RWC network learns from Olympic gold medalist Grant Hackett

More than 200 RWC members gathered in Sydney today for a day of learning, development, and networking at the group’s annual conference. 

With TV presenter Daniella Jones as MC, the conference quickly kicked off with Ray White Group managing director Dan White and RWC head James Linacre (pictured above with Grant Hackett) presenting on the state of the network. 

“The overall group had a really strong year, we saw some incredible transactions” Mr White said. 

“We can’t control the market or prices but we can control our energy. 

“We couldn’t be prouder of the work you’ve done to grow RWC over the last year.”

Mr Linacre said he was proud of how the RWC network had performed during the first year after the rebrand to RWC. 

“In the face of unique and challenging market conditions, we have demonstrated remarkable resilience,” he said. 

“The ability to adapt and thrive amidst economic uncertainties by leading members has been nothing short of inspiring.

“When reflecting on how to outline what I felt was a way to best describe the attitude of our members, a quote that I have heard a number of times in the past came to mind for me.

“In the words of one of Australia’s most esteemed statesmen, Robert Menzies: ‘We must encourage and inspire the desire for high adventure, instead of giving way to timid expediency.’

“It is my belief that it is with this spirit of high adventure and bold aspiration that we gather today, ready to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunity that is presented by these unique market circumstances.

“Resilience isn’t just adapting to change and challenge – it’s embracing that change and getting excited about the opportunities that it presents.” 

Mr Hackett has been in business now longer than he was an athlete. He became CEO of the Generation Development Group & Generation Life in 2018. He has moved the company from around number 3000 on the ASX to a top 300 company.

Mr Hackett told stories of his childhood growing up in North Queensland, and how he followed his brother into a sport-filled youth. A pivotal moment for Hackett was hearing the announcement of the Sydney Olympics; as a 13-year-old he realised he needed to focus on swimming to become Olympic champion.

“You get one day every four years to win an Olympic gold medal,” Hackett said. “I love to be number one in whatever I am doing; I look at my silver Olympic medals and feel down about them.”

Mr Hackett spoke about his three high performance principles:

1. Clear definition of success and failure

“Sport success is very black and white with times and places; It is your job as a leader within your field to define what the ‘grey’ of success looks like.”

2. Purpose – ‘the meaning’

“Your purpose and meaning gets you up everyday, gets you focused and helps you get through all the boring tasks of every day.”

3. Commitment – ‘day to day grind’

“It doesn’t matter what you are doing, commit to it 100 per cent. Be the very best in the world at what you are doing, and it will take you places.” Hackett knows a thing or two about commitment; at his peak, he was swimming around 16 kilometres per day, six days a week and eating nine meals a day.

Mr Hackett spoke about the hardest period of his swimming career, when he suffered from severe pneumonia, but refused to take time off from training in order to meet his goals for the Athens Olympics. Between March and August of 2004, he had 17 rounds of antibiotics to treat a chronic lung infection. Mr Hackett left those Olympics with two silvers and one gold. 

“I wasn’t there for those silver medals. As humans we are really good at beating ourselves up; we have seven negative thoughts per every positive thought,” he said.

“There is no such thing as balance; you chose to be a high performer. Balance is a false expectation leaving you deflated.” 

Ray White Capital head of institutional capital and research Luke Dixon and Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader (pictured above) presented an economic update and discussed how they have been harnessing research data and insights to generate winning commercial outcomes in the past financial year, and what’s to come. 

The network then heard from Woolworths Group director of property Ralph Kemmler (pictured above) who spoke about the resilience of the Woolworths Group over the last century. 

Mr Kemmler said the Woolworths property team’s strategy was based on three pillars. 

“We want to maximise the value of the existing network. When you have a network of 1000 stores, making sure those stores are customer friendly is critical. 

“We want to make sure we’re delivering growth, whether we’re building new stores, driving eCom property strategy, or buying new businesses which have a real estate aspect. 

“And we want to deliver sustainable benefits for all stakeholders. Our team is a major stakeholder so we want to make sure we have the right team engagement. We also work very closely with the government and our communities to make sure we’re providing the best outcomes for our customers.” 

