Newly appointed Director of Ray White Lower North Shore Group, John McManus, is an elite industry performer who has firmly established an enviable reputation as one of the most sought-after sales agents on the Lower North Shore. No stranger to success, and one who doesn’t mince his words – John McManus recently sat down with our team to discuss his business approach and some key drivers of his success.
John’s team brings a remarkable confidence, care and ‘above and beyond’ approach to clients on the Lower North Shore. His culture clearly aligns with Ray White Lower North Shore Group with honesty and integrity unequivocally the reason for his deep community ties and long-term clients.
What were the factors involved in choosing to join Ray White Lower North Shore Group?
The simple answer, culture. Since 2007 I’ve held a variety of roles in real estate under various competing brands. I had great success, met some wonderful people, and helped thousands of clients, but at the end of the day had no synergy with those businesses’ core values. I’ve known both Richard and Geoff for years and after a few thought-provoking catch-ups I knew that working with Ray White Lower North Shore Group was going to be a great fit.
Secondly, it made sense to go with a powerful brand like Ray White over starting my own independent group. The team that Richard and Geoff have created aligned perfectly with my personal values so was the natural choice. The team’s work ethic and focus on doing the right thing by our vendors was another stand out factor.
Joining Ray White felt like joining a family. I have my own family working for me so knowing Ray White Lower North Shore is also about longevity and building a successful business for the future was yet another indicator that I’d made the right choice.
Culture is clearly important to you. Can you explain how it impacts your team and business?
I’ve brought my team across with me to Ray White and they’re beginning to realise how real estate ‘should be’. They are growing as professionals and as salespeople, learning a successful business is built on strong core values. For me honesty and integrity are certainly very important when you’re running a business. When you’re dealing with a vendor, you want to know you’ve acted with integrity to get them the right outcome.
What is the benefit to vendors now that you’re working with a brand whose culture aligns with your own?
The focus in real estate has always been churn and burn; here we nurture. We make the right recommendations to our clients to give them the best outcome, rather than just getting the property sold. When I work for the vendor, I’d rather have an honest conversation around pricing rather than disappointing them by not meeting their expectations . We are also creating a business that doesn’t misrepresent the asset to buyers. Our clients can be confident they are not wasting their time or money because they have been given honest advice.
You talk a lot about getting the right outcome vs. the best outcome. Can you talk us through a notable example?
If I make a pricing recommendation to a seller (my vendor), but after a few weeks it’s worth considerably less due to market factors – I’m going to have that conversation with my client. It may be to suggest it’s not the right time to sell? By creating an open and honest dialogue with my client, so that when I say, “now it’s time to list”, they will trust me and know I’m working to secure the best price. I’m not selling for the sake of selling.
I’ve taken so many properties off the market in the last 12 months after having these honest conversations, knowing my client won’t get the outcome they want if we don’t. I know I’ve made the right recommendation when I put the property back on the market six months later, and I’ve made my client more money on the asset.
People often talk about the market fluctuating and the impact of macro factors. How does this affect your business?
I watch the market and influential factors every day. It’s a matter of understanding the changing market quickly so I can protect my clients and their assets. I can carry a lot of stock and will adjust the price accordingly based on where I see the market moving. If you don’t watch and adjust your strategy, you run the risk of incorrectly pricing their asset. External factors and market fluctuations don’t impact my business if I price the asset correctly and implement the right strategy in the first place.
What do you consider your point of difference?
It’s doing that extra step further than everyone else. My clients have given me an opportunity, so I’m going to look after their valuable asset. We will clean the pool, clean their home, get it ready for sale and make sure it’s presented at its best – it’s all part of the service we offer. It means even years after the initial transaction clients will call me asking for recommendations on a cleaner or a particular tradesperson. They know that I will look after them, giving a memorable selling experience which in turn they will hopefully recommend to others down the track.
In your career to date what is it that you’re most proud of?
Recently I worked for a young family with a business who were under some financial stress due to the impacts of COVID. My team and I were able to get them $650,000 more than they expected. Fortunately this amazing result relieved a lot of pressure. Seeing their gratitude and relief has been one of my career highlights to date.
Whether it is seeing people buy their dream home, getting a fantastic price for my vendors, or simply supporting my clients with an unexpected change to their selling strategy – when you see a client able to move their family on to the next step in their life, I think that’s the most humbling thing. I carry my heart on my sleeve and make sure everybody gets what I promise.
John’s team brings a remarkable confidence, care and ‘above and beyond’ approach to clients on the Lower North Shore. His culture clearly aligns with Ray White Lower North Shore Group with honest and integrity unequivocally the reason for his deep community ties and long-term clients.
john.mcmanus@raywhite.com
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