Jodie Hedley-Ward, Principal of McGrath Caloundra has been recognised as one of the Top 10 highest achieving women in McGrath for the first half of 2018.
Jodie Hedley-Ward told WILLIAMS MEDIA she is very honoured to have made it into the top 10 females at McGrath but never focused on that as a goal, instead always just tried to do her best each day – one phone call and email at a time.
How did you start out in real estate? Have you always worked in the industry, or did you do something else previously?
I entered the real estate industry in 2012 and within 18 months I was the top selling agent at the agency I worked at, with 35 staff and seven offices at the time.
My husband and I opened our own franchise within that initial company and recruited eight staff in a short period, before deciding to become principals ourselves and setting up McGrath Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast which now employs around 20 staff and is currently the number two office within McGrath Queensland.
We were finalists recently for 'Fastest Growing McGrath Office' and 'Office Excellence Award' at our annual McGrath awards which was a huge honour for us.
In 2017 I was a keynote speaker at AREC where I spoke to 4,500 attendees about the emotional journey we all experience in our industry - my topic was entitled 'Success is an inside job' and I shared my top strategies for keeping well balanced as a busy mum, wife, principal, sales agent, mentor to my team and passionate community advocate.
In January 2017 I spearheaded the Community Giveback programme alongside my husband David, which saw our office donate $500 every time one of our vendors sold their home - our agents committed to donating $250 and David and I matched the contribution, so we could donate $500 at EVERY sale to a vendor’s chosen charity, sporting group or school.
This has resulted in us donating more than $110,000 to over 110 different organisations in our community since January 2017, and the ripple effect in terms of our phenomenal office culture and our ability to recruit outstanding people has been beyond our wildest dreams.
I was honoured to be named the Sunshine Coast Corporate Business Woman of the Year recently and I regularly speak to women’s groups throughout Queensland and Australia on various topics related to real estate or inspiring youth for example.
Prior to real estate, I have always been involved with empowering women – I did my thesis at university on the plus size women’s fashion industry as part of my Masters of Business.
15 Cayman Place, Parrearra sold for $1.082.5 million by Jodie Hedley-Ward of McGrath Caloundra, as seen on Luxury ListI then went on to work in Hong Kong as Brand Manager for a leading women’s fashion mail order catalogue company in the UK who initiated a specific plus size fashion brand called Spirito di Artigiano.
I then fell pregnant and fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a best-selling published author, when I wrote a series of motherhood books and created one of the largest motherhood studies in the world focused on the emotional journey of motherhood, where I interviewed over 5000 women throughout Australia, NZ and the USA in association with the University of the Sunshine Coast.
As a result of my writing, I became a professional speaker with ICMI Speakers and was fortunate to be able to travel extensively and present at leading motherhood conferences worldwide.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy being able to make a difference in the lives of my clients each and every day.
I love being able to mentor my team and be a catalyst for change in our industry through our commitment to our Community Giveback program which has gone from strength to strength over the last few years.
Being in real estate offers variety and challenge each and every day.
It is a very humbling job as you never feel like you know it all… there is always something more to learn and a new challenge around every corner.
40 Glasswing Avenue, Palmview sold for $1.162 million by Jodie Hedley-Ward of McGrath Caloundra, as seen on Luxury List
You also never get bored and the days go super fast as there is always so much to be done!
It’s one of the most fulfilling jobs I have ever had and I am deeply passionate about the rewards this industry can offer to everyone… but especially females in real estate.
Both financially and in terms of the freedom it offers to mums who are trying to balance professional and personal success.
Can you tell us about an interesting property you’ve sold?
I have had two experiences working with TV shows and both were lots of fun!
“Location, Location, Location” initially and then just recently with a brand new Australian show titled "Escape from the city".
They selected one of our gorgeous coastal homes, just 10 minutes from the beach and perfect for a busy family.
It made it to the shortlist, but in the end the buyers selected something else that suited their needs and budget a little more!
What’s your advice to young people starting out in real estate?
Find a mentor or mentors quickly! Spend time with people who are already achieving the kind of success you desire and find out what they are doing and copy it.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel in this industry.
Try to shorten your real estate education by leveraging travel time in the car – listen to as many podcasts and training videos as possible and soak up as much knowledge and experience from the best in our industry as you can.
If you are lucky enough to work alongside a top performer in an assistant capacity, that will be the surest way to long term success I know.
Be humble enough to learn from others and not assume you know it all before you do. Humility will get you far in our industry for sure!
If you could change one thing about the real estate industry, what would it be?
I wish more agents would consider what they can give before thinking about what they can get.
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I have seen firsthand through our Community Giveback program the power of putting others first.
The rewards and business that floods in as a result of getting your priorities straight is nothing short of miraculous.
If you focus on giving exceptional service at every chance you get, the only problem you will have in real estate is wondering how you are possibly going to have enough time to look after all the clients that will be knocking on your door!
Can you tell us about your nomination for the REA Most Influential Woman in Property award, and being recognized as one of the Top 10 highest achieving women in McGrath for the first half of 2018?
I feel super honoured to have made it into the top 10 females at McGrath but I have never focused on that as a goal… I have always just tried to do my very best each day – one phone call and one email at a time.
I genuinely believe that if you do the best you can with everything you focus on, and try to be a little better today than you were yesterday, you can’t help but progress and reap rewards down the line.
It feels surreal to be named amongst the most influential women in property, but again I believe that is a result of my unwavering commitment to our Community Giveback program and my desire to be a catalyst for change in an industry that for too long has been associated with greed, selfishness and self promotion.
I love shining a light on the power that comes from blending commerce with community in a way that provides a win-win for all sides.
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Business can flourish and culture can blossom as a result of a genuine commitment to being a values-led business, that in turn attracts incredible people to work in your business and creates positive momentum in every way imaginable.
The ripple effect from our community giveback program has been nothing less than miraculous and the business benefits and success we have enjoyed as a result is undeniable.
We embarked on this Community Giveback journey with our hearts in the right place and with zero expectation of getting anything in return… and that is where the magic begins!
What’s your outlook for the property market in the Sunshine Coast for the next 12-18 months?
I think the Sunshine Coast is set to be one of the most resilient and desirable markets nationally in the coming 12-18 months and we are seeing that already by the number of buyers relocating from NSW and VIC in particular right now.
The sunshine is a huge drawcard of course… but the quality of life and the value for money on offer is hard to beat!
Where do you live now, and what would be your dream home if you could live anywhere in the world?
I live in Buderim – one of the Sunshine Coast’s most beautiful suburbs just five minutes to the beach.
It’s a great family home, just perfect for my two kids Lili and Josh, husband Dave and my miniature schnauzer Coco.
If I could live anywhere in the world apart from the Sunny Coast, it would be Queenstown, New Zealand… one of the most beautiful spots in the entire world!
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