Words of Wisdom – with Recruit RE and John McManus

“It’s not a nine to five industry and can be really rewarding if you are prepared to put in the extra effort.”

John McManus didn’t begin his career in real estate and if you challenged him to a round of golf, you will find the golf pro that has honed his skills since the age of 16 after relocating from the Central Coast to Sydney.

Originally from Vanuatu and migrating with his family as a teenager, John studied a golf apprenticeship and then moved into owning his own golfing business until in 2007 the opportunity came to begin a new career and real estate came calling.

A chance to work with an industry veteran who showed him the ropes saw John thrive and within four year she had become the number one agent for one of Sydney’s largest boutique agencies.

Over the last fifteen years, John has carved out an enviable career selling some of the best properties on the Lower North Shore and thrives in the competitive environment while mentoring those who want to also find success in the industry.

Tell us about your career, qualifications and how you started in the industry

There was no apprenticeship for me when I started, and I look at my experience of a golf apprenticeship where it took four years to become a golf pro. Those sorts of things resonate with me in our industry for opportunity to develop ways that we could be doing it better and giving people a stepping stone in their career.

You are selling someone's house with minimal to no experience and will potentially make a big fancy check. That's what I thought real estate was when I first started. I wasn't told the reality and when I started to learn more about the local council rules and the industry, I became a better agent because I was more informative and seen as a trusted advisor.

I also invested time in myself attending seminars, going to AREC, meeting with other agents to learn their craft and learning as much as I could and I’m a licensed agent. I put myself out there working seven days a week letterbox dropping, cold calling and door knocking to get a grasp on the industry and how it operated.

I was fortunate that my first boss, Gil Davis gave me the tools to learn how to control my time. He told me that if you don't like talking to people on telephone, you will not make it and if you can't list properly, you can't last.

At the time I didn't really understand what he was talking about, but now I do. This is where an apprenticeship would be beneficial, to provide people with the platform and skills to learn and last in the industry.

After 12 months with a few sales up my sleeve I had gained some traction and was seeing the success that can come as an agent from hard work. By 2011 I was the number one at McGrath.

What advice do you have for early career professionals

It’s not a nine to five industry and can be really rewarding if you are prepared to put in the extra effort. If you said to people that you're going to be a telemarketer selling real estate, that's the best description of our industry.

Word of mouth is huge and that’s how I get all my listings. If you do the right thing by people, they will recommend you. Real Estate is a discussion on a weekend at a barbecue and if they trust you and have had a great experience, they will recommend you.

You've got to have a strong backbone, be able to take the knocks, and learn how to get through the work that comes before becoming a high performing agent. It is all about growing and investing in yourself and training to become a better agent.

Your principal will only train you to a certain point and then you have to step outside of that realm and do things yourself by sitting with people and learning how the business works.

If I were recruiting people, I would put them on an apprenticeship to learn everything about the industry and how to sell. While we train people and ensure they meet compliance, you must be self-taught about the local council rules and government regulations.

I have a compliance company come and teach us about all the new rules and regulations each quarter and we have Josh Phegan and Ray White training.

It’s important to remember that you don’t know everything. Take a step back, slow down and listen to some of the older agents who have been through the highs and lows of the industry and learn from them. Stepping back will help you find a better rhythm and be good at what you do.

What is your opinion of the current real estate market

In the next 12 months, I can see it will be very tough for a lot of us and we are in it for the long haul as people get their heads around interest rates and wages.

The whole industry needs to look at what we can improve on and at what is best for the vendors and purchasers and off-market selling may not be the best option for your client.

Potential clients may not want to be on your database and selling off-market is not going to help you to gain more enquiries. Principals should be encouraging their younger agents to get the properties on the market, negotiate the deal and get the best price for their vendor.

How would your friends and colleagues would describe you?

I’m approachable, generous with my time and a nice person. I’m willing to mentor my teams and train them to be the best they can be.

What is your proudest and most rewarding career moment?

My proudest moment would be winning the global number one for LJ Hooker and the most rewarding part of my career is being able to provide my family a beautiful lifestyle and having my kids working with me.

What advice do you have for maintaining good mental health?

You need to get a good mentor. I have Dr Fred Grosse as my mentor and dial in with him once or twice a month. We schedule my time and it’s important to get someone that you can bounce things off because you need an accountability partner to keep you on track.

Everybody has their challenges, whether it's family life or you're not getting the listings that you think or hearing things about yourself. You need to clear your headspace and having a friend or mentor bounce off is crucial.

For me, it's playing golf, going out on the boat, or taking some time out with the kids, gardening on the weekends or going for a massage. It’s important to look out for yourself know what your body's capable of and what it's not.

If you feel yourself getting into a slump, recognise it, take a break, and regroup.

How do you find the talent to join your team

I put it out to the industry and amongst the guys that work for me. They usually know someone who may be interested and if they are great at what they do. Then I will give them a call, have a coffee, and find out if they are the right fit.

My mum always said, “be nice to everybody because you don’t know when you are going to meet them again.”

Advice for anyone looking to buy or sell

If you are ready to buy, make sure that you have unconditional funds and check when the time runs out. Ensure that you have your finance ready and be careful that you can service the loan, especially as rates go up.

If you are looking to sell, make sure that your agent has a strategy. Get three agents in, you may not always go with the cheapest agent and make sure that they have a history of sales and testimonials from their recent vendors.

Top tips for anyone to flourish in real estate

Work hard, do lots of training and listen to as many podcasts as you can. Get yourself some mentors in training and mental health. Surround yourself with experience and nice people and you will flourish.

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