An Insiders Viewpoint - Tank Lee from First National Realty Ipswich

OpenAgent has just announced the winners of the 2018 Home Seller Choice Awards. We’ve picked the top performing real estate agents based on categories of responsiveness and exceptional customer reviews.

We’ve got an exclusive interview with Queensland’s top performing agent Tank Lee. He’s been in the industry for “9 glorious years”. During his time as a real estate agent, Tank has built a successful career through his outstanding reputation and proven track record of delivered results.

With all of his success, let’s have a look at what Tank has to say about being in the industry.

What is your favourite thing about the area you look after?

Tank describes Ipswich as a small town. It takes around 10-15 minutes to travel to and from each side. Despite the growth over the last few years, Tank has pointed out that Ipswich has that unique “small-town feel”.

“As a resident, you get to see the locals on a daily basis going about their day, but they also have the opportunity to get to know you as a familiar face in the real estate industry”. When compared to the hustle and bustle of the Queensland city, Ipswich is definitely a unique town with a tight-knit community.

What do you enjoy most about being a real estate agent?

Tank describes being an agent as “a performance-based career” where you get out what you put in. Tank highlights that one of the most rewarding experiences as a real estate agent is watching people move forward with their lives. Selling a piece of real estate is an emotional process that you’re a part of.

Tank strives to always have the buyers best interest in mind. “On the buyer side, they want to have the best price and experience. We have to aim to give them the best possible outcome at the end of the day…”. Along with this, Tank also points out a number of other perks that make the job awesome.

"Aside from this, I do like being mobile. I see different scenery every day. I meet different people that are making big decisions and I help them through that process. I like the different change from the everyday grind - the flexibility and diversity that this industry offers me."

How do you get into a particular rhythm?

Tank finds that diving straight in is the best way to combat any type of workload. “I’ve gotten into a rhythm of things over the course of my career. I’ve found that I don’t like anything sitting in my email - even if it’s at 9:30 pm or at midnight”.

“I enjoy being responsive and keeping up to date with everything - it makes everyone's lives easier. Vendors are often surprised that I get back to them so quickly - but who would want to miss out on an opportunity?”

How do you keep tech-savvy?

The real estate industry is evolving. In order to stay competitive - agents have to not only be tech savvy with the listing, but they must utilise other platforms to access potential customers that aren’t typically within their reach. "Through OpenAgent, my team and I at First National Action Realty are getting referrals from people who aren't local but are selling their properties in the local area."

Do you work in a team?

Tank believes that working in a team is the key to success, increasing productivity and allowing agents to cover more ground. "We’re boosting the First National Action Realty Ipswich to a team of nine, which is one of the biggest setups in the small town of Ipswich. The team will also include a property management division and sales department." With more hands on deck, their team will be able to access all databases, meet different buyers all day and cover all parts of the town.

Why is transparency important?

As an agent, it’s important to be transparent. Vendors make important decisions based on information given to them. "The market value is one of those things that you have, to be honest with always. A lot of people don’t like the truth when it comes to it and unfortunately gets sucked into an agent that gives them a smoky and unrealistic price range”.

What tends to happen is that properties linger on the market because of the unachievable price range and unfortunately doesn’t get sold. “If you’re not a transparent agent it can create uncomfortable situations later down the track of listing…”

What do you value most?

Similarly to transparency, Tank believes in the value of honesty. “Honesty is everything. You need to treat people how you want to be treated. People don’t like being lied to and don’t want to be led up a garden path…” Building an honest and trusting relationship with vendors is the foreground to success.

You need to be thick-skinned in this real estate game. “You’re competing against other agents who are on a commission base too so knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you deliver the best results.”

Why is personal branding everything?

There is an overwhelming amount of real estate agents in the market. Tank says that personal branding is key to distinguishing yourself from other competitors. “As a result to my own personal branding, I’m privileged to have a large percentage of clients saying that they would stick with me…”. Loyalty is extremely important and building a client base through word of mouth and recommendations builds success.