Ray White head of performance Bianca Denham facilitated a leadership panel with RWC Western Sydney principal Ruby Rozental and RWC WA joint managing director Stephen Harrison (pictured above), leaders of two of RWC’s most successful businesses. The panel delved into the secrets behind building and managing high-performing teams, offering invaluable insights into the art of hiring the right talent and the processes that drive success. Ms Rozental and Mr Harrison shared their proven strategies for leading with excellence and maintaining top-tier performance in a competitive market. 

Ms Rozental grew up on a commune in Mullumbimby, and in a past career she was a lawyer working in mergers and acquisitions, prior to opening RWC Western Sydney with her husband Peter Vines.

“I was raised by parents who are all about challenging the norms, and this has been instilled in me and plays a huge part in how I run my business. Authenticity is a key part of my personality and leadership style,” Ms Rozental said.

“Potential recruits can have all the skills in the world, but if they don’t fit within our team, which is our most precious asset, it won’t work. If they do fit within the culture, the skills can be taught.”

Ms Rozental said celebrating successes is one of the most important parts of their business, running regular awards dinners and team retreats. She also emphasised the importance of making sure recruits can see a clear pathway to progression.

Mr Harrison started his real estate career in residential, before joining smaller and mid-tier commercial agencies. 

“In some businesses I have worked in, I have found it difficult to step out of the shadow of a high fee-writing business owner. I endeavour to be a leader that is collaborative and develops talent,” Mr Harrison said.

“One of the lessons I have learnt recently on recruitment, is to not try and jam square pegs into round holes. You need to accept people as they are, or accept that they are not the right fit for your business.” 

Ray White head of marketing Todd Alexander and marketing executive Veronica Rodriguez presented an update 12 months on from the network’s rebrand to RWC, reviewing some of the success stories and learnings. 

“Now that we’re looking forward to the new financial year, it’s time for us to reset as a group, and implement practical marketing strategies for long-term presence and growth for your commercial businesses,” Mr Alexander said. 

In May this year, Ray White Special Projects directors Tony Williams and Mark Creevey, alongside RWC Noosa and Sunshine Coast principal Paul Butler (pictured above), held one of RWC’s most highly contested auctions in history. The trio appeared on stage to recount the unforgettable sale of a 40-hectare beachfront property in Noosa, Queensland. The high-stakes transaction, which captivated media headlines with stories of a bitter battle between a long-time farming family and a hotel tycoon, ended with a remarkable $16.2 million sale. The agents discussed how they navigated the complexities of the controversial deal, turning a fiercely contested piece of real estate into a landmark sale, offering a rare glimpse into the challenges, strategies, and emotions behind one of the most talked-about property sales in recent memory.

Ms Denham returned to the stage to host a discussion with RWC Northern Corridor Group directors Michael Shadforth and Ashley Rees (pictured above). The panel discussed how RWC Northern Corridor Group had reshaped their team and grown their business astronomically since 2020.

“In 2020 we took the time to figure out what we want to be famous for. Trying to be everything to everyone is really tough,” Mr Rees said. 

“We want to work as a team of teams and have a high-five culture that celebrates wins. We want to build a business worth passing on.” 

Mr Shadforth said it was important to make sure each team was servicing their clients properly, rather than having the mentality of “the more stock the better”. 

“We trim our listings every day because we know the energy that goes into servicing each listing properly,” he said. 

Ray White head of social media Rebecca Green and RWC Western Sydney director Joseph Assaf presented a session on how to turn your social media into a strategic powerhouse marketing channel. They discussed how to prioritise and promote your unique point of difference online, and provided insight into defining your brand, creating engaging content, and leveraging your channels to connect with the right audience to help generate leads.

“I recognised the potential social media has, and I wanted to remain relevant and at the forefront of people’s mind,” Mr Assaf said.

“I wanted to connect with everyone who is a key stakeholder in vendors’ making a decision.

“You can’t call 45,000 people within 24 hours, which is the number of views that I have been able to achieve on some of my social media posts.

“We are professional marketers; if we can’t promote ourselves, how are we going to promote someone’s largest asset?”