Today premiers our new Blue Circle Diary series, award-winning top sales agent Michael Pashley of Harcourts Platinum! We managed to get him to share some of his thoughts on working for Harcourts as well as some valuable information for others out there who hope to achieve the same level of tremendous success he's achieved by being a part of our team.

Why did you decide to join Harcourts?

I was excited about Real Estate and felt it was something I could be passionate about. I originally joined Homenet back in 2005. When Homenet became Harcourts some years later and I saw the professionalism, history and quality of the brand I was extremely keen to became part of the team.

What is your favourite thing about being a Harcourts team member?

Harcourts have a great bunch of people working for them and I have been seriously impressed with the ethics of the company and how the main focus is on putting people first. There is a great comradery within the group and between the various offices that I think is very rare in the industry. I believe its because of the leaders in our organisation both Nationally and Internationally. I also believe that the strategies and technology Harcourts offer us gives us a leading edge in the industry which helps us to stand out.

What do you enjoy most about being in real estate?

I love being able to control my own time and Real Estate offers me the flexibility to do that and enjoy other things in life, not just work. Not only can we earn an incredible income but we able to enjoy life with our friends and family. The job satisfaction is also unique. When we see our Buyers find the home they have been searching for and when we give an acceptable offer to a Seller that needs to move on its extremely rewarding!

What advice would you offer to people new to the industry?

Join a company that trains you properly from the outset. The training Harcourts offers is first class and to learn from tried and tested methods is so much better than picking up bad habits. Also don’t give up. Like any new business it takes time to build. If you keep doing the right things and putting in the time and effort it will be a success.

What is your most memorable career moment to date?

When I first got the number one spot for Harcourts in 2015. It was a big surprise. Our office also got the number one spot so it was a great team effort that year.

What activities have led to your success?

I have had great leaders to learn from. My success has simply been to follow the process, learn from their example and not to give up. I really believe that there is a recipe to succeed and if we follow the instructions we will get the right results. I learned not to focus on the sale but rather focus on the activities needed to get the mandates. The sales will happen naturally if we have the stock.

What is your secret to maintaining a strong relationship with clients?

I always feel that if we have genuine interest in our clients a relationship will be built naturally. The busier we get however, the more difficult it is to stay in touch and do the small things that matter most. Hand written cards, selecting appropriate gifts, phone calls with immediate feedback on viewings are just a few of these examples. For me it was important to employ good professional people to help me. They are invaluable in setting up processes and systems to stay in touch and build my business.