General News
29 February, 2024
All things real estate with Kate Ashton
Maryborough-Ballarat Real Estate’s Kate Ashton has secured her fourth Agent of the Year title on a national platform — a streak she has proudly maintained since she first won the award in 2021. It was a memorable evening for Ms Ashton as she...
Maryborough-Ballarat Real Estate’s Kate Ashton has secured her fourth Agent of the Year title on a national platform — a streak she has proudly maintained since she first won the award in 2021.
It was a memorable evening for Ms Ashton as she nabbed the 2024 Agent of the Year Suburb Winner - Mary-borough and Dunolly trophy at last week’s annual RateMyAgent Awards ceremony.
The event hosts agents from across Australia, with winners selected on the basis of customer reviews and overall satisfaction.
To understand how she excels across those metrics, The Advertiser sat down with Ms Ashton — diving into all things real estate.
Yet another win — what have you focused your efforts on to ensure success?
This award is related to client feedback from both vendors and purchasers in the area and to receive the title again is really humbling. I think one of the things I pride myself on is being very local driven. I’m proud of where I live and when I show [people] around, I show them not just the houses or land they’re interested in, but also the community that we have. Every purchaser could be a new member of our community and the focus isn’t just on the transaction, but the entire property journey.
According to RateMyAgent, about 90 percent of people read online reviews — with that digital influence in mind, how do you stay at the top of your game?
I’m a huge believer in making sure that print media is still used because it’s very tactile — if people want to buy in the area, they always pick up the local paper. I’ve also taken it a few steps furthers in using social media, I’m very active on that. I create virtual tours, e-newsletters, and I have also launched a podcast. Being available on these platforms, also makes me more accessible to clients. I work around 60 hours a week so I’m always there responding to texts — I also change my voicemail everyday so [everyone] knows when I’ll get back to them. No matter who’s buying or who I’m connecting with, they’re important to me and good communication is the key.
Working long-hours can be extremely gruelling, what keeps you motivated to stay in real-estate?
I still make time for family and friends because that’s important in life. But I just love [real estate], I’ve chosen a career that I seem to fit in well with. There hasn’t been a time where I’ve felt like I don’t want to go to work.
The past year has been tumultuous for real-estate across the board. How have you navigated through that?
Interest rates have affected our buyer and that number has certainly decreased. [However], we haven’t seen an absolute rock bottom in this area because I believe we are in that growth corridor between Bendigo and Ballarat — the median price is still so affordable for so many people. So while the market is changing, we are finding it’s pretty level at the moment
Given your vast experience, what advice would you give to a novice in the field?
Certainly don’t expect Monday to Friday, nine to five, you’ve got to give it your all. Be aware that your income fluctuates dramatically depending on how much work you do. It’s a constant journey of learning, prioritising and talking to mentors in the industry.