Chris Laval is very clear on one point; all brands are not the same.
He says once you’ve made the decision to go with a brand it’s critical to find the one that’s right for you.
Originally French born, Chris and his wife moved to Mackay in Queensland six years ago to be closer to her family. With Chris’ father-in-law already operating a real estate business, Chris planned to open his own real estate business with a partner. This was despite the fact that he had no previous experience in the industry. Feeling a brand would be important for success, they took on the only one available at the time, Richardson & Wrench.
“I felt a name on the door was important, but really this was all that was included in the low flat franchise fee we were paying. And really we needed a lot more than that particularly with me being new to real estate.”
“Unfortunately, even though we were only paying for a brand, we soon discovered no-one really knew this brand anyway in the area. I might as well have had my own name on the door, at least it would have been free! To generate business we were having to give away free marketing and drop our commission rate, which meant we were always struggling” Laval said.
They persevered for two and a half years, as Laval’s partner was reticent to change. Finally, they reached agreement to make a change when the Ray White franchise in the area suddenly became available.
“I had always liked the Ray White brand - and had always said it would be mine one day. I felt it was credible, professional and I knew they offered a lot more than just branding. I also knew it would cost us more, but I felt confident it would be a bigger slice of a much bigger pie.”
Within six months of the change over, gross sales went from $2-3 million per month to $10 million a month. Laval said it became almost instantly easier to attract customers and recruit good salespeople.
“Customers trusted the brand and the salespeople we wanted to recruit knew it would be easier for them to list and sell under the brand, so the change had an immediate effect on our growth.” Laval said.
“On top of that, Ray White really taught us how to do business - they had a clear system for us to tap into with unlimited skills to learn. The systems, seminars, sharing of knowledge and support was like a breath of fresh air for me. But I think the most important thing is to find a brand that is in the same place as you are and delivers what you need. I want to be with a group that is innovative, proactive, pushing boundaries and that’s Ray White. But you gotta be up for it, otherwise forget it!”
