Charles Tarbey, chairman and owner of Century 21 Australasia, told SCHWARTZWILLIAMS that short-term goal setting and planning each day a day in advance are two of the keys to his success.

How did you first get into real estate? 

When I was 17 years old, I got a job cleaning flats while I was waiting for my Higher School Certificate results. I went on to do some property management work in that same office, and progressed into sales when I was 19. Then around 1977, I had the opportunity to purchase the office I worked in, which was in Penrith in Sydney’s west. 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The thing I most enjoy is the fact that it’s different every single hour of every single day. There is certainly no monotony, and I thrive on the flexibility and the freedom in my day to day. 

You’ve built CENTURY 21 into one of Australia’s leading real estate networks. What do you attribute your success to?

Personally, I am a firm believer in having a daily plan before the day has started. The key word here is before. 

I also created a mantra that I strive to instil within every level of my organisation, and that is to create short term objectives in a quality environment. 

Coming up with ambitious, long-term business objectives may be easy but when it comes to actioning them, it’s almost like scaling Everest. Feelings of failure can quickly develop without consistent wins, however the encouragement you gain from achieving short term objectives can build momentum and propel you forward to accomplish more and more.  

In terms of Century 21 as an organisation, I believe success can be attributed to the focus we have placed on the consumer and their perception. Century 21 has long been committed to maintaining a diligent and consistent message, using all forms of electronic and print media, to create a visible, trusted brand presence in the consumer’s mind. 

What sets CENTURY 21 apart from other real estate networks?

Apart from the global presence of the network in over 78 countries around the world, I think we have always tended to be a company driven by technology. To that extent, we will be one of the few real estate organisations still driving our own internal platforms that have been created by our internal team. This will be increasingly valuable in light of all the disruptive real estate platforms entering the market at the moment. 

Can you tell us about the most interesting thing you’ve worked on recently?

Recently, Century 21 created a lead generation platform that involved the giveaway of a luxury Sunshine Coast apartment, in order to try and encourage quality leads that were directed to franchisees and their teams. 

It was almost as though corporate office was an additional member of the franchise teams, assisting them with qualified leads that did not require prospecting on their behalf. 

We announced the competition winner at the beginning of May – it turned out to be a 75-year-old macadamia farmer from northern New South Wales. He was delighted about the prospect of a comfortable retirement having sold his macadamia farm for a price that exceeded his expectations. It was a fantastic result for the campaign, and for a very deserving winner. 

You’ve written two books, 'Profit Driven Real Estate' and 'Listing Rich’. What led you to write the books, and did you enjoy the process of writing?

Writing was an interesting experience. It was a way of communicating our brand message across to the greater industry, in the hope they may acknowledge our commitment to the discipline of the real estate business format. 

It was a challenge at times because I am inherently a salesperson and expressive we may be, turning my thoughts and experiences into an analytical form and getting it down on paper was not always that simple. 

Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I live in the Blue Mountains, and if I could live anywhere in the world, I would still live in the Blue Mountains. Having grown up in the country, I enjoy the basic and down to earth feel of the mountains, and of the people who live there. 

Read other 'Get to Know' profiles in The Real Estate Conversation:

Get to know Gail Miller, former Olympian, now McGrath New Farm agent

Get to know Sana and Mona Ali: how they built a $5m property portfolio in their 20s from nothing

Get to know Chris Wilkins of Ray White Drummoyne