Qld Bus Review
ALL BRISBANE REALTY SHRUGS OFF DOWN TURN
As featured in Queensland Business Review, November 13th, 2009
A Brisbane-based real estate business has shaken-off economic challenges to grow in size and profitability, prompting plans to open yet another store in the New Year.
Jason and Ann-Maree Bond are a husband and wife team passionate about the local real estate industry, and are the driving force behind All Brisbane Realty, located on Brunswick Street in New Farm.
Having only opened its doors in July 2007, All Brisbane Realty has already experienced extraordinary growth and developed a loyal client database.
During the course of 2009, the business increased profits by 50 percent, and has expanded its team from five to nine motivated individuals.
According to Principal Jason Bond, the success is all the more significant considering the business was rebranded from Rosa’s Realty to All Brisbane Realty in August last year.
“Rosa’s Realty had existed for 14 years, so it could be considered by some a real challenge to get a new brand known into the local community,” Bond says.
However, the database adopted from Rosa’s Realty grew from 10,000 to 23,000 since the Bonds took over the business, and the rent roll grew from 105 properties last year to 140 this year.
“Our business has increased from two settled sales per month (last year) to between two and five settled sales per month this year. When it comes to local profile and number of listings, our agency ranks firmly in second place in New Farm.”
Achieving these results in such a short time was no easy feat, with a commitment to exceptional services and nurturing relationships with local businesses proving the key to success.
“We place a great deal of importance on contributing to the community and its residents and businesses, and that’s why we are in business in the first place, to provide a service to the New Farm community,” Bond says.
All Brisbane Realty already has exciting new plans in place for 2010, with the Bond’s preparing to open another office in an inner-city suburb while continuing to build strengths in their current location.
http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/61001.aspx
New Farm Life Cycle
As seen in the Village News, November 2nd 2009
Residents of New Farm appreciate the trendy, inner-city suburb so much that they can’t bring themselves to leave the area.
New Farm is the Australian flagship for urban renewal, transformed into a bustling arts, dining and entertainment precinct, and, being just 2 kilometres from the CBD, New Farm is home to young professionals and empty-nesters alike. All Brisbane Realty receives a great deal of enquiries from individuals, couples and families already living within the area but looking for another property that suits their changing needs.
Just recently, All Brisbane Realty sold a local property that perfectly demonstrates the typical New Farm buying and selling cycle.
Jane Walker is an empty-nester who has recently completed renovations on her Kingsholme Street home, and put it on the market so she could buy another home to renovate.
“This is the third home in New Farm that I renovated, and am now looking forward to my next challenge,” Ms Walker said.
Ms Walker has been living in New Farm for six years and says she loves the area’s sense of community.
“It’s like living in a little country town. People are happy to talk to one another, and there is also a great dog park community that I enjoy.”
Her home has recently been bought by a professional couple, who in turn sold their New Farm home to a young local renter, keen to buy in the area.
Contemporary apartments are the predominant housing style in New Farm, but there’s are also a smattering of beautiful art deco homes and classic Queenslanders as you move away from the river.
The majority of households here consist of couples without children – over 60% - and nearly 75% of dwellings in the area are units.
Market Movements - Expanding post boom
As seen in the Courier Mail, P.32 March 28th, 2009
By ANDREA LUNT
New real estate agencies continue to open in Brisbane, despite reports of sales consultants leaving the industry and offices consolidating in the face of tough market conditions.
Among them is New Farm-based All Brisbane Realty, established in July 2007 by husband and wife team Jason and Ann-Maree Bond.
By the end of last year, the agency’s client base had grown so large the Bonds were required to hire another 16 employees, including a property manager.
My Bond said the rapid expansion could be put down to brand awareness.
“We work really hard putting out our brand. We have big television screens at our shop, a Facebook page and blog pages,” Mr Bond said.
“We always follow owners and buyers up, working hard doing all the things we’re supposed to do.”
The company has plans to recruit at least three more agents in the coming months as well as establish two more offices in Brisbane by the end of this year, one on the south side and another in the city’s inner north.
Mr Bond said in post-boom conditions, with more cautious buyers, it was more important than ever for real estate agents to undertake training in areas such as property presentation and negotiation.
“Over the past five years there was a property boom and any Tom, Dick or Harry could sell real estate,” he said. “Now it’s just the skilled agent who does intense training and those who do the right thing by the vendor, who gets the listings and sales.”…..
