From his humble beginnings in Frankston, young gun real estate agent Ashley Weston has certainly arrived at the big time.
They say leaders are made not born which is certainly the case when it comes to the 30-year-old Ray White Frankston principal. Mr Weston’s path to the top of his chosen profession didn’t come easily after he was kicked out of school at 15 and then got laid off his first job at a barbecue making factory at age 16.
The Frankston product’s success is based on “persistence, structure and discipline”. He now sells 140 properties a year and earns more than $1.2M in commission.
He’s just had the great honour of sharing his story in front of 4000 agents at this year’s Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC) on the Gold Coast.
Mr Weston starting as a receptionist 10 years ago and this year he bought the business that he started in at the tender age of 20. “I have had more than 500 emails from agents that attended AREC congratulating me on my speech. I have had attendees reach out to me from the UK and the US requesting my slides and asking lots of questions about how we structure our business,” Mr Weston said.
“I have been to AREC three times and every time I have taken ideas away that have helped better serve my community. It was interesting having sat in the crowd looking up at the speakers in awe to now being up on the stage and being able to return the favour and share my systems and techniques that helped me become one of the top selling agents in the country.”
His secret to success was getting the right team structure, with systems and processes that deliver an outstanding customer experience every single time. “Structure brings success,” Mr Weston said. “I can show people how to list 150 properties a year. It’s easy if you understand your capacity to grow, and structuring your business for more success,” he said.
Veteran real estate coach Tom Panos said Mr Weston was such an “authentic” speaker. “Ash gave an excellent presentation that covered everything you need to do to become a million dollar agent,” Mr Panos said.
A proud Frankston resident and homeowner with his wife Bec, Mr Weston says he loves sports, design, marketing, personal development and expanding his knowledge.
Mr Weston said his path to success has been unusual but it drove him to succeed. “In 2003, when I got let go from the barbecue making factory, I studied graphic design, which was the best move I had made that far. By 2005, I’d finished the course and then got into real estate as receptionist and worked my way up to administration and marketing.”
In March he purchased the Ray White Frankston office that he first started in 10 years ago. “I am currently #2 in the Ray White Group in Australia for customer satisfaction and I have been the number one agent in Frankston City for the past three years. I am a local Frankston resident and know the area intimately,” he said.
Colours come and go, but red – whether lipstick, carnation, oxblood or apple – can transform a space like no other. “Red is said to evoke emotions, grab attention and make a statement, so it’s no wonder it’s the colour most commonly used to signal danger,” says designer Matt Woods … Read more
No one wants their home to look cheap, but the idea of it feeling “expensive” feels simplistic and pretentious, doesn’t it? What I want is for my home to be inviting, homely, interesting, and comfortable. The thing is, if your home is all those things, it will, in effect, look … Read more