An agent’s personal brand is more powerful than an agency in today’s market, newly minted independent sales agent Paul May says.

The veteran agent launched Paul May Real Estate in January after decades working for major franchises in Melbourne’s southeast where he won numerous accolades including No.1 agent in Narren Warren South on RateMyAgent for 2019/2020.

“I believe most people out there are not focused on going to a brand anymore – they are focused on using an individual agent,” Mr May said.

“So, the value of being part of a big brand isn’t there to the same extent as before.

“At the same time a lot more agents are looking for more money in their pocket for the hard work they do and that’s one reason they are going independent, so it’s creating an irresistible cycle in some ways.”

Mr May decided to go with @realty’s OASIS platform after assessing the different options on the market.

OASIS - which stands for Online Agency Support and Integrated Systems - enables boutique real estate agencies and sole operators to do business under their own brand while accessing @realty’s back-end support systems, including legal, settlements, marketing, website and graphic design, CRM software, administration support and more.

“What I found was the other platforms did bits and pieces of what OASIS does but OASIS was the only one that had everything in one place,” he said.

“@realty had everything I needed right now in relation to their back-end systems, support and marketing – all that makes my life so much easier.

“I don’t need to worry about trust accounts, marketing or settlements because they take care of all of it.

“If I was to hire those people separately to do that work, it would cost me significantly more.”

Mr May cut his teeth working for several major franchise offices in Cranbourne, where he learnt the value of building a database and actively prospecting by door knocking neighbourhoods.

“A really important lesson for me was to take the long view because a buyer today will be a vendor tomorrow so it’s important not to think short term,” he said.

“I gained a lot working for these businesses, but it was always my goal to have my own business.”

Mr May said his plans were delayed by the pandemic and other issues but this year he was finally ready to launch his agency, looking after Melbourne’s southeast and particularly the City of Casey.

“When I started, there were five real estate companies and that was the only choice you had. The rules were that you had to have an office space whereas it has changed now, and everything is cloud based,” Mr May said.

“So, signing up with @realty gives you the opportunity of running your own company with your own brand from your own home and still getting out there and doing what you need to do.”

@realty CEO James Taylor said Mr May had spent decades building a strong personal brand in southeast Melbourne where he regularly featured as one of the top agents.

“Mr May came to us because he needed effective, streamlined and reliable support covering everything from marketing through to CRM software, settlements, trust accounts, legal and more,” Mr Taylor said.

“Thanks to our systems, he has launched his own agency and is already making strong inroads into Melbourne’s southeast, picking up new listings at a rapid pace.”