Helen has been recognised as hockingstuart’s sales agent of the year twice, and achieved eighth place in the recent Real Estate Business’s Top 100 Agents. 

How did you start in the real estate business? 

I worked for many years in the import/export business in a sales capacity. My role required frequent trips to Hong Kong and it was through this work that I mastered Mandarin and Cantonese.

My journey in becoming a real estate agent began when I decided to buy a property in Heidelberg Heights through hockingstuart Ivanhoe. During the negotiation of the house, the hockingstuart agent said because of my established sales and language skills, I’d make a great real estate agent. He talked me into going for an interview at his office!

Before long I was working in the Ivanhoe office and I shortly moved to hockingstuart Balwyn. At first I found the transition to real estate very difficult, especially trying to understand the intricacies of the market. However, persistence and determination has paid off, and I was named hockingstuart Sales Agent of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

What do you love most about your job?

I have a passion for people and am determined to exceed their expectations across all aspects of the home moving journey. This motivates me to go the extra mile for vendors and buyers. For example in Balwyn, many of my clients come from overseas and are unfamiliar with the area. I like to make an effort to support them in every way possible, from providing assistance with language to offering schooling advice. Most Sundays, I drive my clients around the area and provide them with a tour. It’s rewarding to help my customers through what is often a daunting and intimidating process.

Is real estate a good profession for women?

With the right skills and attitude, anyone can have a successful career in real estate. However women have an advantage in that they are often more patient, which is useful over lengthy negotiations.

That said, real estate is not an easy profession for single parents. While the working hours are flexible, they are undoubtedly long and require you to be contactable at all times. Hard work does pay off though, so with a strong work ethic, women (and men) can be very successful in real estate.

What would you like to see done differently in the real estate industry?

I think the industry needs to improve its training standards dramatically from a professional perspective – ongoing training is key to individual and office-wide success. I undergo regular, comprehensive training with hockingstuart and believe this helps me achieve success for clients. High quality training is an effective way of improving our skills and knowledge, and can have a positive impact on how we are perceived as agents amongst customers.

What’s your advice to a young person thinking of entering the real estate profession?

Honesty is number one. From day one of my career, I promised to be fair in every aspect of the job and I think customers respect this and enjoy working with you as a result. Young people need to also remember that if you don’t offer the best service possible you won’t succeed. Learning how to work with people whilst letting your personality shine through is key to offering great service.

Where do you live now?

I live in Doncaster, a suburb in Melbourne’s east. It’s clean and has excellent amenities, like shops, public transport and schools. The Chinese call Doncaster head of the Dragon because of its elevation which provides sweeping vistas of the city in the west - I’m lucky enough to have sweeping views of the Dandenongs from my house.

What’s your dream home, anywhere in the world?

I’m very happy where I am but anywhere near the Chinese Embassy in Toorak, with beautiful views would be incredible.