Josh Phegan – Real Estate Training For High Performance Agents

Josh Saliba from Soames Real Estate is one of our Australian Changed Agents Award 2018 finalists. He shares how missing more than a dozen listings in a row helped him pinpoint the issues in his business and make change for the better. 

“Having a great team is what has separated me from my competitors.”

Josh Saliba’s biggest achievement is becoming the licensee of the office he works in – a business that was set-up more than 50 years ago. “It’s been a privilege to take over from someone who has built such an amazing culture,” he said.

But it has been a challenging ride to get there. Mr Saliba described how he hit “rock bottom” in early 2017.

“I had missed 15 listings in a row and it was at that point I knew I had to change what I was doing. I decided to do one-on-one training with Josh Phegan. We worked out that I was doing all the call sessions and the hard work, but I was taking things too seriously; I wasn’t smiling and having fun with it.”

Mr Saliba said the sessions changed his life.

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He discovered a lot about himself and what he needed to do to grow his business.

“Creating a team was something Josh had suggested, so I decided I was going to go all in – I put every dollar I was making back into the business. I wanted to provide a service that no one else could and, to do that, I had to share the workload,” he said.

In building the team, Mr Saliba decided not to put himself first. “When I pitch the business, we are all on the same level. Some in our team do things better than me,” he said.

Last financial year, Mr Saliba had an average sale price of close to $1.3 million, writing $700,000 in fees, around $200,000 more than the financial year prior.

“One thing I pride myself on is being consistent. I am high energy and am constantly wanting to give back.
I confidentially can say I have one of the best teams. I recently got married and went away on my honeymoon for four weeks. I was worried about my business, but when I got back, I had no work to do!”

Making sure his team is healthy and happy is top on Mr Saliba’s priority list.

“I’m trying to let the others be ahead of me. I want to build people up and be a mentor. That’s what satisfies me more than listing and selling,” he said.

Jeremy Hodder from Belle Property is one of our Australian Changed Agents Award 2018 finalists. He explains how he had to adjust to going from a secure job to pursuing a career as an auctioneer. Now, as a successful sales agent of 14+ years, he writes over $1.5 million a year. 

Jeremy Hodder has been close to “throwing it all in”.

“Rock bottom for me was when Sian (who is now my EA and is godmother to our first daughter Evie) was having to buy us groceries to get by,” he said.

Mr Hodder’s biggest career challenge was the transition from a secure job to pursue auctioneering as a 24-year-old with his first baby on the way.

“I went to Sydney to learn the craft of auctioneering. I was trying to build an auction culture in Wollongong, which was not traditionally an auction-based marketplace and was really struggling financially as a result of minimal auctions, not to mention the toll the travelling was having on me with then a newborn baby,” he explained.

It was at that point Mr Hodder decided to leave Sydney to go back to an agency. He said it was starting from scratch.

“I was determined to be the best I could be and determined to never feel like I did again. Josh’s training, podcasts, scripts and emails were an integral part of my “set up” period as I couldn’t afford personal coaching.”

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But it is all a far cry from where he is today.

In 2017, Mr Hodder was awarded REB’s number one regional sales agent in and he has been Belle property’s highest transacting agent for the past three years.

“I have had to make change happen on many occasions to get to where I am today. In the beginning, I took a huge risk to change my position and dedicated myself to making it work. Once I built some traction, I then made change happen with the start of building my team to build on my processes and increase the volume in my business. By being super consistent with my prospecting and BDA marketing, I was able to double my business two years in a row,” said Mr Hodder.

Last financial year, Mr Hodder sold 120 properties with an average sale price of $964.411.

He is now a principal of an office and takes joy in helping mentor other young agents and his team, all the while still growing his business.

Mr Hodder shared that he has always been driven and competitive.

“I was very sport focused as a kid and always thrived on being coached and improving at whatever I did.  I am a very caring person, very down to earth and I wear my heart on my sleeve, this is a quality that has always allowed me to build rapport with people quickly and genuinely.

