Coffs Harbour’s top real estate agents reveal tips for success
From diverse backgrounds - and all with a very different approach - see why they are at the top of their game in this unprecedented property market.
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Throughout the Covid pandemic our homes have become the centrepiece of our world.
They’re the office, classroom, playground, retreat, temple and more.
And having sold hundreds of properties between them during the past 12 unprecedented months, these are some of the Coffs Harbour real estate agents handing over the keys to dreams in our region.
We’ve rounded up 10 of the most popular and successful real estate agents based on feedback from The Coffs Coast Advocate Facebook friends and data from online review platform RateMyAgent.
Joanne Vines, One Agency
Joanne has been working as a real estate agent since May 1999 and says no two days are ever the same.
She became a young mother when she was 17 and didn’t finish school or go to university as planned.
“I had two children and I was looking for a career where I could study while working in the industry and fit my work in around my children and husband,” she said.
“I was also looking for a career which was face-to-face and people-orientated, where women were paid equally according to ability and there was no ceiling on what I could earn.”
It was always her desire to run her own agency and after 10 years in real estate she achieved her goal.
“It was exciting to learn that I was the first solo female principal/licensee in Coffs Harbour,” she said.
“I am very proud to say that in November 2021, I have had my own business for 12 years.”
She estimated she had sales of more than $237 million since she started her business.
Prior to entering the real estate business she taught dance and was a medical receptionist and a cleaner.
“I did what I needed to do for my family as lots of women do when they have young families,” she said.
She loves keeping healthy in mind and body and says the beautiful Coffs Coast offers the best lifestyle and climate in Australia.
“I truly love what I do and I love meeting people and always appreciate the opportunity to be invited into their lives and to share their stories,” she said.
“I am supported by an amazing and talented team, we all enjoy coming into work every day.”
Katie and Shannon Kofoed, Kofoed & Ko. Real Estate
Shannon and Katie Kofoed have established what they describe as a boutique business to take clients through every step of the process.
That includes market appraisal through to writing a property description and styling and partially staging homes by providing their own soft furnishings and design pieces, collected from local companies to get the property photo ready.
The couple have been worked together in the industry for five years although Katie was involved in real estate for seven years before they joined forces.
Katie started her career in the industry with her parents who were agents, so the interest in property was instilled in her from a young age.
She was the catalyst for getting Shannon interested in property and after they were engaged, they decided to open their own business on the Tweed Coast.
In 2021 they decided to rebrand to Kofoed & Ko. Real Estate to coincide with their move back home to Sapphire Beach, to raise their two little girls.
Shannon said their first local listing was 31 Richmond Drive, Coffs Harbour, and the vendors had almost given up selling their home with it being listed with three different agencies with no success.
“But by utilising our unique business structure, we styled the property and created a fresh approach to the marketing, and therefore, we were able to secure a quick sale for a price much higher than it was previously expected,” Shannon said.
“Funnily enough, the buyers had inquired about another property which we had listed on the Tweed Coast and we were able to interest them in investing in Coffs Harbour.”
Before going into real estate Shannon was working in carpentry, which has been helpful in selling homes and property management.
“Having an understanding about building and material costs, as well as property maintenance has allowed me to help explain to clients a broader view about the properties, in both selling and managing,” Shannon said.
Shannon and Katie know first-hand that buying and selling property is the greatest investment that anyone will make in their lives and it can be very stressful, exciting, sad and happy all at the same time.
“So if - as an agent - I can help that transition for people be more enjoyable and as positive as possible, then it’s easy to be passionate and motivated about my job,” Shannon said.
Aleta Stephens, Cardow and Partners Property
Aleta has been in the industry since 2010 and had always wanted to work in real estate but with two young children, aged five and seven and a baby, she didn’t think she had the time.
“While on maternity leave I was offered a role in real estate so I decided to take an extra 12 months maternity leave to see how I felt about the role and if I could balance a demanding career with three little children,” she said.
Her sales value has been more than $45 million and she puts her success down to a number of factors including the fact she grew up in the area and is well known.
“Secondly is my knowledge of the building industry, having built and renovated 13 homes in the past 20 years which has given me good insight and thirdly I could not do what I do without the wonderful support of my husband Jeff and now my teenage children,” she said.
Aleta also prides herself on always being available for her clients.
“My kids say ‘mum does your phone ever stop ringing?’.”
Aleta says she has worked with some wonderful people since leaving school and every one of them has contributed to the person she is today.
“I initially worked in the legal and financial industries, then the building industry and just prior to commencing real estate worked for the government,” she said.
