With a background in publishing and conference management, Jodie Hedley-Ward of McGrath Caloundra says her past roles have given her a well-rounded skill set for real estate.
Jodie Hedley-Ward of McGrath Caloundra says her business success comes down to a focus on service and her emphasis on authentic interactions that make everyone she deals with feel important.
How did you start out in real estate? Have you always worked in the industry, or did you do something else previously?
I came to real estate later in life. Prior to starting full time in the industry in 2012, I was the author of several best-selling motherhood books and I did a lot of speaking and research regarding the emotional journey of mums with children who were zero to five years of age.
I completed a Masters of Business at Otago University in NZ and I worked for many years with a large Italian clothing mail order company in the UK. I met my husband David when I was working in Hong Kong as a business conference producer back in 1999 and I feel like everything I did prior to real estate has helped me enormously in developing a well-rounded skill set which I think is essential for a strong real estate career.
This three-bedroom home, 'Mistry Ridge', at 194 Storrs Raod, Peachester, is for sale through McGrath Coloundra. Image: McGrath.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
In terms of my work as a sales agent, I love nothing more than achieving record prices and premium results for my valued clients in the suburbs where my team and I specialise.
In regards to being a principal at my office alongside my husband David, I really enjoy fostering a collaborative team culture and driving forward our ‘Community Giveback’ program which enabled us to contribute to over 60 not for profit organisations in the last year. Our target is to contribute over $100,000 in donations to our community in the coming financial year – this serves as a key driving force behind our recruitment, our culture and our success as an office on the Sunshine Coast.
You have twice been a finalist for ‘Residential Salesperson of the Year’ at the REIQ Awards for Excellence, and you are a principal of McGrath Caloundra. Last year you were named Corporate Business Woman of the Year at the Sunshine Coast Business Woman of the Year Awards. What do you attribute your success to?
I try to leave my ego at the door and shine the light on the amazing people on my team who make our incredible results possible.
I get up each day thinking one powerful thought, ‘How can I be of service today’, and I’ve found that when you truly focus on service, the only problem you will ever encounter in our industry is that of having more listings than you can handle. You can always bring on board more help when that happens!
I like the Mary Kay cosmetics philosophy where she used to tell people to imagine that everyone you meet is wearing a sign around them that says ‘Make me feel important’. These are the kind of mindset tricks I use to ensure I project the kind of energy that makes people want to do business with me. I guess it comes down to empathy and doing things for the right reasons – people can smell ‘sales talk’ a mile away, so I choose to be authentic instead.
This six-bedroom home at 40 Glasswing Ave, Palmview, is for sale through McGrath Coloundra. Image: McGrath.
In 2009, you co-founded the ‘international motherhood study’ and you were a patron of a not-for-profit that supports mothers. Is real estate a good profession for mothers?
Yes, I believe that real estate is a very empowering career for mothers. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its challenges, as the hours and workload involved can be intense – especially in the early days before you are busy enough to pay for support staff.
I think the flexibility is great as you can book appointments around critical child-related events, such as sports. But when it really becomes exciting is when you get to the point where you can bring on exceptional staff to help you grow and really structure your week so it supports you as mum.
Working in a collaborative, positive office environment is vital for mothers I think as people can help each other out with open homes and inspections when something unexpected comes up (like a child is unwell and needs to be at home).
We have many mums, including single mums working in our office and we provide as much flexibility and support as we can to ensure their long-terms success and enjoyment within the industry.
McGrath Caloundra has donated over $65,000 to local charities through its Community Giveback Campaign. Do real estate agencies have a special obligation to contribute to their local communities?
I think it comes down to being a good human being rather than feeling like you have an ‘obligation’ to do something - there’s nothing exciting or energising about feeling an obligation to do something.
For the businesses who can connect the dots between operating a business that generates goodwill in their community (and therefore raving fans by default), not to mention the feel good factor for staff who love coming to work in a business that cares about more than just making dollars (but rather making a difference!), the ripple effect of giving back is nothing short of spectacular.
We have seen our focus on community come back to us in so many unexpected ways – especially when it comes to recruiting great people with deep seated values relating to service and going above and beyond.
Can you tell us about an interesting property you've sold recently, or are selling?
I recently sold a lovely home on Kawana Island, one of the most desirable suburbs in my local area. What made it interesting was not so much the house, but the owners. One night as we sat together celebrating the fact they had just signed off on a great offer, the owner bought out a photo album to show me as I was asking about her life prior to moving to Australia. The next thing I know she is showing me dozens of photos of her walking alongside Princess Diana and having tea and biscuits beside her and her bodyguards. This lovely, unassuming lady was the last person I had expected to be connected with royalty. It just goes to show, you never know what is going to happen next when you work in our industry! I love special, unexpected moments like that with my clients.
If you could change one thing about the real estate profession, what would it be?
I’m excited about the changes I am seeing in the industry. It’s almost as if the so called ‘challenges’ and ‘disruptors’ in our industry and the fast rate of technological change is forcing those who don’t have the determination, skill set and business acumen to leave, allowing us to grow stronger as a profession.
I see more and more females entering real estate and considering it as a strong career choice early on in their life - something I wish I had done!
I want to see the level of professionalism in our industry continue to go from strength to strength – the calibre of people within the McGrath brand and their collective professionalism is what attracted me to work with John and his team in the first place.
Can you tell us how the Caloundra real estate market is tracking, and what’s your outlook for the market for the next 18 months?
The Caloundra real estate market is incredibly strong at present due in great part to two strong drivers of growth. One is our new multi-billion dollar Sunshine Coast Health Precinct, which is set to be one of Australasia’s largest hospital hubs once finished. The other is the rapid development and growth of a new city in Caloundra South – called ‘Aura – City of Lights’. Billed as a world leader in livability and sustainability, Aura is Australia’s largest new masterplanned community, and Australia’s first 6 Star Green Star city. It’s an award winning city that links the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane and will provide housing for 50,000 more people along with thousands more jobs over the coming years. It’s an exciting time for us here!
Where do you live now, and what would be your dream home if you could live anywhere in the world?
I live in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, which is an awesome family-friendly community just five minutes from the beach. My dream home would be a holiday home in Queenstown, New Zealand overlooking Lake Wakatipu and set against the mountainous backdrop of the Remarkables and Coronet Peak. I grew up in that part of the world and I still miss the spectacular scenery and the beauty of the four seasons. I really love raising a family on the Sunny Coast and my two kids love the relaxed coastal lifestyle, so I feel pretty blessed to be right where I am for now!
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