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grow. : grow - Edition 3 - January 2017
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“I HAVE ZERO FEAR ABOUT BUSINESS, THE MANAGEMENT OF CAPITAL, RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND PROCESSES – THE THINGS THAT SCARE A LOT OF PEOPLE. BUT THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS IS NEVER A MENTAL BARRIER FOR ME.” Owing in part to the high number of its properties tied up with the NARS and therefore required by law to have a property manager, the business has only lost two clients since launching. With a leadership style more measured than manic, “it’s the accountant in me”, Garry says he is clear about where his priorities lie. His working day starts at around 7.30am and he almost always makes it home to put his seven-month-old son to bed. “Itryandgethomeby6pmandthendoa little bit of work later on. I guess because of workloads being higher and higher for me over the last three years my efficiency has gone through the roof because it has to. I am not one of those machines who can work through to midnight every night.” This considered approach to business is a key plank to APM’s success, as is the strength of the team he has built around him. For all this, seeing his staff happy is the most enjoyable aspect of his work, Garry says. “I’m not a traditional snazzy high-end sales agent who can rouse everyone up with motivational meetings,” admits Garry. “I don’t like Monday morning meetings; I’m not good at them so I don’t do them. I don’t come in and tell everyone they’re amazing, that’s not me either. My approach is more calm, collaborative and to get my team’s input and build their thoughts into processes where appropriate. I try to offer flexibility and see staff recruitment as extremely important. When people refer a friend or someone to come and work for us when an opportunity opens up, then that is the biggest compliment that I can get. That means they must be proud of their workplace.” At the opposite end of the scale is Garry’s least favourite part of the job when he and his staff must navigate issues over which they have no control. “Before I worked in PM I never imagined a circumstance where someone rings up, rips into you because of other factors in their lives and five minutes later rings back and apologises. It’s now happened about five times. “It’s easier being an accountant because as an accountant you don’t have to be your client’s psychologist, IT guru or personal property expert. The faith people have in you can get overwhelming sometimes.” Yet, despite the occasional hiccup, Garry says he feels privileged to be a part of South Australia’s dynamic real estate industry. While the Adelaide agency landscape is vastly different to that of Sydney or Melbourne, “because we’re not as dense in the middle and our traffic isn’t as bad”, for those who are motivated, he insists, it presents just as many opportunities as the big eastern state capitals. In turn this means that, for those unwilling to embrace change, the chance of being left behind by competitors is just as great as in any other Australian city, he says, citing IT to illustrate his point. Installing the right IT system is critical to business success and Garry says you have to employ a high degree of rigour in the selection process to not just ensure return on the large investment, but also improve internal processes that lead to a better working environment and, ultimately, improved service delivery. “Because we’re a young business, I’m finding that what is becoming popular and trendy now is usually something we’ve been doing for a while. Not because we’re clever, but because the transition is easy for us starting from scratch. For us, Rockend is one of those examples of using cutting edge systems. “Otherwise, if you just adopt everything that everyone tells you to adopt, then you won’t make any money and you won’t be any more efficient than the older guy that’s got his pen and paper out and is still issuing paper receipts.” www.rockend.com.au www.propertytree.com 43554_030-032_Influencers B_Cameron Garry.indd 31 43554_030-032_Influencers B_Cameron Garry.indd 31 23/01/17 3:56 PM 23/01/17 3:56 PM
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