Belle Property Central Coast Principal Cathy Baker chosen to speak at international conference

A Central Coast real estate agent’s methods of success are being put under the spotlight in front of an international audience.

Belle Property Central Coast’s principal Cathy Baker doesn’t follow the norm when it comes to the real estate game – and her methods are being put under an international spotlight.

Mrs Baker is set to speak at the Australasian Real Estate Conference (AREC) being held on the Gold Coast on May 30/31.

For the first time in the event’s 23 year history, the conference – which is the biggest in the southern hemisphere attracting around 20,000 people both in person and virtually – will include 43 speakers from overseas and around Australia.

Cathy Baker, Belle Property Central Coast.

Ms Baker said she had been attending the conference for the past 10 years, developing contacts from across the globe, and was honoured to be able to talk about the way she has built up her business over the past five years by creating “customers for life”.

“We have a different style to the way we do things,” she said.

“We help people with not only property management and increasing property portfolios, but also lifestyle plans.

“We become trusted advisers to our customers rather than just a financial transaction.”

One of the secrets to Belle Property’s success is the employment of staff, not from the real estate industry but from strong customer service backgrounds.

Belle Property's Caitlin Attard, Cathy Baker and Linda Gibbens. Ms Attard and Ms Gibbens came from the airline industry. Picture: @photo.josef

“Our staff are hand selected from hospitality; airline stewards along with a diverse range of places,” she said. “That’s my point of difference.”

She said her speech would also focus on what the real estate industry would look like in the next five years, with technology having the capabilities to eventually show people through homes without the need for agents.

“Agents may become obsolete in the next decade,” she said.

Mrs Baker said the minute a home is listed with Belle Property the company works to exceed customers expectations from property styling to photography, as well as the customer service that does not stop after a sale.

Ms Baker said a key strategy was focusing on customers for life as opposed to chasing one off sales and transactions.

“We stay with them until the end of the journey and help them with the move,” she said.

“They never look for anyone else for business.”

Mrs Baker is in the process of finalising the Belle Lifestyle Precinct on Pine Tree Lane in Terrigal.

The precinct includes a Belle Property Central Coast shop front, flower and homeware store as well as the already popular Bouffant bakery.

Bouffant bakery is included in the Belle Lifestyle Precinct coming to Terrigal.

Mrs Baker said the three business would work with each other to create a warm and friendly experience for customers, with plans to also host cooking classes, styling workshops and other community activities. The precinct will officially open on June 10.

Mrs Baker said the coast was continuing to enjoy the COVID property boom. Belle Property Central Coast has grown from eight staff to 27 in the past year and Mrs Baker said the key was the influx in holiday home buyers.