There's a running joke about real estate agents.
The nice car. The fancy watch. The photo on the signboard. A few phone calls, an open home on Saturday, put a SOLD sticker up and collect a commission.
I understand where the perception comes from. Real estate is an industry where success can be very visible.
What isn't nearly as visible is the work that happens behind it.
Recently, our Boyne Tannum team was incredibly proud to be named the Number One Medium LJ Hooker Office in Queensland, and our own Cheryl Kurtz was recognised among the Top 2.5% of sales agents in the LJ Hooker network.
They're wonderful achievements and absolutely worth celebrating. But what they made me think about most was everything that happens behind the scenes to produce results like these.
Because as a business owner, I get to see the part of real estate that most people don't.
Then there are the hours nobody sees. The appraisals that don't become listings. The Saturday open homes where nobody turns up. The buyers who disappear after three inspections. The contracts that fall over at the eleventh hour. The deals that are held together through sheer persistence. And, of course, the phone that seems to know the exact moment you've sat down for dinner.
Property management is different, but every bit as demanding.
Our property managers spend their days dealing with people's homes, investments, finances and, often, emotions. They're juggling maintenance emergencies, legislation, rent arrears, inspections, lease negotiations and hundreds of competing priorities.
They're also frequently sitting in the middle between an owner and a tenant who understandably see the same situation from completely different perspectives.
It's not always an easy place to sit.
But winning these recent awards made me particularly proud because I know what sits behind them.
Being named the Number One Medium LJ Hooker Office in Queensland/Northern NSW isn't just about sales figures. To me, it's recognition of an entire team that turns up every day and works incredibly hard for our clients and for each other.
And seeing Cheryl recognised in the top 2.5% of sales agents was equally special. I know the hours, persistence, relationships and sheer hard work that sit behind an achievement like that. It's not something that happens by accident.
So yes, we'll proudly celebrate the awards.
But I'm even prouder of what people don't see.
The effort. The resilience. The uncomfortable conversations. The weekends. The disappointments. The problem-solving. The persistence. And the genuine desire to get the best possible outcome for the people who trust us with their property.
So next time you see an agent with the nice car and the fancy watch, perhaps spare a thought for what you don't see.
Chances are, they've worked pretty bloody hard for it.
And to my team — I see it. And I'm incredibly proud of you.