Mark Mitchell opened his One Agency business in January 2016 and is trading as One Agency Mark Mitchell Real Estate in the Geelong region of Victoria.
He wasn’t interested in going with a traditional franchise and didn’t want to take the risk of setting up as an independent agent, so the One Agency business model appealed to him.
“Being my own boss and also the decision maker was a big deciding factor for me,” says Mark, who has worked in real estate for the past 5 years. “I also love to have the flexibility to make challenging calls on winning a listing or losing one.”
Other factors that resonated with Mark were: receiving 100% of his commission directly back into his business. He also flags that cash-flow in any business is critical and so being paid in a timely manner was a huge factor.
“To wait a month after settlement to get paid for work I busted my butt off to get was so frustrating,” he says. “It really annoyed me, how, as the agent I was always the one who got paid last, weeks after the office and marketing were paid. I saw a lot of agents leave the industry because of this.”
“I was spending thousands on marketing myself and branding the company’s name, mostly out of my own pocket, then having to split a great chunk of it away. I thought that if I’m paying to brand someone else’s business myself, with no marketing budget allowance from them, then I’d be better off spending my money on my own business, keeping all the commission and invest it back into marketing for myself.”
Without the One Agency brand, it would have been extremely hard to set up as an independent. Plus not to mention very time consuming as well as costly. I’d recommend One Agency to others in a heartbeat!
Mark listed his first property just a few days after commencing as a One Agency business owner. That first property was then under a contract within 5 days so it was great start. He’s now completing his first month in business and he has already listed 10 properties, a great result considering his goal was to list 3 or maybe 4.
“There is a lot to get in order during the setup process but the flow was good,” says Mark, “mine was more about the timing of commencement. I started to think about setting up about 6 months prior, although it could have been done in a matter of 4-6 weeks if I’d needed to. It wasn’t too difficult, head office were great to talk to and the communication was really excellent.”
He also states that the affiliated companies through One Agency were fantastic help during this period.
“Remboss/VFX are great to deal with and very helpful. I think the hardest part was all the accounts that are required to set up, and that wasn’t too hard. Templates and the like are already done so that is a huge bonus and time relief.”
Mark has spoken with a number of members already and they’ve been free to share their ideas with him and have offered feedback and support.
“It’s good to know that help is there if and when you require it,” he says, “and the closed Facebook group page is great, it’s a bit like Google but exclusively for One Agency members, type your question in and wait for the other members answers to flow in. How great is that?”
Prior to joining One Agency, Mark worked with a large franchise that then became an independent agency. His ambition was to either open his own office or become a partner one day. When the circumstances changed for him in the changeover from franchise to independent, he felt in limbo, not knowing what direction his career would take. When he looked into joining One Agency, he felt it would be a good fit. Then after existing member shared their positive experiences with him, he knew he’d found the right brand. One with a super friendly and supportive culture.
However, the initial idea of opening a new real estate business was daunting and Mark wasn’t keen to do it completely alone.
“I wasn’t that keen to go solo really, says Mark, “with so much involvement with branding and systems etc. Yes there was definitely fear involved. There were some nights leading up to the commencement date after I resigned that I thought ‘what have I done?’ All these negative thoughts would try and come rushing into my mind. But I am very competitive by nature and relish a challenge, so it was a matter of making myself take a breath, relax and telling myself, ‘you can do this, slow down and think about it’, these are doubts I guess everyone has. They are normal, you’d be mad not to have them!”
Now he’s opened, he loves the brand and has received many positive remarks. He’s also had several calls from past clients congratulating him and even a number of other agents calling to wish him luck and commenting on the strength of the One Agency brand in the marketplace – great encouragement considering there are no other One Agency offices within 100 km of his business. He laughingly comments; “I just think they are scared I’ll get more work than them!”
Mark’s wife has been a great help too and with her law background he knew he had great advice and some really strong procedures to assist in the setup. “She has been wonderful” says Mark.
Mark has also had plenty of freedom to build his business the way he wants to, without constraint from head office. He’s run a promotion in the local paper to gain interest and leads, something that he says most agencies don’t do and it’s given him a great way to communicate with new vendors.
“Without the One Agency brand, it would have been extremely hard to set up as an independent. Plus not to mention very time consuming as well as costly. I’d recommend One Agency to others in a heartbeat,” he says. “The freedom, the look and the feel of the brand, and the professionalism of its people are amazing. The fees are also a huge draw card and the money you actually get to keep is the biggest driver.”
What advice would he offer to other agents who are considering joining the group?
“Be positive as you will always have people to assist and put their hand up to help. Talk to a few members from your state to get feedback and ask questions. It will be the best decision you make and you will know why so many members love being a One Agency business owner and the freedom you will gain is immeasurable.”
Contact Mark Mitchell
T 0425 826 416
E markmitchell@oneagencygroup.com.au
At One Agency we are always open for a conversation, so if you have anything to say in response or have any questions, please contact us.
T 1300 79 23 88
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