Perth broker thriving in a difficult market

Mr Donald, who has recently opened his third franchise, explained to The Adviser that he has recently onboarded a second personal assistant and two more brokers to further bolster his brokerage’s customer service offering.

“We’re taking on more staff. The new PA role has freed up my other PA so she can focus more on the back office, so there’s always constant movement of [customers’] files so that they’re not only being communicated to, but to make sure it’s running as quickly as possible so they can get what they want done ASAP,” he explained.

He emphasised that when seeking new staff, it is critical for brokers to ensure that their support staff are as dedicated as themselves.

“If you live and breathe being a broker, you want your support staff to do the same,” he said. “We work in an industry where we’re dealing with people’s dreams, so when you’re looking at hiring staff, the most important thing is to make sure that they’re going to put the same amount of energy into clients as you are.”

Mr Donald elaborated that the benefits of adding the right staff to his brokerage have also extended to maintaining strong referral relationships.

“If I’m unavailable my referrers always have a broker that they can contact … especially in the Western Australia market with the mining downturn, it’s difficult especially for house and land representatives, real estate agents who want to know that everything is being dealt with quickly, otherwise you could miss out on business.

“So it’s growing the team and making sure that we’ve got systems in place where we can make sure we’re out in front of our referrers ASAP.”

Top customer service tips

When asked what great customer service is when it comes to broking, Mr Donald provided other ambitious brokers with three key tips:

• Listen to your client. Try not to force them into something where you think it’s their best option, and make sure you give them time. Time is a huge thing.
• Make sure you fully understand what they’re trying to say, not only for your current transaction but also where they’re going to be in three to five years and what their plans are for not only themselves, but their family too.
• Surround yourself with people who have the same ethos as you: employees, brokers, people that you work with. If you’re in the right mindset it translates quite well to when you’re dealing with your customers.

Are you an award-winning broker with a story to tell? Is your business a cut above the rest? SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN for both individual and group categories across each state jurisdiction. Awards include:

• Best Aggregator BDM
• Best Commercial Broker
• Best Finance Broker
• Best Lender BDM
• Best Regional Broker
• Best Branded Office
• Best Independent Office
• Best Community Engagement Program
• Best Regional Office

Participation in the Better Business Awards is open to all brokers and brokerages, regardless of whether they are aligned with a brokerage, aggregator, lender or industry association.

The awards will be hosted as a dinner in each state, following the conclusion of the award-winning Better Business Summit, which delivers practical business tools, training and business intelligence to help brokers build a more productive and profitable business.

Enter yourself or nominate someone for a Better Business Award 2017.

[Related: Award-winning broker heads overseas to secure major deals]