Jared Johnson and Lachlan Marshall of Ray White Commercial Gold Coast joined as a team just over two years ago and have been great friends for more than 15 years.
Jared Johnson and Lachlan Marshall discuss how they use social media in a professional capacity, and how they sold a property directly through a strategic Facebook advertisement.
How did you each start out in real estate? Have you always worked in the industry, or did you do something else previously?
We both have very different stories on how we started in the industry.
Lachlan: After studying for my Bachelor of Business (Real Estate and Property Development) at Griffith University I started with the Gold Coast Suns in their inaugural year.
This is where I got my first taste in sales!
It was a great opportunity, I got to negotiate many large-scale campaigns for both international and national brands and really honed my skills in client relations.
Jared: Prior to real estate I spent five years working for one of Australia’s largest privately owned building and construction companies, Hutchinson Builders.
In construction management I was heavily involved in many different and iconic commercial and residential high-rise projects including Capri on Via Roma.
I still hold my Commercial Builders License which has helped a lot when talking with commercial property owners and developers.
We joined as a team just over two years ago and have been great friends for more than 15 years.
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Tell us about your 'Rising Stars' award at the Ray White International Commercial Awards. Have you been nominated before?
The award was a big shock to us!
The Ray White Group internationally is obviously a very large business and it was a very rewarding feeling to stand together on stage after a huge year.
Last year we were nominated for both 'Rising Stars' & 'Project of the Year' however we didn't take out either.
Jared Johnson and Lachlan Marshall of Ray White Commercial Gold Coast. Video supplied by Ray White Commercial Gold Coast.
Tell us about how you use social media in a professional capacity, and the benefits it brings?
We use social media for brand awareness rather than trying to sell a property.
We make a point of asking new business if they have had a look at our Facebook or Instagram prior to calling us, and nine times out of ten the answer is yes.
Our Instagram has over 7,700 followers now and is very interactive.
We often get locals direct messaging us asking for information on new developments or our thoughts on the light rail.
Something we are very proud of is that we recently sold a property for $1.07 million directly through a strategic Facebook advertisement.
Can you tell us about an interesting property you’ve worked on?
In May we ticked something off both of our bucket lists - we sold a pub!
It was a very fun campaign and we both learnt a lot.
After settlement we went back and had a few celebratory pints at the Coomera Waters Tavern.
Related reading: Instagram. It works.
What’s your advice to people starting out in real estate?
Don't be afraid to ask for help!
Seek advice and mentorship from proven operators and people you look up to.
If you could change one thing about the real estate industry, what would it be?
The way agents are perceived to the general public.
We prefer not to call ourselves 'real estate agents', we would prefer to be considered trusted advisors to our clients.
What’s your outlook for the commercial market on the Gold Coast for the next 12-18 months?
We are seeing a renewed confidence in the Gold Coast commercial market.
We are receiving great enquiry from Sydney and Melbourne from investors frustrated with tight yields at home.
We are both looking forward to an exciting 12-18 months ahead!
Click here to see Jared Johnson & Lachlan Marshall - Gold Coast Commercial Property Facebook page
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