How home buyers, sellers could be the biggest winners from this real estate race

If you’re buying or selling a home this year, you might notice your local real estate agent may be sharper, better trained and more focused on your property journey.

It’s due to a new initiative called the ‘Race for real estate sales supremacy’, which is a 12-week training challenge involving some of Australia’s top real estate agencies.

While it might sound like a competition for bragging rights, the real winners are tipped to be everyday buyers and sellers.

“This whole thing was about finding a fun way to improve how we work, and the result is that our agents are just better at helping people through what can be a pretty stressful process,” McGrath Parramatta director Kon Stathopoulos told realestate.com.au.

Agents from McGrath, Harris Real Estate, Marshall White, Ray White, Bresic Whitney and Place Estate Agents are taking part.

More than 700 sales agents and 100 property managers have been put through their paces since April, with challenges set around client relationships, listings and sales, and more.

There’s even a national leaderboard to track performance, but it’s not just about selling the most houses.

“It’s about who consistently delivers great results and great service,” Mr Stathopoulos said.

More than 700 real estate agents and over 100 property managers are participating in the Race for real estate sales supremacy initiative. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty

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For home sellers, Mr Stathopoulos said your agent is more likely to know exactly how to market your home, find the right buyers and negotiate the best price.

For buyers, it means dealing with someone who understands how to guide you through inspections, offers and contracts, he said.

“A better-trained agent gives you a better experience, it’s that simple,” Mr Stathopoulos said.

“When someone knows what they’re doing, you feel it straight away.”

The program includes online training sessions featuring some of the country’s top-performing agents.

Hundreds of staff from different agencies have been tuning in live or watching the videos later, and then taking those lessons straight back to their clients.

Home sellers and buyers are tipped to be the biggest winners. Picture: Getty

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“It’s been amazing to watch, people learning and taking notes, then going out and using those skills in real situations,” he said.

Importantly, the training hasn’t just been for sales staff. Property managers, who look after rental homes and deal with landlords and tenants, have also been involved.

With new rental laws rolling out across various states, this kind of up-to-date training helps managers give better advice and service to both renters and owners.

“We’ve seen agents share exactly how they handle hundreds of transactions a year and still get five-star reviews from clients,” Mr Stathopoulos said.

“That kind of knowledge is powerful and now it’s being shared across the country.”

The competition wraps up at the end of June, but organisers say the momentum won’t stop there, with other agencies and sponsors already lining up to take part in future rounds.

“This is just the beginning and if it means Australians have a better experience buying or selling their home, then we’ve done something pretty special,” he said.