TWO of Western Australia's best known rural real estate salesmen are recipients of their company's highest national award for exceptional achievement in commissions for the 12 months to April this year.
Terry Norrish and Adam Shields were the only two rural WA winners of the Nutrien Harcourts Titanium awards, which this year went to 11 of the company's salespeople in this State.
The other WA recipients were residential representatives, including five from Mandurah.
Harcourts WA chief executive officer Shane Kempton said the Titanium awards were the highest accolade agents could get within the company.
He said Mr Norrish and Mr Shields would be recognised at a State function this week, a national function on the Gold Coast at the end of this month and then internationally at a global awards night.
They are also invited to a "wow" event where they can network with other winners from across Australia and undertake some professional development.
"It is the first time rural representatives have reached this level in WA," Mr Kempton said.
"How they have got to this point is based on the key traits of being likeable, knowledgeable and trustworthy.
"It boils down to them being 'people people' and having excellent networks."
Mr Norrish agreed that being trustworthy was a crucial trait in giving a real estate representative the edge.
"I have developed this across 38 years in the rural real estate business in WA," Mr Norrish said.
"And I have a good knowledge of farmers across the State, which means I regularly get calls from outside my main area of Moora, Dandaragan and the pastoral shires."
Of course, getting the listing is the most important aspect of being a real estate representative and Mr Norrish said this required being out and about among farmers as much as possible.
He said he had been lucky in the past year to pick up listings in the Great Southern - where he had developed contacts as a livestock representative in previous roles.
Mr Norrish said his biggest challenge in the past year had been having enough time to service the strong demand for rural property in WA.
"It was also difficult to get listings after three good years of land sales," he said.
"And I can't see that changing too much in the future."
Mr Norrish said corporate interests were in the market looking for bigger properties and as prices increased there were also more private farmer-to-farmer sales occurring.
Mr Shields, who owns Adam Shields Realty in Gingin as a co-agent with Nutrien Harcourts, said the trick to getting a listing was dominating an area.
"We know our area and we know the people in it," Mr Shields said.
"I have been selling real estate out of Gingin for the past 20 years and predominantly cover the rural lifestyle segment, servicing Gingin, Chittering, Bindoon and Mundaring."
Mr Shields is also a water specialist, being a licensed water broker, which has been growing in importance for the small rural block market.
He takes a particular interest in horticultural properties, which tend to sell year-round.
Mr Shields said it was important to have an office in town and he had just moved to bigger premises with daughter Aimee, who is about to get her real estate license, and his wife Kelly, who works in an administration role.
He also sponsors all of the local sporting clubs and regularly attends matches to maintain his profile around town.
"Community involvement is a big thing for me," he said.
Mr Shields said a big challenge in real estate was dealing with potential buyers who had missed out on a property.
"We have had many properties in the past 12 months that received multiple bids and it is always hard for those who miss out," he said.
"We have a shortage of listings, often it is hard to show them anything else.
"Overall in the past 12 months the biggest challenge has been finding listings."
Mr Shields said demand for rural blocks had not been dented by increasing interest rates.
"That has mostly affected residential properties," he said.
Mr Shields said there was particularly strong interest in land at the end of the Tonkin Highway, which now went directly through to Muchea and the State's biggest livestock selling facility.
He said through his agency at Gingin, he could offer a comprehensive service of real estate, livestock and water licenses.
Nutrien Ag Solutions west region real estate manager Darren Tapscott said property sales in the past three years had been the strongest seen for about 30 years.
"But you still have to take advantage of that and that's how you can be a top-performing agent," Mr Tapscott said.
"So, full credit goes to Mr Norrish and Mr Shields on their Titanium Award achievement."
