2 December 2019

With imminent real estate legislation changes and associated new education requirements looming, the principals of First National Mudgee made the strategic decision to stay ahead of the curve by providing Certificate IV in Property Services (Real Estate) training with TAFE Digital for key staff members.

Andrew Blackman, principal of First National Real Estate Mudgee, said, “When we were advised of the changes to legislative requirements for licensing of real estate agents in New South Wales, we put a training plan in place for four key staff members and turned to TAFE NSW to ensure we stayed ahead of compliance deadlines of 20 March 2020.

“I believe we’ve given ourselves a competitive advantage with Erin Kanisek, Taylor (Maisy) Henwood, Amanda and James Blackman completing the online course when, where and how it suited them, before we enter one of our busiest time phases of the year.”

Job Outlook predicts a continued strong demand for qualified real estate sales agents over the next five years.  The number of vacancies are expected to grow from 90,800 in 2018 to 97,400 by 2023; with 58,000 job openings over this period, or about 11,600 a year.

Completing the TAFE NSW course has played an integral part in motivating and engaging First National Real Estate team members, while improving their knowledge and building skills.

“Erin Kanisek, a licensed solicitor, has been promoted to the role of investor relations manager since completing the course,” said Mr Blackman.  “She is now able to more actively apply her impressive client management skills, extensive legal knowledge and broad business experience, to ensure excellent service levels are not only maintained, but dynamically built upon.

Shortly after Erin and her family moved to Mudgee from Sydney for a tree change, she started working at First National as a leasing consultant and received both the NSW and National Australian Property Manager Rookie of the Year Awards in 2018 for securing the highest number of leased properties in a month.

Mr Blackman’s wife, Amanda, has also been able to incorporate trust accounting legislation into her sales coordination and business administration portfolio.

“The entire team has holistically benefited from this training, by ensuring that our documentation and new PropertyMe software, which streamlines property management processes, is fully compliant with the new legislative requirements,” said Mr Blackman.

“We have an effective coaching and mentoring system in place for all staff members to increase their self-efficacy.”

To stay ahead of digital trends, First National Real Estate Mudgee has recently implemented a new, more professionally designed website, including improved layout and self-management systems, which integrates with PropertyMe, and is fully compliant with new NSW legislative requirements.

Mr Blackman said, “The TAFE Digital teaching and support team were fantastic in their responses to queries, providing state-of-the-art online resources and readily shared their comprehensive knowledge of current and upcoming NSW real estate initiatives and legislation.”

First National Real Estate Mudgee is proactive in supporting the Mudgee community and has attended the Mudgee Small Farms Field Days since 1993.   They are also a major sponsor of the Rotary Club of Mudgee Showground Christmas Carols, coordinate the annual Mudgee Christmas Light Display promotion, and support several local sporting groups and charities including NALAG (National Association of Loss and Grief).

To see TAFE Digital’s hundreds of exciting courses across a range of modern industries, please visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/digital

Media contact: Bonny Gunn, TAFE Digital Media and Communications Business Partner.  M: 0417 134 048.