Embracing Technology - A Case Study
As featured in Sold! The Magazine For Real Estate Professionals
By KERRY MCDULING, March 25,2009
Technology has enabled businesses to operate 24/7 and consumers to obtain support and make purchases from anywhere in the world, around the clock. At the same time, community has never been more important, and personal contact holds far greater value over a general computerised response. The trick is finding the perfect balance, and using the right mix of ‘high tech’ and ‘high touch’.
Jason and Ann-Maree Bond are the owners and directors of a boutique Brisbane inner-city real estate agency, All Brisbane Realty, a small but dynamic agency that is making waves in the industry. Jason, Ann-Maree and their team are one of the very first real estate agencies nationally to use a number of technologies within their business, to keep in touch with their contact database and also to ensure maximum visibility for their business and their listings.
“There is no question that technologies such as Facebook and YouTube are a big part of Generation X and Generation Y ‘s daily lives, so if we want to speak to our clients in these age categories, we have to speak the same language and use the same channels they do,” Jason said.
Fans of Facebook
Many people use Facebook as a business networking tool, rather than simply a way of sharing photos. As community is becoming increasingly important in this high tech age, it is a well known fact that people would rather do business with people they consider friends, than with strangers. Hence the rise of Facebook’s popularity.
With this in mind, Jason and Ann-Maree have created a Facebook page for All Brisbane Realty, with a link from their website. Facebook users can elect to become a fan on the page and, in turn, invite their Facebook friends.
“We update this page with new listings, and fans of this page are notified on their home page the next time they log in to Facebook,” Jason explained.
Jason and Ann-Maree feel strongly about creating discussion about the market among their contacts, so regularly Jason will ask a question or make a comment via the online Facebook forum on the page, and a discussion will result.
He said that this creates a sense of community and also keeps the page dynamic and interesting, therefore encouraging fans to invite others to join and, also, to keep them visiting the page on a regular basis to see what’s new. Jason also said that having the Facebook page assisted them greatly with their Google rankings.
e-marketing is no myth
E-marketing is another important part of All Brisbane Realty’s business. Their contacts receive a weekly newsletter via email that includes recently sold and recently listed property, referral marketing programmes, as well as property management updates and what’s new within the business.
Buyers who have indicated that they would like to receive news about new listings on the market automatically receive email notification as soon as the property is listed, with details about the property and the asking price.
“We are also very excited about our e-mag that we are launching in a few weeks’ time for our client database, to be be sent in addition to the weekly newsletter,” Jason added.
Film stars
One of All Brisbane Realty’s point of difference is that they film each new listing in the form of a mini feature film, starring Jason as host and narrator. More appealing than the typical virtual tour used by many real estate agencies today, the DVDs are given to buyers in addition to a printed brochure.
“Not only do they present very well, in a DVD case with an image on front, and are interesting to watch, but they are actually more cost effective to produce than a typical printed brochure,” Jason said.
The DVDs also play a role in another popular medium that All Brisbane Realty use to communicate with their target market. You Tube is a video sharing website, a technology that allows users to upload, view and share video clips. YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees, and shortly thereafter, in November 2006, YouTube was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion.
While anyone has access to view the videos, only registered users can upload their own content. According to YouTube, hundreds of millions of people watch videos on YouTube everyday – more than any other TV network combined.
“We have a You Tube account and upload the listing DVDs on here for the world to see. This technology also tells us how many views a DVD has had, great feedback for the seller,” Jason said.
Visitors to the office can immediately see the team’s commitment to using technology in their day-to-day business. Three 46 inch LCD plasma screens adorn the external walls of the office, displaying listings, rentals and other information.
Where did they come from?
All Brisbane Realty can trace its beginnings back to 2003 when Jason entered the real estate industry. He quickly rose through the ranks, progressing from sales cadet to salesperson, and then from leading salesperson to sales manager.
“Of course, that was at a time when I was still learning the ropes and working for someone else,” Jason said.“I had a vision for my own real estate company that would focus not only on high quality service for our clients, but on a superior level of service than was then available. I could see it focusing on strong brand awareness and brand integrity, and providing innovative and modern approaches to selling and managing real estate with high class service and results to match.”
Ann-Maree explained, “Jason and I believed we had a great complement of skills and experience to offer – Jason’s highly regarded sales reputation and my background in marketing and project management seemed like the perfect combination to provide the market with a high quality service offering.”
This view, together with their innovative approach to using new technology, has ensured the office is a stand-out performer on the local real estate scene and done much to ensure their agency has become one of the fastest growing real estate agencies in Brisbane.
Check them out…
www.allbrisbanerealty.com.au
www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Brisbane-Australia/All-Brisbane-Realty/113054470572
