Following a career in international rugby as both a player and coach, former Irish front-row forward and All Blacks coach Ross Nesdale is applying hard-won lessons from the pitch to his real estate career as part of the Ray White Lower North Shore Group. In addition to the skills he’s acquired as an elite athlete, Ross studied at the Julian Ashton Art School and has painted spectacular landscapes, character homes and people in oils for decades. He also had a 10-year career in advertising and design. This month we spoke with Ross about five key skills he has brought into real estate from his vast and varied arsenal of experiences.
Across his career playing and coaching international rugby, Ross learnt to communicate with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Ross says, “In real estate it’s essential to have the ability to communicate. It’s being sensitive to a variety of personality traits and knowing how to conduct business to a variety of preferences. The client must feel included in the whole process to ensure a great outcome. After all, we all want the same result.”
Learning to communicate with other agents, teams, brokers, lawyers who are all an integral part of a real estate transaction, is vital too. When you get this communication right, the process is more effective and delivers a positive outcome. Whether as an elite athlete, artist or in real estate it’s crucial to understand the needs of others through cooperation and communication.
To achieve greatness at anything, including completing any real estate transaction, one must be able to persevere and adapt. Selling or buying in real estate is not too dissimilar to sport, Ross suggests, in that there are both controllable and uncontrollable elements. The key is to be able to adapt to that change and help our clients do the same.
Ross adds, “As real estate agents we are watching and understanding the market, but our clients aren’t as in touch with the changing conditions. Communicating the market fluctuations and supporting our clients to understand them will allow us to work well within these new conditions. In real estate we must be constantly ready to improve, change or revise our strategy.”
Remaining calm and in control when challenges arise is nothing new to Ross, who has years of experience working under pressure to achieve his goals. Whether it’s negotiating offers, tracking bids at auction, or liaising with third-parties, real estate requires agents to remain composed under pressure and work hard for the best outcome for the client.
The Ray White Lower North Shore Group’s strong team culture perfectly aligns with Ross’s personal values of celebrating mutual success. With over 25 agents across four offices, Ross comments that the information sharing across the wider team is essential to both his clients and his own success. “One of the things I love about this team is that we celebrate everyone’s success. We win as a team not as individuals. When I see others recognised for their wins it’s a huge motivation to me.”
In his time on the coaching team of the New Zealand All Blacks, Ross says that it was always about seeing individuals in the team achieve their goals before he could celebrate his own achievements. Ross likens this to helping his clients achieve their goals. “As the specialist supporting them along their real estate journey, it’s important to me that they get the results they want so we can celebrate the outcome together. Helping my clients achieve their goals is the ultimate success”. Ross says his team includes Ray White Lower North Shore and his individual clients and “when we work together the success will follow”.
It comes as no surprise that in real estate there are often hurdles to overcome, the market isn’t always booming, and sales are not always easy. There are highs and lows in any industry – the highs are wonderful and the lows are tough. You must develop a thick skin. When asked how Ross gets through tough times he comments, “getting back to basics. Get on the phone, knock on doors, communicate, get in front of your community.” You must persist through the process, there’s no quick fix, just a lot of hard work. Just like in sport, in real estate we must train hard, work hard, and see the results later.
As an elite athlete and a meticulous artist, Ross knows to perform at his best he must stick to the basics, set goals, continually improve and be undeterred by obstacles.
Developed during his time at art school and during his roles in advertising, Ross developed a keen eye for detail which he says is evident in his love of painting but also his real estate career.
Knowing what works best aesthetically has supported Ross to professionally refine each property’s marketing campaign. His clear focus on the little things, understanding what people want to see and what they want to feel when looking at a property supports his clients to reach greater success. Ross says, “I take great care putting marketing packages together to present the property in the best way possible. I’m very involved in all the marketing”.
Whether it’s seeking the right property, negotiating a winning deal, or managing a team through a transaction, Ross’s experience as a high performing athlete and artist has shaped his ability to communicate, adapt to change, and work hard to achieve his client’s goal. Ross continues to apply the skills he has mastered from an array of careers to his real estate clients in the Lower North Shore. Contact Ross to talk about how his experience could help sell your property:
ross.nesdale@raywhite.com
0452 030 872
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