The leading LJ Hooker agency on the Gold Coast has taken home not one, but two major awards at REIQs annual event.

LJ Hooker Nerang were named Large Agency of the Year as well as joint winners of the Innovation Award – a category that celebrates the agency that provides customers and staff with cutting process and tools to create real estate solutions.

Principal Shane Colquhoun has credited team culture as the driver for his office’s success and has spent the last decade fine-tuning a multi-faceted environment where real estate specialists were able to achieve their best.

“You’ve got to give the team the reason to come into work,” said Mr Colquhoun. “If you don’t, they’ll either be unproductive or leave. “There’s a lot of elements you have to juggle, including mentoring, creating departmental structures, tech and support to optimise dollar-productive activities and events that bring the office together and engages them with the community, as well.”

“We’ve now grown to 45 staff across sales, property management, customer service and in-house marketing. But the real secret to our success has been the fact we’ve retained around half of our staff members who have been with LJ Hooker Nerang for more than five years and 10 staff members celebrating over 10 years which I think is a real accomplishment in a high-turnover industry.”

Mr Colquhoun also said the fruits of a major 2017 investment – a purpose built super-office – had been realised for the agency.

“We invested $5 million into creating a purpose-built office across 1,000 sqm. It allows for our various departments to work collaboratively, allows us to host in-room auctions, provides break-out meeting rooms for engagements with clients and offers a flow and layout that is comfortable and productive to work in.

Despite digital enhancement in the industry, Mr Colquhoun said the role and importance of the real estate office had not diminished.

“We know that technology and real estate work hand in hand; and it’s great that real estate agents have access to a wide range of different platforms. The difference is that we utilise that technology to do what we do best, and that’s talk to people.”

LJ Hooker network Chief Graeme Hyde congratulated the Nerang team on the accolade.

“LJ Hooker Nerang have been a dominant force on the Gold Coast for many years, providing customers service that is without peer in their marketplace,” he said.

“They’re worthy recipients of the REIQ’s top honour.”