These qualities and the ability to provide amazing and personalised service, whilst delivering outstanding results and also being very conscious and understanding of people’s needs and circumstances I believe make me a stand-out,” he said.

Grant McConnell from Hocking Stuart is one of our Australian Changed Agents Award 2018 finalists. He shares how drastically changing his fitness and health routine paved the way for his success in the industry and helped smash his goal of writing over $1 million in fees.

Grant McConnell has made incredible changes to get to where he is today; one includes losing a massive 25 kilograms, which he believes played a huge role in becoming a high performing agent.

“When I’m fit, I’ve got more energy; I’m more alive and that comes out in me when I’m with my clients,” he said. Last financial year, Mr McConnell wrote $1.2 million, close to $450,000 more than the year prior while being mentored by Josh Phegan.

“There are so many things that resonated with me during our training sessions. Family is very important. You have to have that work/life balance and you have to be healthy to succeed. I decided I wanted to take my business to the next level and being healthy and fit was a big part of that,” said Mr McConnell.

Mr McConnell said if you are determined and have a solid work ethic, you can do anything well, but you can’t overlook the daily grind.

“You’ve got to continue to do those little things that make you a good agent. I am constantly following up leads, I dedicate time to prospecting session, I nurture relationships; it’s the stuff that we don’t overly love doing but you have to do it.”

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Mr McConnell has increased his sales from 58 to 70 in one year. His market share is now approximately 43% and his average commission went from $13,362 to $17,142.

“The addition of my PA has been amazing. I’ve obtained more appraisals and pipeline listings,” he said.

Implementing constructive change has allowed Mr McConnell to have more time with his family. He is married with two kids and plans his day to be home by .530pm.

“Getting fit and healthy makes me a great competitor, but also gives me the energy to come home and be there for my family.”

His biggest tip to agents wanting to increase business:

“You have to be well-liked. Be genuine. You do what you say. You don’t procrastinate. Trust doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot to keep it with someone you’ve just met. Learn a successful and honest nurturing process where you can build long-term trust with someone.”

Julie Gauci from Ray White is one of our Australian Changed Agents Award 2018 finalists. She shares her story of growth and sacrifices through her real estate career, which spans more than 10 years. Julie Gauci understands what it takes to be number one in an office, but admits she has had to make various personal sacrifices along the journey.

“I’ve had seriously rapid growth in a short space of time which left me overwhelmed. Not to mention constantly feeling guilty when I was at work because I wasn’t with my family. I struggled to get things in order and had many emotional breakdowns in my first 18 months,” she said.

Mrs Gauci made the move across to sales from property management only two years ago. It was then she decided she had to develop better work/life balance.

Now, she manages to take 28 days leave to spend with her loved ones, all the while managing her successful business.

The suburban agent has an average fee of $16,000, selling 39 properties last financial year. “My biggest achievement to date is writing more than anyone else in my group, even the guys that have been doing it for 10+ years. I am also the number one auction lister in the office, which is something I’m proud of,” she said.

There was no defining moment in Mrs Gauci’s life that proved “instant success”.

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“It’s constant. It’s always striving to go a bit harder, do a bit more, be a bit better. It’s the small changes that have helped me accelerate. I remember my first Blue Print with Josh and thinking, how on earth am I going to make all this happen and what I realise now is, for me, change is about small steps and developing new habits,” she shared.

What has significantly helped Mrs Gauci’s business is implementing daily systems and processes.

“I love a good system, I do well when I have a process to follow. The less I have to think about what I’ve got to do, the more brain space I have free to focus on other things. That’s where Josh has really helped me out.”

Some other changes she made included:

• AM in PM out
• Just listed & just sold calls
• Selling three appointment times every day
• Created small, medium & large marketing packages
• Social Media off her phone
• No coffee until the calls are done

In turn, these processes and changes have allowed Mrs Gauci to spend better quality time with her family, all the while still reaching her real estate goals and bettering her business.

Her excellent work ethic and refined systems are why she believes she is a strong Changed Agent finalist.