Profile: Ashley Weston, Ray White Frankston

The success of Ray White is not only built on the expertise of its agents, but also on its franchise owners. Ashley Weston, sales consultant and soon-to-be franchise owner at Ray White Frankston, has proven himself to be an exceptional example of both.

As current holder of the title of number one Ray White agent in Frankston, number two agent in Victoria and scoring in the top twenty for the entirety of Australia, Ash is quantifiably one of the best in the business. However, never one to stop challenging himself, Ash is now in the process of becoming the new owner of the Ray White franchise in Frankston, taking over from his parents.

This is an incredibly busy period for Ash, but he has taken the time to speak to us about his experiences in working, in his words, "with Ray White, not for them", both as a real estate agent and as a franchisee. It has been nothing short of a fantastic experience for both him and his family, presenting a perfect example of what a combination of the right people with the right brand can achieve.

From family to family

Ashley and his family didn't start off working with Ray White. However, after a series of disappointments with other brands, they decided to make the switch, finding themselves resonating with the family atmosphere that Ray White prides itself in.

"We're a family company. My parents are the directors, I'm one of the directors there as well," he explains.

It was a collaborative and caring atmosphere that Ashley and his family originally switched for, but even they found themselves surprised by the warm welcome that they received.

"When we changed, we thought 'what's going on here?' It all seemed too good to be true. Everyone was so nice, everyone from the corporate team really cared, they listened - we were just really caught off-guard because we didn't get that with our previous franchise."

An opportunity for growth beyond sales

Ash also explains how the support from Ray White did not just stop as an agent. Ash is currently in the process of purchasing the franchise from his parents, and has to deal with the various hurdles that such a transfer entails. However, he explains that Ray White has been nothing but supportive during this difficult phase, and was a major contributor in their ability to make that adjustment smoothly.

"The support during this transitional period has been phenomenal," Ash says, describing how the Ray White management would spend a significant portion of their own personal time in finding the ideal solution for the franchise - though never being dictators, and rather simply providing options.

"I think because there are so many offices and so many different business structures ... that we've been able to consult with them and get advice on what other people have done in the past - they've been able to show us how other businesses have done it in the past successfully."

Reinvesting in more than just profits

You might describe all this effort on the part of the Ray White corporate members as being selfless, but in reality Ash says that it is just one example of the way that the brand tries to reinvest back into its people.

"I genuinely feel that their whole philosophy is if they help us grow, then they grow. It doesn't come from 'how can we make more profit?', how can we do this, how can we do that - I think it's 'how can we help our businesses become better?'" explains Ash.

"In the process of that, Ray White as a group becomes better and better and better."

However, Ash doesn't just define success for the brand within the scope of real estate. Ray White has a long history of assisting a variety of charities and helping out at many local events, and Ray White Frankston is no different. Currently on the cards is the charity auction of a bathing box, which Ash is overseeing.

Once again, he doesn't find himself alone in this cause. Liaising with the marketing team, bouncing different ideas, video concepts, different ways to set up social media channels, writing and supplying editorial content - Ashley explained that it was rare to find a sector that Ray White did not manage to assist with.

As a result, Ash was able to challenge himself on how big he could make this event, which directly translates to how successful the auction eventually is; driving more donations towards projects in the local community. As a result, Ash gets the opportunity to reinvest in the people that make the success of his franchise possible, in much the same way that Ray White reinvested in him.

Ash Weston presents an excellent example of how Ray White not only support their boots-on- the-ground agents, but also reinvests in their franchisees and the local community as well. After a series of disappointments with other brands, Ray White has offered something that other companies simply couldn't: Camaraderie, consistency and everlasting support. Ash summarises it succinctly:

"We've been with Ray White for six years now, and we've never looked back. It's the best business decision we've ever made."

Thanks for speaking with us Ash, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for a big turnout at the charity event on 25 September!