Building trusting relationships is the key to business success

11 May

**David Gaskin of Century 21 Living Local. Phone 0405 258 765.**

Real Estate is a different world from retail, but for Woombye agent, David Gaskin, there are many parallels.

“Our family owned the Woombye newsagency for many years from 1984 and we had a chain of 50 newsagencies down the East coast,” David said. “As anyone in retail knows, relationships with customers and developing the ability to deal with people from all walks of life is so important. The same applies to the real estate industry. Perhaps even more so, because selling the family home can be a deeply emotional process for many people. Adaptability and patience are prerequisites in both industries, that’s for sure.”

After spending many years working in the newsagency business with his family, David felt it was time to come home to Woombye.

“I have always loved this place and wanted my two kids to experience life here,” David said. “I knew that coming into Real Estate it would be competitive and that it can take a while to get established. Certainly, the huge interest in property in this area has probably taken everyone a bit by surprise. But then, it is an incredibly beautiful place to live.”

David has spent the past four years in real estate and in that time has become one of the most trusted agents in the region. In 2020, he was recognised with a Century 21 Masters Sales award.

“I have always been someone who goes the extra mile, so I am very conscious of making personal touches that my clients might never even know about so that they have the best experience. The enjoyment my clients get when they take over a property is such a buzz. I will never forget the time I met a buyer at their new home for settlement and while the formalities were taking place, I could hear their kids jumping in the pool. They couldn’t wait to go for a swim.

“Sometimes I deal with people who unexpectedly have to sell their home to move away or into retirement or high care accommodation and it is incredibly difficult and emotional for them. Real Estate agents are not always held in the highest regard and I like to humanize what is otherwise a challenging experience for them. I guess I treat people the way I would like to be treated. You can’t go too far wrong if you operate that way, in my experience.”