When Haesley Cush first started his own real estate agency at the age of 27, he had no idea it would one day be the top-ranking Ray White office globally.
Now, in Ray White New Farm’s 20th year, he and business partner Matt Lancashire can be proud of the legacy they have built at their own agency and beyond, having also established the Ray White Collective and Living Here Cush Partners.
From chief auctioneer to leading an agency
Haesley says he will never forget the moment he turned the key in the door to his own office in 2005.
Despite being warned against purchasing the run-down New Farm office, he forged ahead.
One of the agency’s former partners gave him prescient advice.
“Kevin Turner called me the week before settlement, and he said, ‘In a week you’re going to put the key in the door for the first time, and you’ll never forget the moment when you look around and go: everything in here is mine and my responsibility’,” Haesley recounts.
The transformation started immediately – Haesley introduced a 9am Saturday meeting, started investing in training each week, and created a culture of peer accountability.
He said three things helped them stand out from the crowd: work ethic, an ‘auction culture’, and the flexibility and determination to face the challenge of the global financial crisis.
“We out-worked them. It was a major work ethic. The light was on till 10:30pm most nights, including Saturday night. We worked like blue heelers,” Haesley says.
At just 22, Haesley had been Ray White’s chief auctioneer, and he credits the auction culture they established with ensuring they built precise strategies for sales, allowing them to provide an elevated level of accuracy in their estimations for vendors.
Because they were young agents early in their careers, Matt says they approached the global financial crisis in 2008 with nothing to lose and a new approach – pivoting to selling units.
Stepping up from blockbuster sales to company leadership
In 2012, Matt Lancashire was the leading sales agent in the office when he decided he wanted something more meaningful.
He was being headhunted by John McGrath and said that made him realise there were two types of agents: salespeople, and leaders.
“I wanted to be a leader,” Matt affirms.
So, the next day he approached Haesley and made him an offer. The result was Matt taking over the sales side of the business, while Haesley kept the rental side, eventually launching Living Here.
They developed their respective arms of the business for five years before both came to the same conclusion: “this actually isn’t that enjoyable by yourself”.
“Every Sunday we were having lunch and dinner, because our kids are the same age, our wives got on well, we got on well… we were spending more time together,” Haesley said.
One day Matt asked if Haesley wanted to partner back up – and they did.
Haesley believes the reason they work together so well is because they know what it is like to go it alone.
A culture of mentorship – building the Collective
The Ray White Collective has now expanded to seven offices with close to 175 people in the group.
“Very much our business plan is around developing leaders and people,” Haesley says.
They support their agents on a personal level as well as a business level through three main pillars: finances, health and relationships.
“We help them with their money in terms of investing it; we help them with their health – physical and mental; and we help them with their relationships – friends, family, our partners,” Haesley says.
To them, achievement doesn’t begin and end in the office – it’s a lifestyle. Professional development at Ray White includes workshops on sales strategies, but also gym sessions and marriage counselling.
“Matt brought in a high-performance culture because he’s a high performer,” Haesley says.
Haesley and Matt complement each other’s strengths, playing different roles – “yin and yang”, as Matt puts it.
“He’s the baseball coach in the dugout, giving all the plays and running the back end, whereas I’m the captain on the field, scoring the tries, and passing the ball and helping other people score tries as well,” Matt says.
Matt’s ‘football captain’ style approach has evolved into Ray White New Farm’s associates’ program, which has springboarded 55 agents into their careers.
Roots in the community
Matt describes himself and Haesley as being deeply connected to New Farm. He has lived here since 2008 and Haesley since 2003, and their children attend Holy Spirit School.
They estimate they have raised close to $400,000 for Holy Spirit in the last six years and extend the same support to New Farm State School, as well as helping other local businesses and charities.
Along with charity auctioneering and telephone drives, where the office dedicates time to call around and encourage charity donations, Matt has been donating a commission each year.
After all their success, why do they feel the need to keep striving to build their business and to give back?
“I don’t think I’d feel fulfilled if I wasn’t role modelling to my kids a good life,” Haesley says.
Call Haesley Cush on 0421 057 233.
Call Matt Lancashire on 0416 476 480.
