From Independent to Franchise

Written by Acme Mag

Acme: Can you walk us through your decision to leave Considine Real Estate and join Jellis Craig?

Chauntel: Considine Real Estate was a family business run by my father and myself and through that, we built our own brand within a niche market at Strathmore. It really got to the point where I created the brand, I’d taken it to the maximum level of opportunity and we had to think about stretching our wings further in different regions. The opportunity arose to list in other areas by joining up with the (Jellis Craig) Kensington office.

My situation is a little bit unique as I have actually invested in the Essendon office (Jellis Craig) and they merged with the Kensington Office, which is a couple of kilometres down the road.

Acme: What is the biggest difference you have experienced between an independent agency and a franchise?

Chauntel: The biggest difference is, as an independent you make a decision on the spot and it happens. (In a franchise) I suppose it’s about running through the channels of decision making with the other key deciders. The positive about that is sharing that load because, for me, I’m very good at listing and selling and auctioning. If I’m taken away from that skill set then the dollar productivity isn’t occurring.

Acme: What are the marketing benefits of being with a well-known franchise?

Chauntel: In terms of branding, it’s already done. In regards to Jellis Craig specifically, they’ve got a style guide that enables flexibility to ‘personal brands’, so you’re not really lost in that process. Speaking more broadly about marketing, the systems and procedures are a big part of the attraction I had to a franchise. The technology is very innovative and the fact that you have the brand behind you gives an additional sense of security to potential clients because it’s a very well-known reputable brand.

Acme: Do you think homeowners view you differently since the switch?

Chauntel: Probably a little bit. We came from a family-owned business, so it’s a big change for our community. We still have our Team Considine within Jellis Craig so we’re promoting that which eases the transition in the mind of the market. Team Considine is made up of my father, my assistant and myself and is a team that continues to concentrate on our core areas. The benefit, however, is the Jellis Craig brand and the fact that we’ve got more buyer activity from the stretch of the two offices, as well as the stretch of the 26 offices within the Jellis Craig brand as well.

Acme: Do you have any go-to advice for those wanting to join a franchise model?

Chauntel: I think you definitely need to do your research in terms of what suits your area. The reason, and this sort of flows into why I chose Jellis Craig, is finding something that’s reputable, well known in your area and being able to deal with the corporate office. I personally have had a lot of dealing with the (Jellis Craig) corporate office, the CEO and the marketing division; so do your research and meet up with a prospective franchise, watch how they operate in the backend and see how much actual support you’re likely to get.

Also, it was important for me not to lose my personality within a franchise, Jellis Craig enables me to do a lot of personal agent marketing and to still work in my core area where I specialise.

Acme: Jellis Craig evidently won your heart, what cemented that decision for you?

Chauntel: At the end of the day, there wasn’t a single thing that drew me to Jellis Craig, it was the combination of them. Jellis Craig provides great corporate support in marketing, access to real estate trainer, Josh Phegan and it’s a fresh and innovative brand – for me, it was a no-brainer.