Better Homes and Gardens Australasia CEO Michelle Delaney is using her extensive real estate franchising experience to help the company broaden its base.
When Michelle Delaney attended the Real Estate Institute of Queensland's Women In Real Estate Luncheon last year, she came away with a new career resolve.
The event included a speech from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate CEO and President, Sherry Chris, who outlined the company's mission, as well as its approach and values.
It was the first time Ms Delaney had heard of the company, an introduction she said proved to be pivotal.
"My colleague and I were out in the car park after the event when we both looked at each other and said 'we have to be part of this'," she said.
Nearly a year later, Ms Delaney has completed her first month as full-time CEO of the Better Homes and Gardens Australasia.
The appointment was announced in the midst of a series of launches for the company, which plans to open a string of offices this quarter.
Having already established a presence at The Ponds, Bella Vista, and Central Sydney, Better Homes and Gardens will soon have branches at Crows Nest, Strathfield and Richmond, Victoria, with potential interest in further locations at Leichardt, Gold Coast, west of Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Central Coast, North Coast NSW, Canberra, and Melbourne.
Having previously spent more than a decade as part of national franchise groups, Ms Delaney said her experience was proving useful in her new role.
"It's a big thing for a principal to change brands," she said.
"We've put a lot of work into our onboarding and orientation systems, so we can make the change over process easier.
"It takes time and the timing has to be right for them."
Prior to accepting the position, Ms Delaney ran her own real estate consulting company.
Her three decades of experience within the industry has also included training thousands of business owner, salespeople, property managers, business owners, and business development staff as part of national franchise groups.
Ms Delaney said her current role aligned with her belief that real estate is about more than financial proceedings.
"Better Homes and Gardens is such a trusted brand and there is a real lifestyle element to it as well," she said.
"As an industry, I think we have just become so transactional which makes me wonder if we have lost some of our customer service focus.
"When someone goes into a property, that becomes part of their life.
"This is why we should go further than the transaction and properly assist people with the next phase of their journey."
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