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How does your usual day look?
I like to win the start of my day with the things I can control. I am up at 4:45 am and in the home gym with my partner for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes in the spa and in the office for 7am. My day can go anywhere from there.
How did you start your career in commercial real estate?
In my previous life as a golf professional I was sponsored by a land developer, this was my first foray into real estate. I first joined a private commercial office in Caboolture and we joke that I started on a Monday and the GFC started on the Tuesday. So it is fair to say that my first few years in commercial real estate were a pretty tough proving ground. I was lucky to have good friends in the business and this was the start of the team model that still serves us well today.
What do you enjoy most about being an agent at Ray White Commercial? What makes Ray White Commercial different?
The family values set us apart from the rest. It’s easy to take this for granted until you share a beer with your competition and get a feel for the faceless, number crunching environment they have to endure. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t exactly fit the corporate model, so the work-life balance the Ray White model gives me is a real point of difference.
What are your go-to property marketing methods that you present to your clients?
I use whatever I believe will put the property in front of the right eyeballs and in a format that makes it easy for them to progress to the next step. We know the power of creating competition so I have no issue having the hard conversation with owners around VPA. We are really embracing video content to assist with the high number of out-of-state owners and buyers we now deal with.
Tell me about a unique success story?
The team and I recently auctioned a vacant freehold 512 metre squared office space on Bribie Island. This is not a property that would traditionally scream “auction,” but the method suited the multi-owner situation and there was enough residual demand in the area that we were comfortable making the recommendation. The interest through the campaign was in line with expectations, but nothing outstanding. The auction began with five registered bidders and we were already happy with the result after the reserve was passed in the first dozen bids. What we didn’t expect from there, was a bidding war between an investor and an owner-occupier that resulted in 179 more bids. It was a great outcome and a reminder that no one has a crystal ball when it comes to commercial property.
Do you auction?
We have worked really hard to improve our skills around auctions over the last few years and the results are starting to show. I am definitely not of the opinion that the auction process is a cure-all for every sale situation, but there are benefits for the agents and the owners when executed correctly.
What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you first started out?
For the early part of my career, I didn’t appreciate the power of the offer or the under-bidder. I think too many of us fall into the trap of defending price or owner expectations, rather than doing our job of presenting the property to market and helping the owner make smart decisions based on buyer feedback.
What is your outlook for the Northern Brisbane/Sunshine Coast commercial market over the next 12 months?
I am fortunate to be working in one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. With a hot investor market and limited industrial stock, I expect it will be another strong 12 months.
CONTACT
Email: chris.massie@raywhite.com
Phone: 0412 490 840