“I always had an interest in real estate but I am very happy that I had the prior experiences and education.”
She loves every aspect of her job - meeting lovely people, viewing great homes and making lifelong friends in the process.
“I also have great business partners and support staff that really back me up on a daily basis and allow me to achieve the best results I can,” she said.
In the four and a half years since Cardow and Partners established their Coffs Harbour arm, the brand has achieved some amazing results.
“This is a team effort and I am proud to be associated with the Cardow brand and such a wonderful family.”
Sean Campbell, PRD Real Estate
Sean has been in the industry for almost 12 years.
He grew up with his father Damien as the principal of PRD Coffs Harbour so was interested in real estate from a very young age.
“I actually finished school in Coffs Harbour and went to university in Sydney,” he said.
“After finishing university I worked for a couple of major sporting brands as a sales rep but I always felt that I’d like to move back to Coffs Harbour and work for my family.”
His dad agreed to give him a job and Sean called on his customer service and sales skills developed in previous positions to help him get started.
A focus of his previous career was building a client base and servicing the needs of those clients.
“I guess the difference between real estate and the sporting goods industry is that in real estate you have to go out and find the stock,” he said.
“Either way, great service, a good attitude and attention to detail is important in both roles.”
According to ratemyagent.com.au, Sean’s total sales value is $45 million which he says is an accurate estimate.
He puts his success down to a number of factors with hard work and long hours the crucial ingredient.
“But also being yourself has a lot to do with it,” he said.
“Most of my business these days comes from repeat and referral business and the only way that happens is to build a good reputation for yourself.
“My father Damien has also been a great mentor and influence on my real estate career and I wouldn’t have made it this far without him.”
For Sean, one of the highlights of the job is the thrill of putting a deal together and making both a buyer and seller happy.
“I have a beautiful wife and three young children and while I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I would like to, they are my motivation for wanting to achieve more and provide a great life for them.”
Brett Finnie, The Edge Coffs Harbour
Brett has been in real estate for 12 years - five years in property management before switching to sales seven years ago.
His initial interest was sparked by his sister who is a property valuer.
She encouraged him to start studying a diploma in property valuation and while studying he was fortunate to be given an opportunity to enter the real estate industry.
“I started my career as a lead generator for a sales team before moving into property management,” he said.
“Property management was definitely character building and while it was never the end goal it was still a valued experience that further enhanced my knowledge and skills across the entire industry.”
He said he knew sales was a long term career once he made the switch and had really prospered since joining The Edge Property Agency two years ago.
He said his sale value for the past 12 months was in the vicinity of $23 million.
“I believe my success can be attributed to a number of things: working for a respected agency, having a positive attitude, strong work ethic, clear communication and simply doing the right thing by people,” he said.
Brett said a large percentage of his business came from repeat clients and referrals which was very reassuring and humbling.
He started his working life after school with an apprenticeship in the automotive mechanical industry.
But after six years his desire to stay on the tools was fading and he had already started studies in the property industry.
“It was definitely a daunting career change, but I’m still grateful for the knowledge and training that was provided in those early days which laid the platform for a successful career in real estate,” he said.
He said he loved the variety the industry offered.
“I still get a buzz out of every sale and the team environment and culture at The Edge is incredibly positive and fun to be a part of,” he said.
Avi Aronson, First National Real Estate
Avi has worked as a sales agent for nearly five years and loves being part of people’s “big chapter changes”.
After working as a front office manager for years, she dreamt of new challenges and looked for a career change and has been a sales agent for First National Coffs Coast for almost three years now.
“When the opportunity arose for me to be part of this team, I went for it, because I knew I wanted to be somewhere I could see myself in many years to come,” she said.
She said her total sales value would be about $15 million and put her success down to being a very good listener.
“We are all human beings and we are all at different stages in our lives,” she said.
When she meets a client for the first time, she takes the time to understand their situation, hear what is important to them and then tries ensure a stress-free process and a successful outcome.
Avi also pays credit to her team of leaders at First National Coffs Coast who she says are very supportive.
“Lovely work colleagues are important,” she said.
“When I am happy, then I achieve excellent results.
She said support from her partner Ty and their two girls was also important.
“They are understanding, patient and so supportive,” she said.
“I could not do this without them.”
Before real estate she worked in hospitality for more than 13 years - mainly at the front desk.
It was when she was worked for Smugglers on The Beach at Korora that she started to learn about real estate.
“I undertook the full licence course and changed work and career,” she said.
“I started as a personal assistant and after just five months I had my first sale when I negotiated $30,000 more than the first offer.
“This was an off-market sale. After that sale I was promoted to sales agent.”
