us attract the right people and we have hired a full time human resources manager to help us retain the right people.

Now is also a time to stand out from your competitors. It was easy to be successful during the boom, being successful now takes skill because business doesn’t simply walk in the door. People will notice if you’re thriving now and it will build a premium and trust into your brand that is almost impossible to achieve during the good times.

Then there is the fact that now is a good time for growth into new markets, some competitors are going to scale back and opportunities will open up and we stand ready to take advantage of them.

So you can dwell on the bad news, but really what is that going to achieve? Open your eyes and look for the good news.

New Realmark Corporate Website

I'm very proud and pleased to announce that our new realmark.com.au website has been launched this week. This new website has a fresh, contemporary look inline with the brand positioning of Realmark and introduces a number of key advantages for our clients.

I invite you to view the new realmark.com.au.