Kurt Vonnegut first coined the phrase “In this world, you get what you pay for” – the perfect response when something cheap breaks.

But have you ever been to an expensive restaurant, only to leave dissatisfied with the food or service? Or alternatively, gone to a humble little hole-in-the-wall and been amazed at the delicious offerings, and even more so at the tiny price you paid?

Regardless of price, the cheap restaurant represents exceptional value and the other does not. Looking through the value lens, it’s not uncommon that you actually DON’T get what you pay for.

There’s a broad industry perception that First National offers very little other than a brand. Our competitors pound this message and we understand it’s entirely believable. How could it be otherwise, when our annual fixed fee equates to barely more than the commission on two or three property sales?

But the truth is, the value offering at First National is as good if not better than many of the franchise offerings, and there’s a simple reason why – we’re not here to make profit for shareholders or private owners.

First National was born as a cooperative when a group of independent agencies got together in 1981, wanting to enjoy the power of scale without the high fees charged by the franchise groups. Every cent we take in fees is ploughed back into services for our members. Even more importantly, it’s our members who ultimately decide what that money is spent on.

The result is that we’re not profit-driven, and our value offering is targeted to what you actually need, not what someone else who’s not even operating on the front line thinks you should.

When you compare this approach to the profit-making machines of every other real estate group in Australia (which in some cases is putting tens of millions of dollars annually into someone else’s pockets), it makes sense how it is that we can offer you better value than the more expensive options available to you.

If you’re the kind of person that likes to get what you pay for and you want to improve your real estate agency, let’s chat.

 

Matthew Harvey

Head of Growth, Australia & New Zealand

0429 859 066