Megan Jaffe
Ray White Remuera
How did you start your real estate career ? I have a background in healthcare as a registered nurse , and then management and consulting in the private healthcare sector , when I also obtained an MBA . After an experience as a frustrated vendor , I was inspired to pursue real estate as a career . I started Ray White Remuera in 2007 . It was always my ambition to be a business owner . After working as a salesperson within other brands , I found alignment with Ray White as the brand I wanted to begin the business ownership journey with .
As Ray White ’ s top international office , what do you think you can attribute to your success ? Clear vision , clear values , and a genuine care for our people . We have a strong understanding that we ’ re a business of customer service - reliability , trust , service and consistency brings independence from market conditions . It also takes a lot of courage to ‘ navigate people safely home ’ - which has such a depth of meaning .
Tahlia Gabrielli
Ray White Mt Gambier
How did you start your career in real estate ? After completing year 12 , I was accepted into university and was going to do a business degree .
I realised I didn ’ t want to do any more study and a friend of mine was opening a beauty salon so I decided to help her . Whilst I was there I thought I may as well become qualified so I became a qualified beauty therapist but I knew that was never my true calling . I always had an interest in real estate , I think coming from an Italian background bricks and mortar was always familiar and spoken about . I said goodbye to beauty and went and completed my real estate training full time in Adelaide . I started my real estate journey with a local independent agency in Mount Gambier in a property management / leasing role and was also a personal assistant to the principal . Over time my career developed into a more sales oriented role . After about three and a half years I moved from the independent agency to the local Ray White office . I was there for three years before taking over the agency in October 2018 .
What do you enjoy most about your role as a business owner ? There are many roles I thoroughly enjoy as being a business owner , but what I get true fulfilment from is the development and growth of my team . Seeing them achieve awards and recognition is truly rewarding for me . I ’ m not yet a parent , but I ’ d say it ’ s like a parent watching their child win a race or receive a trophy - truly special and fulfilling .
Margaret Black AM
Ray White Rural Atherton
How did you start your career in real estate ? I moved to Queensland in 1976 . After I married , I spent many years living on cattle stations in Queensland , Northern Territory and a live import feedlot in Sarawak , Borneo . When our children reached high school we decided to settle in Atherton . After working at the grain board , looking after purchasing , stock control , imports and exports , it was time for a change .
I commenced my career in real estate as a property manager . I still remember writing out over 200 cheques and deposit books every month to bank the landlord ’ s funds and several had to be posted . After twelve months I moved to Ray White where I was employed as an administrator . They didn ’ t have rentals and my job was to build a rent roll . I then progressed to office manager .
During that time I received the Ray White Administrator of the Year award twice . I purchased Ray White Atherton in July 2008 with a staff of four . I now employ nine and have a quality rent roll .
What do you think is the importance of mentorship for other women in the industry ? I ’ ve never been one that thinks being a woman is something to hold you back in your career . I ’ ve always had the attitude that if you want something , go for it . I do believe that the industry has come a long way in the inclusion of women from when I started 23 years ago . My staff are mostly women , but I employ based on skill not gender . I like to take students straight from school and put them through a traineeship .
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