Tom Rawson from Ray White is one of our New Zealand Changed Agents Award 2018 finalists. The successful agent describes the moment he almost quit the industry and changed the negative perceptions about real estate agents.
Tom Rawson operates under the SWAN theory, “Sleep Well At Night”.
“I want to go to sleep each night knowing I have done the best I can for my clients and for my family,” he said.
One of Mr Rawson’s biggest challenges was how real estate agents can be perceived by the public.
“I came from the private security industry where trust was a given, so moving into real estate where there is a lack of trust in agents was tough.
I had to change the public’s perception. I had to make sure clients could see that I am trustworthy. I did this by sticking to my word and delivering top service in a timely manner with the client’s best interests at heart.”
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Another crucial moment in Mr Rawson’s career was his first year in business.
“I wasn’t able to have a personal life when entering real estate. My relationship broke down, I was stressed and wanted to quit.”
Mr Rawson said attending Josh Phegan’s BluePrint sessions have helped him break bad habits and develop work/life balance.
“I would recommend all agents starting out to attend BluePrint. The sooner the better. For experienced agents, it’s never too late to break bad habits and implement some of Josh’s ideas and structure,” said Mr Rawson. Building a brand around a trustworthy reputation is what has helped Mr Rawson stand-out from the rest.
“My clients now trust my advice, service and values. This ensures I’m often referred.
It means I win more business because I build trust in all parties involved, including the buyer, who then becomes a seller and a referral for my business,” he said.
Mr Rawson’s business revolves around routine, consistency, and results. His advice to other agents wanting to lift their game:
“Create a trusted brand and continue to work on being an attraction business. I don’t own too many colourful suits and shirts. I refuse to wear a tie. I think you would be mad to get into real estate, and not have a blueprint to follow. I ask the right questions, and I plan my time away, I am still working on the perfect balance, if that exists,” he said.