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Keynote speaker, Ray White The Bayside Group Director Kevin Chokshi revealed to the South Australian agents the key strategies behind building his phenomenal growth over the last 13 years.
Mr Chokshi detailed his remarkable transformation from an IT university student to one of Melbourne's most successful real estate agents, through consistency, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to process.
Starting as an associate at Ray White Lara in 2011-2012, Mr Chokshi's entry into real estate was entirely unplanned. "Real estate wasn't on my radar at all," he explained. "I was studying IT at university when a chance encounter led me to work with Jo Boothroyd at Lara, who gave me my first job in the industry."
After gaining foundational experience, Mr Chokshi made a strategic move to Ray White Corporate following a meeting with Mark McLeod. "I wanted to own the biggest operation possible," he said. "I worked at corporate for 12 months specifically to learn the business inside and out before making my move."
This strategic learning phase paid dividends when Mr Chokshi bought into the Ray White Cheltenham business in 2019 with Mark Guthrie, just ahead of the extended lockdowns in 2020.
"Turbulent times create real opportunity," Mr Chokshi said. "While everyone else dropped off during the difficult periods, we leveled up and grew. It's an energy-driven business, and we saw the downturn as a blessing for business acquisition."
The results speak for themselves. What began as a single office operation has expanded to a four-office network, with Mr Chokshi maintaining an auction focus across the business. His success strategy extends beyond traditional real estate practices.
The Ray White Bayside Group’s operation now includes dedicated content and social media teams; comprehensive in-house marketing team; advanced buyer matching through NurtureCloud technology plus they are trialing an inhouse psychologist service.
"We don't overthink everything, we stay focused and always remain at the center of the market," he said.
Central to Mr Chokshi's approach is unwavering consistency. "I am the same person I was 10 years ago. In leadership, being consistent and predictable is key," he said. "The market doesn't reward you for going to the gym for a week, you need to keep chipping away for years."
This philosophy extends to maintaining relationships with competitors, with Mr Chokshi regularly congratulating rival agents on successful listings as potential recruitment opportunities. “Always be stylish with your competitors, text them if you lose a listing to them as it might just open the door for a recruitment conversation,” he said.
Operating with a 100 per cent auction model is an active choice, driven by the data. "Even if a property passes in, we have a strong stepping point for negotiations," he explained. His signature approach also includes providing champagne to all underbidders, reinforcing positive relationships regardless of auction outcomes.
Ray White The Bayside Group’s marketing is "elegant, consistent and intelligent", reinforcing that success comes from habit formation and continuous market presence. "Nothing screams louder than a sold sticker too, it's our most powerful marketing tool," he noted.
"We don't change our process regardless of the market cycle. We commit to our path and remain consistent. The market rewards this approach over time."
Ray White The Bayside Group in Melbourne, specialising in residential sales and property management with an auction focus. The group has become known for its innovative approach to client service, comprehensive in-house support systems, and consistent market performance across all economic cycles.
“We won't change our process regardless of the cycle, we commit to our road and we are an auction business. Be consistent in your marketing and processes.”
Ray White South Australia Chief Auctioneer John Morris challenged the network on “How do we get to 50 per cent auction share across South Australia? We are close, but need to encourage more auctions.”
Ray White Head of Property Management Zac Snelling spoke to the business owners and his love of the sector. He brings extensive property management experience from multiple leadership roles, including his position as Head of Property Management for Ray White New Zealand from 2013-2025. His passion for the industry is evident: "I love people, I love property management."
Jason Alford, Chief Systems Officer at Ray White, built the OneSystem and has been with Ray White for 13 years.
He said he was very proud of the group’s members and said his daily challenge was to create a competitive advantage for the group.
He discussed the TwoSystem and the important value the group has by owning all its own infrastructure and avoiding reliance on third-party tech companies.
“Our members are speaking to 1 million homeowners across Australia and New Zealand every single month now with a 27 per cent propensity in some offices, meaning one in five homeowners that we speak to are coming to market within the next 90 days.
“At its core, NurtureCloud is a prospecting machine.”
He emphasised the need to keep everyone safe and compliant with regards to the do not call register and the push towards a preference centre path where customers will decide what content they receive (recent sales, just listed, Ray White Now, luxury homes).
He also touched on the network effects, the group’s commitment to all its ambitious tech projects on the roadmap.
Ray White Head of Marketing Todd Alexander detailed his group’s focus on raywhite.com to integrate all 850 of their office websites. He also highlighted the luxury report as an example of their strong performance in the luxury market, selling 2.5 times more luxury stock than any other brand. Additionally, he said the buzz is building around the soon to be released "#33 The Movie" with a full suite of marketing tools for members to use.
Ray White's compliance leadership is setting new industry standards with a comprehensive preparation strategy for incoming Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation, effective July 2026.
Shaun Doyle, leading the group's compliance, emphasised a supportive rather than punitive approach. "I am not a police officer of the group. I am here to protect you, inform you and help you stay safe," Mr Doyle explained. "We have an ambition to be proud of every transaction."
The group is implementing a five-point AML compliance framework including AUSTRAC enrolment, AML/CTF program implementation, compliance officer appointments, enhanced customer due diligence, and comprehensive record-keeping requirements.
"Regulators have extensive data on our activities, and we are focused on exceeding the expectations of both regulators and the community," he said. The strategy involves three AML provider partnerships and an accessible compliance hub to ensure seamless implementation across all offices.
Ray White's proactive stance positions the network to maintain a competitive advantage while building stronger regulator relationships and enhanced community trust. "We have time to get this right," he said, emphasizing the group's methodical preparation approach.
