Local business: One Agency celebrates 10 years in Fairy Meadow

One Agency is this year marking its 10th anniversary in Fairy Meadow, having grown from three staff members to now being a team of seven.

Serving an area with an ageing population, it’s a relationship-based agency with a passion for helping Fairy Meadow residents transition into the next stage of their lives. Many of those clients are rightsizing or transitioning into aged care. For that, the agency has required a team of people who care deeply about their community.

We chatted with One Agency JD Property Agents proprietor Joanne Danckwardt about the growth of the business over the 10 years and what’s next…

One Agency is celebrating 10 years servicing Fairy Meadow. How did you come to work here?

I’ve been here for nine of the 10 years and I’ve owned it for six and a half years.

The office was opened by Sally Absalom. Sally and I worked with each other at another agency. Sally then started this - the first One Agency office in the Illawarra.

She did ask me right at the beginning if I would come and work at the office. However, I was selling a development for a receiver - the developer had gone bust. I was selling 24 apartments and I had half of the stock left and I couldn’t walk away from that.

After 12 months, she reached out again, because she knew I was interested. I had one apartment left and so I said yes.

What memories do you have of the early years of the business when Sally was owner?

It was a busy office because we only had a receptionist and ourselves and you did everything yourself. Our receptionist came across from the other agency as well. We needed someone who was good and efficient.

It was great. A great environment with just the three of us.

What prompted you to buy the business?

That was interesting, because after 12 months of working here, Sally said she would look to sell the business. I went into shock. I never expected to move to a company where the owner wasn’t actually going to be there because she was looking to sell.

I had never intended in my life to own a business. I was always quite content to work for somebody else. I was one of those employees that you just had to say what you wanted me to do and I’d do it. I didn’t question it. I put 100% of my heart and soul into somebody else’s business. I’ve always been that way. I’ve had a strong work ethic and good moral compass.

When it was proposed, I freaked out a little bit. I looked around the Illawarra and the agencies that were around, and there was nobody I wanted to work for. I didn’t know all the agents, but I knew the practices of the agencies. They weren’t the right fit for me. It was another reason why I left the other agency, because some events that occurred weren't in alignment with my beliefs.

So after looking around the Illawarra, there was nothing that stuck out to me. So I felt I didn’t have a lot of alternatives but to buy the business myself.

How has the business changed over the years?

It’s changed massively. Even our industry as a whole has changed dramatically. Since I took over the business, there's been systems and processes developed for everything. So anybody can come into the business in a role and know how to do it. It’s very structured.

It’s grown from three people - being two agents and one receptionist - to seven people now. We’ve even introduced a full-time overseas virtual assistant.

We’ve brought on property management, which we’ve never done before. We’ve got a small rent roll.

But my main focus has been marketing. I really concentrate on marketing and making sure I always attend seminars and training. We use CampaignAgent to help homeowners with property marketing funding. I was the first in the Illawarra to use that.

I’m always ahead of the curve for not just marketing but anything else that’s new for our industry. Like virtual tours - I’ve been doing those for five years. We’re one of the only ones to do videos on every property. I was the first to do VRs (virtual reality). There’s a lot of things I introduce that I do before everyone else in the Illawarra.

We offer a free online aged care course for anyone in the Illawarra, and we used to run free aged care seminars with different specialists speaking. I’m all about educating people before they need me. I want them to understand what they’re doing so they get the best for themselves.

Our other focus is to give back to the community. We do the backpacks for the homeless, the Santa photos and the Easter egg hunt, to name a few. I think it’s important to give back to the community. We have a responsibility to be a part of the community.

What are some of the highlights of the business’ history?

There's not one particular moment, but rather the moments when you’re talking to the owners when the deal is done. I get such joy putting the deal together and then knowing you’re able to exceed someone’s expectations.

It’s not always about the price. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and you’re not always selling in the best market ever. A lot of the time it’s not been fantastic, but I love hearing the joy within your owners’ voices when they’ve sold their home because they’ve needed to move on. It’s not just about the price, but getting the work done for them.

It’s the relationships you build. That’s probably the big thing for me. You are so intensely involved with someone’s life for a short period of time. They’re more like your friend at the end of it because you’re talking to them every day. You’re assisting them through the process and holding their hand.

What are some of the benefits of servicing the 2519 area?

There’s a lot of older people in the area and I love working with people who are older. These are people downsizing, rightsizing and going into aged care, because it’s the last stage of their life.

For me, one of my passions is to make sure they’re right for the remainder of their life. To me that’s important. I want them to move where they need to move and make sure they’re looked after.

There are a few real estate agencies that service Fairy Meadow, Balgownie, Mount Ousley and Mount Pleasant. Why do people choose you and One Agency JD Property Agents?

Yes, there are a lot. I do ask people that question. They say it’s because I’m local, they feel comfortable with me and my many, many years of experience. They do know that I care. And so they feel comfortable because they know I care. It’s not a transaction to me. I’m not a transactional agent, I’m a relationship agent.

With transactional agents it’s all about turnover and not the relationship. I’m not looking for just any offer. I’m looking for the best buyer with the best offer. Most are just looking for an offer and moving onto the next one. For me, I have a different approach. I want to maximise the price and make sure the clients get what they should.

What are your plans for the future of the business?

I really want to grow the property management department. It’s not about the business being the biggest business in the Illawarra. It’s never ever going to be that.

It’s making sure that the people we have are the best we can have. I want to have good quality people within the business. People with the same ethos - people who care, have fun along the way and who prioritise the client. That’s super important. I want people who work really well together so we give the best service possible to the client.

To talk to Joanne about any of the topics from within the article - whether buying, selling or leasing a property - phone (02) 4285 7400.

Are you or a loved one moving into aged care? Register for our free short course and learn how to right size your home when moving into aged care.