Agent Spotlight, Tim Cooper, Sales Representative, Summit Realty South West

They say “teamwork makes the dream work,” and that certainly is the case for Tim Cooper.

Based in Bunbury, Tim takes the lead of ‘Team Tim Cooper’, which was awarded the title of ‘Top Team by Listings Sold’ at this year’s reiwa.com Awards.

We spoke to Tim about the benefits of working within a team, and how the Bunbury market has grown in the past 12 months.

How did you get involved in real estate?

I really fell into real estate. At the age of 19, I was invited to have a chat with a friend’s Dad who owned a real estate agency. I’d been working as a personal trainer and was ready for a new and exciting challenge, so I decided to take the opportunity to give it a try and I never looked back.

What made you decide you were ready to take on a team?

I made the decision to start a team when I knew we were at capacity with our current level of business.

I wanted to improve the level of service offered to our clients, so creating a team allowed me to ensure every aspect of the process was taken care of, and to make the process of buying and selling for our clients as smooth as possible.

How is your team structured, and what are their roles?

Our team is made up of six people. Myself, as the head of the team, and our Buyer’s Manager, are on the ground selling day to day.

From an administration side, there are another four team members. One will look after customer relations and enquiries. We also have a marketing coordinator, and two sales coordinators who look after contracts and settlements, and other administrative tasks.

How does the client benefit from hiring a team to sell their property?

I’ve worked as a sales rep without assistance, then had one assistant, and now a whole team behind me, and I can say that the level of service provided to the client is much higher than I could ever do alone.

Each team member has their role to play in the success of the sale, to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Their support allows me to focus on what I’m there to do, which is negotiate and get the best result for the client.

I can step away from the intricate details of getting photos organised and putting up signs, to hyperfocus on the ‘dollar productive’ activities and guide the client through the sales process and negotiate the best offer on their behalf.

What have the past 12 months been like in your market?

Bunbury, like the rest of the state, has been very active over the past 12 months. 

Both local buyers, but especially interstate buyers, have really ramped up activity in the past year. In my experience, houses around the median are selling slightly more (approximately 60 per cent) to investors than local buyers. Eastern states buyers are purchasing primarily for investment purposes, but there are a number of buyers that are moving to the region.

According to the latest REIWA regional market update, Bunbury was the top performing regional centre for the September 2023 quarter, and the second highest performer over the 12 months.

What is your advice to someone thinking about a career in real estate?

I love it. I couldn't envisage myself doing anything different.

A career in real estate is more of a lifestyle than a job. Ultimately, you’re not going to work a traditional nine to five. In saying that, you can have a lot of flexibility when you need it, especially around family commitments.

I would certainly encourage anyone who has the ambition to work in real estate to follow it and embrace it. If you go into it with open eyes, realising that it is more of a lifestyle choice, a career in real estate can be incredibly rewarding.

For those deciding whether to work in a team or work alone, I would certainly encourage them to pursue a team, not only for increased productivity and capacity, but also freedom of lifestyle.