The White Report | March 2024 | Page 32

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

From where you ’ d rather be

BY SHANNON COOK
RAY WHITE IMS WELCOMES MILLIE AND HARLYYN TO THE FAMILY
BY SHANNON COOK
For 100 years , the Smith Family have been working with Australian children and their families to help them unlock better futures for themselves . They are committed to helping young Australians to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty .
For some time , Queensland based , Ray White IMS general manager of property management and residential sales Leanne Brown has wanted to sponsor a child through the Smith Family .
Ray White Werribee business development manager Marc Tanti ( pictured above ) probably has one of the most enviable work backdrops of anyone in the group . He currently works for the south-west Melbourne Ray White business all the way from the Daintree Forest in Far North Queensland .
As a BDM for the office , his day-to-day role includes listing new properties and helping guide clients through the leasing process and taking over properties from other agencies . He moved to the Daintree in January of 2023 and coming from one of the most locked down cities in the world , Marc was already an expert at doing his job remotely , saying it was business as usual .
“ I think like everyone , COVID really brought into perspective how quickly the world can change . In a heartbeat all of our lives were turned upside down ,” he said .
“ I ' d always had a plan to move up here , one of those five to 10 year plans , but that quickly changed from five to 10 years to immediately . I was ready to give up everything to try and find myself again .
“ COVID proved this job can be done remotely , the proof was there . As long as you can build a genuine connection with people you ' re already one step ahead of the rest .”
Marc said adapting to his new normal was “ paramount ”, in particular , by changing the way he approached appraisals .
“ I couldn ' t get out to the properties , obviously . WhatsApp became my best friend . A quick three minute walkthrough of a home from the client and you have all the information you need ,” he said .
“ Time is precious , if you advise a client you can get them all the info they need the same day , opposed to waiting for a scheduled appointment , more times than not they go for the video .
“ If they wanted face-to-face , the lead was flicked to our BDM on the ground , Milly . My colleagues are like family so if I needed a hand with a PCI or key collection there was always someone on the ground that had my back and would take care of it .”
It hasn ’ t all been smooth for Marc , who said he ' s learned a lot in the past year .
“ Boy , oh boy , have I learned a lot this past year ! Even though in 2023 I got to live my dream of living in Far North Queensland , the year had a lot of challenges ,” he said .
“ What I learnt about myself is that resilience is key . No situation is negative . Life throws you hard lessons to help you grow . As long as you can see the positive in every situation and you make a conscious effort to remain positive and try and decipher the lesson , you will come out the other side stronger . The world keeps spinning .”
Finally , Marc urges anyone who visits the Daintree to remember to stop , breath and feel , because life begins when you ’ re in the moment .
“ All I have to say is you ' re in the world ’ s oldest tropical rainforest . Let that sink in ,” he said .
“ Nature is beautiful , get outside of your own head and explore this beautiful place we call home .
“ There are some breathtaking natural wonders around here - Mossman Gorge , Town of Kuranda , endless walking trails through the Daintree . For the foodies , Hemingways , The Tin Shed and Nautilus are my favourite places to grab a feed . Get exploring !”
Spearheaded by Leanne , the Ray White IMS team recently sponsored two children - Millie from Queensland , aged five , and Harlyyn from South Australia , aged six .
Through sponsorship , they are providing financial support for school essentials , personal support from a Learning for Life Coordinator and access to tailored learning and mentoring programs to help students get the most out of their education .
SPREADING THE CHRISTMAS CHEER
BY SHANNON COOK
The Ray White AKG property management team in Brisbane wanted to find a way for their landlords to give back and thank their tenants , and landed on the We Wander gift campaign .
Ray White AKG CEO of Property Management Rachael Curtis said the We Wander tenant Christmas gift campaign was incredibly important to the community , especially during the festive season .
“ Unlike previous years where owners offered weeks of free rent or purchased hampers , this year ' s campaign allowed tenants to select an experience that suited them . This personalised touch made the gift more meaningful and tailored to each tenant ' s preferences ,” Rachael said .
“ The campaign received a lot of positive responses from both tenants and owners , highlighting its success in bringing joy and appreciation to each party .
“ This positive feedback indicates that the campaign was well-received and appreciated by all parties involved . We felt that there were more responses than we initially thought would come through .
“ Overall , the We Wander tenant Christmas gift campaign exemplified the true meaning of the Christmas spirit especially when it ' s been a tough year for all parties .”
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