Avi said she loved helping buyers purchase their dream home on the Coffs Coast.
“My own dream was to buy and settle here in Coffs Harbour and now I help buyers to fulfil the same dream.”
Amanda Langlands, McGrath
Amanda has been working as a real estate agent in Coffs Harbour for more than 20 years and loves the opportunity to help people, no matter what their situation may be.
She said that was whether they were excited about buying a new home or they were going through a difficult situation such as death, divorce or job loss.
“I am respectful to their needs and ensure they have a seamless process and achieve the best result possible,” Amanda said.
She said she had previously worked in the finance industry and left after having children.
An opportunity came up to work in reception for a local agency and she transitioned through every role in the business.
“I established myself in sales for a franchise group and was fortunate to win many state and national awards before opening my own business which was bought by McGrath two years ago,” she said.
While ratemyagent.com.au puts Amanda’s sales value at $28 million, she believes it is well in excess of this, having sold more than 800 properties over the years.
Chris Hines, Unrealestate Coffs Coast
Chris has been working in the real estate industry since 2004 and was previously a detective sergeant with NSW Police before being medically discharged.
At the time his late wife Kerry was already working in the industry and he started helping her out.
“One thing led to another and before I knew it I was studying for my licence and we started our own agency Unrealestate,” he said.
He said that after so many years in the industry he wouldn’t even attempt to put a dollar value on the amount of property he had sold.
“I would rather just look back on how many families we have helped with their real estate dreams and how many of those folks and their families keep coming back to us,” he said.
“Success in this industry, as many others, is pretty simple really: know your industry, work hard and treat everyone with respect.
“In the words of Zig Ziglar - ‘you can get everything in life you want, if you will just help enough people get what they want’.”
During his time as a police officer he received numerous commendations and medals including a Commissioner Citation, Premiers Award, Regional Commendations as well as the Australian Royal Humane Society bronze medal for bravery.
“My career also included 10 years as an active police hostage negotiator, both negotiating and leading teams of negotiators in high risk incidents,” he said.
“All this experience comes in very handy when getting the best possible deal for my vendors, while keeping purchasers equally happy.
“I firmly believe that the best negotiations are win/win.”
He said the best thing about the industry was helping people achieve their needs.
He said that could be the elation of people achieving their first home or helping people in their darkest hours with probate and relationship breakdowns.
“I have met so many amazing people through this industry,” he said.
“Every day is a new adventure, but you certainly need a thick skin, and be able to roll with the punches.”
Nathan Dobbs, Nolan Partners
Nathan has been in real estate for 11 years and has lived on the Coffs Coast for 10 of those.
Real estate had always been something he was interested in and one day, when he was living in Taree, he heard an announcement on the radio about a position at a local office as a salesperson.
He decided to apply, got the position and 12 months later made the move to Coffs Harbour with his girlfriend, who has since become his wife.
“I was fortunate to have a meeting with Scott and Melissa Nolan and joined the team at Nolan Partners in March 2012,” he said.
“The rest is history.”
His total sales value is $47 million and although he didn’t have any local connections when he arrived on the Coast, he puts his success down to an organic and consistent build-up of business over the past decade.
“I am pleased to say that I have been fortunate to assist some amazing people over the years, which has led to a lot of repeat and referral clients – with several of them turning into some very strong friendships,” he said.
Nathan left high school at the end of Year 10 and completed a screen-printing apprenticeship which he continued for the next six years.
He then went on to manage a large retail surf shop in Taree and then decided to make the switch to real estate.
The thing he loves most about his job is helping people achieve their goals, whether it’s their first home purchase, buying an investment property or selling to make a lifestyle change.
“Being able to help people on their journey is what it’s all about,” he said.
“I am a people person and love to chat, and often get told I’m easy to get along with and down to earth and not your ‘typical agent’.”
He also credits his children Lennox, 3, and Penelope, 1, for keeping him motivated.
Tammy Blundell, Excel Property Agency
Tammy has been in the industry for five years.
She was looking for a career change just before she started.
“My previous profession was hairdressing for 25 years, this is why I find it so easy to talk to people and I guess possibly why I get such a kick out of making people smile,” she said.
She puts her success down to her ability to talk to people and listen to them.
“I am always happy to go above and beyond if needed and my biggest aim is to make the sales process a happy experience for all involved,” she said.
The favourite part of the job for Tammy is simply helping people find a home.
“I love making that phone call when I get to say ‘congratulations your offer has been accepted’, then watching young families and first home buyers put the sold sticker on - the smiles on their faces makes all the hard yards worthwhile.”
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