NSW’s Top Agent Crosses $1b In Property Sales

25 May 2022

Adapting quickly to changes spurred by COVID-19 helped Alexander Phillips retain his number one ranking in both the REB Top 100 Agents and Top 50 Agents NSW this year.

The Phillips Pantzer Donnelley partner – who focuses largely on the eastern suburbs of Sydney – exceeded $1 billion in total dollar value of residential property settlements in 2021, a 51 per cent increase from 2020 when his settlements totalled $706.7 million. Not only was he ranked the top agent for the seventh consecutive year in the 2022 REB Top 100 Agents and Top 50 NSW Agents’ rankings, but Mr. Phillips also achieved the highest total sales volume across both ranking sets.

Furthermore, he achieved one of the highest number of listings and sales and one of the least days on market in NSW (down from 22 days in 2020 to 15 days in 2021). Commenting on his $1 billion milestone and growth trajectory, Mr. Phillips told REB that he and his team ensured that they adapted quickly to the COVID-19 crisis (and associated lockdowns and restrictions on the real estate sector) and “didn’t lose any time”. “We prepared the vendors sufficiently, and made sure that we really honed in on our skills in dealing with the best buyers in the marketplace,” Mr. Phillips said.

“We did our one-on-one buyer appointments last year, which is something you have to do for about four months of the year to make sure buyers are prepared before coming to inspections. We prepare them after any inspections for a transaction. So, we had a very high strike rate. The reason we probably had 267 sales is because we’re ahead of the game.”

Mr. Phillips said that creating a shortlist of “quality” buyers benefited him and his team because when a property entered the market for sale, the agency had a database of buyers prepared beforehand to inspect it. “It meant that I didn’t have to wait to go to the market. That’s why our days on market are so short. We just start showing prospective buyers the property the minute we get the go-ahead on the business,” he explained. “Therefore, it would either sell just before it went on the market or just after.”

Alongside these strategies, Mr. Phillips said he used social media for advertising properties, which resulted in buyers registering interest for properties even before they were listed on the market. He also used the Homepass app to register buyers and manage appointments. As such, he underscored the importance of establishing relationships with and targeting suitable buyers in their market for agents to secure and grow their listings and sales. “A lot of agents don’t do the buyer work but you’ll realise that you have to build relationships with the buyers to succeed,” Mr. Phillips said.

Mr. Phillips sold a variety of properties in the eastern suburbs last year, including houses, apartments, and townhouses, for an average sale price of just over $4 million. He predicted that 2022 would be a year of further disruptions amid a federal election and customers planning holiday trips and said he would plan his year in “chunks” to manage those disruptions. “So, it’s about navigating that and getting as many buyers prepared as we normally do,” Mr. Phillips concluded.

NSW’s Top Agent Crosses $1b In Property Sales