Agent Spotlight: Julie Ormston, director/licensee, Julie Ormston & Partners

Julie Ormston celebrates 20 years in real estate this year, and while she says she joined the industry “for all the wrong reasons” she has built a successful career going from sales consultant to having a team of her own.

She is also an advocate for her local community, supporting small businesses and other initiatives and has sponsored REIWA’s Community REInvest program for the past two years.

We spoke to Julie about her passion for giving back to the local community, and how being involved with Community REInvest has seen her team expand their philanthropic lifestyle.

How did you get involved in real estate?

I originally came from a corporate background. I was a HR Manager and sales trainer in telecommunications, so I was very process and systems driven, very much about quality control and client care, which I thought were good transferrable skills.

Plus, I’ve always loved people and houses, so I naturally thought I’d be amazing at real estate. Little did I know that it’s an industry where you require so many skill sets. I didn’t have a safety net when I came into real estate, and it took me a while to get traction.

When I first started my career, I was told to “go after all business and take all business”, but that’s not the way I wanted to run my agency. My career shifted for me when I stopped trying to emulate people whose beliefs and values didn’t match mine.

What do you love about this career?

I love that this industry is constantly evolving. You’re always learning, continually sharpening the saw.

I’m very conscious of the privilege it is to be chosen as someone’s agent. They are giving you their biggest asset (other than their family) to look after.

We’re in these people’s lives for a few months while they sell, but hopefully for life if you earn the right to be their family agent. I get to help my clients, their kids, and their grandchildren with their real estate plans, and that’s a true honour for me.

One definition of success to me is a combination of being authentic and passionate but caring about your clients and the wider community.

The other element of success is having a business that you don’t have to take a vacation from; where you love working with clients who respect you, and where you get to have a bit of fun.

What drew you to joining the REIWA Community REInvest program?

There’s very little real estate in our social media, it’s about our community. We have around 4,500 followers on Facebook, and to me, it’s about getting to know them. We’re very active in our community, supporting local businesses and doing good where we can.

For example, we have a coffee van at the school assembly each week that is paid for by our office, with the donations that people make going directly back into the primary school. I also sponsor the local soccer and basketball teams, among other things.

So when I saw the impact that Community REInvest had in the community, I made the decision to become a sponsor.

As agents, we have the pleasure of selling homes, but there are a lot of people out there who do not have a home. To me, the partnership with Community REInvest just makes sense, it’s very in-line with what we already do and we love it.

Is there a particular Community REInvest initiative you’re proud of supporting?

My agency has taken part in the past two Christmas campaigns with The Salvation Army, and the team have loved seeing the difference we can make to the recipients and their children. Being present in the moment allows us to make those real connections.

It’s been a privilege to work with the Salvos and volunteer behind the scenes. It’s a real blessing seeing what they do and understanding how our industry can contribute to those in need.

We’ve also loved seeing how the local Woodvale community gets behind these initiatives. When we run the Christmas campaigns we’re always inundated with support from our community. They love it, and it makes people stop and think about just how fortunate we are and how much we have to be grateful for, and how easy it is to make someone’s day just a little bit easier.

I genuinely encourage all agents to join the Community REInvest program. We currently do a lot of good with those on board but imagine just how much good we could do if every agent was part of the program.