Prior to joining One Agency in January 2016, Rob Groat owned a Ray White franchise.

He wanted to seek a break from the traditional real estate franchise model which was becoming restrictive, increasing in cost and less personal to work under.  

Rob, who has been in real estate since January 2003, and his business partner, Tom Paton, opened One Agency Albury Wodonga on the border of Victoria and NSW. The opportunity to gain full control of their business and yet have the support of modern technology and marketing – plus the fact that they retain 100% of commission – were both major draw cards in their decision to join One Agency.

“We briefly thought about starting up as an independent agency,” says Rob, “but the work and worry of setting up the support structures and systems soon ruled that out. After a good deal of research we just couldn’t find any negative reason to not want to join One Agency and we had no concerns from that point that this was the correct move to make for our business.”

Making the decision to commit to a new career move is often terrifying. With a supportive network of fellow One Agency members, however, Rob was both well informed and well prepared when it came to making the final choice. Before opening the Albury Wodonga agency, he said he spoke to “6 to 8 established offices [of One Agency]”, all in various areas of Australia. Along with One Agency’s efficient and streamlined setup, the initial process ran – asserts Rob – ‘smoothly’.

Despite a smooth setup process and a supportive list of contacts, leaving a big agency like Ray White doesn’t come without an inevitable barrage of ‘what if’s?’ For Rob, it was a little under 5 years before he was finally able to put his desire to leave the company into action. Initially, fearing the enormity of setting up as an independent agency, he considered signing a new franchise. Fortunately, that changed when he was made aware of the One Agency brand and the freedom it would allow him as an agent and business owner.