ecology

August 2019

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 01:44:36 GMT

I've decided I will share a handful of touch points for the first year in summary - the things that stand out to me most with a brief thought of mine attached to each point.

I've been thinking about this blog a fair bit over the last month or so because I wanted to make the final one for the first year a little different. My thoughts over the last month revolved around how much to share, how much not to share and also how to share it in a way that didn't end up a huge mess of writing that no one would enjoy reading.

I've decided I will share a handful of touch points for the first year in summary - the things that stand out to me most with a brief thought of mine attached to each point.

The Day of the Announcement:

I remember announcing our plans to the 'world' in tears of happiness and six minutes later the first phone call being one from a client telling me they'd decided to give their listing to someone else. We kept the listing, it became our first unconditional sale - $825,000.

First Month Listings:

In the first four weeks we uploaded 20 listings to the new brand, 11 new and 9 listings that needed to be re-branded and re-signed for legality reasons. It was chaos, we were writing advertising text and uploading new listings at 11.30pm just because we'd promised our clients it'd be done 'that day'.

Finding 'The Shop':

We'd driven past our now office and seen the sign 'For Lease' and then the next time we went past... sign gone. Two weeks later the sign was back - we signed a six year lease the very next day (without a single property sale settlement to our name yet haha). It was the perfect space for us, so we backed ourselves and hoped for the best.

Office Renovations:

This will stress Tom Haydock from Lavish Constructions reading this now; but we agreed to our office renovations knowing full well that we didn't have the whole sum of cash to do it right at that very moment - we needed to get it started at that moment though so it was done in time for our child to be born, when we needed hired help in the office to back us up because Rhi had been my helper up until this point. We'd hoped that the progress payments for Tom fell in line with settlements coming in... and they did. We would have got the money from somewhere if we needed it, but where's the fun in that? Haha.

Support People:

Before we even opened the doors we'd hired a support person who we were excited to have join us, but then a spanner was thrown in the works and the timing didn’t work out for them (we've since sold for them and we still very much love them). We have also had two other support staff come & go which lead to the wonderful Allie; Allie has confirmed my thoughts that there is nothing more beneficial to a business than having great people.

"Competitors":

It's tricky not to go on a bit of a rant on this one, but I'll keep it brief & polite. The level of competition you'll feel when starting a business as competitive as real estate - must never be underestimated, everything you've felt when working for someone else; kicks up a notch when it's brand new. Just because you believe in it and want good things from it, doesn't mean that everyone will support you with it by default. I've learnt that staying in your own lane, focus, self belief & lots of hours can get you through pretty much anything a competitor can sling in your direction.

Like Attracts Like:

In stark contrast to the above, starting a new business for a reason you believe in will see some people support you in ways you never imagined or expected. Chances are if you think something, others think it too - the real challenge comes in communicating 'that something' so people know you actually believe it.

Originality:

The creative process, in an often 'not so creative' industry will ultimately lead to people borrowing your work when it starts to get noticed; super frustrating - it's a real lesson in self control every time... I have been known to speak my mind on the subject from time to time. I'm learning to keep my creative process in check so we're always doing it for the right reasons and doing it consistently. People say that imitation is flattering, I think it was a non-creative that made that saying up.

Exhaustion:

I used to think I knew what tired was. Then we started this business four months before our child was born; and I know that people talk about deadline motivating you - but I'd never had a deadline quite as inflexible as this one. In our first four months... we started a business and a whole brand design from scratch (still haven't paid anyone for creative work), sold 18 properties, signed a lease, renovated an office and hired three people. I literally had no idea what had happened or the magnitude of what we'd achieved until I locked the office door the day before Orlo was born, it was a moment that I'll never forget. I'd literally taken zero time to reflect before that moment, remembering the feelings I felt still blow my mind to this day.

Self-Belief:

A good thing but also a dangerous thing. For me, the challenge was - how do you achieve all these things you really wanted and then not get complacent once you have. I've since hired outside help, in a coach to help me with what comes next as I really had no idea beyond the initial setup and sprint on what comes next. Happy to say we're all over it now though.

Dad Life:

How great is it?! Those who know me know that I obsess over the details and while this is a strength it can also become really exhausting - being a Dad has taught me that while the details matter, other things matter more. Learning I was becoming a Dad and the decisions that followed it has been the best thing that's ever happened to me (equal to meeting his mumma).

Start Up to Started Up:

The business went through a time that felt really odd to me; a time that it went from feeling like the start up - people were watching it and not knowing what was going to happen with it, to trusting it and believing in it. Of course some people believed in it sooner; but I'm talking the generalists or the conservative ones (of which Toowoomba has a few and that's part of the reason we love Toowoomba so much).

So, where to from here? Mainly I plan to keep smiling and doing everything with that very simple intention. Obviously growth is important to me but not as important as being able to come to work each day feeling good about what we're doing and the people around me. Hiring more people is definitely on the cards, as is some more definite plans about marketing the brand better. I feel that the last twelve months has been all super organic growth which is sensational - but I believe there's got to be a broader audience that'll be interested in what we're doing too. We pinned down our three key defining beliefs to be Authentic, Organised & Detailed - so everything we do and everyone we hire will continue reflect those three key beliefs.

If you've made it this far in the blog, congratulations & thank you. In the first year we finished off with 38 unconditional sales which was a little shy of our target of 40; but we're still thrilled with 38.

July 2019

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 01:41:19 GMT

It's funny how rapidly approaching the one full year in business mark has hit me in a way of reflection which has lead to planning for the next year.

July 2019 has been & gone and while I'm a teeny bit sorry for taking a couple of weeks to put this blog post together - it's indirectly a good thing, because I've been well and truly occupied preparing for the upcoming Spring season and also taking some time to plan the year ahead - it's funny how rapidly approaching the one full year in business mark has hit me in a way of reflection which has lead to planning for the next year... a healthy thing for myself and our business.

Speaking generally, July in real estate can often be a little quirky if I'm to be absolutely honest - almost in a "calm before the storm" kind of way. It's often the month where people are organising their taxes, getting cosy in the cold weather and just playing a little bit of catch up in general - and anyone with a set plan for selling will generally want to wait until the weather warms up. For the brave sellers among the town; it's often a good time to be on the market because if supply is limited - it means buyers in the market have less to choose from, and less to choose from means less competition - which can often lead to a good sale result.

Talking numbers for Ecology in July - another three sold stickers were applied; within the suburbs of Mount Lofty & Glenvale; $400,000, $505,000 & $637,000. Five new listings were signed; within the suburbs of East Toowoomba, North Toowoomba, Rangeville, Kearneys Spring & Highfields... ranging from $390,000 to Mid $800,000's. One thing we did notice though is a steep increase in appraisal numbers compared to previous months, which is the early signs of a buoyant Spring season - some other agents I converse with frequently have mentioned the same.

I've now had two sessions with my new coach (that's Caroline & I in the photo) and that's already showing good promise; it'll be great for me to have some eyes and ears looking in at the business from an independent angle and keeping me accountable for the goals ahead. We all need a little help sometimes, business owners included. Caroline has helped some of the agents who I most respect in the industry and I look forward to working with her over the year ahead and beyond.

For the next blog; which will indicate the '12 months in business' mark - I'm going to share what's happened, what's not happened and some of the observations around the winnings and the learnings of starting a real estate business from scratch. It's been a full on year; I'm feeling that collectively we've had a really good go at it and I honestly look at what we've achieved as a team in twelve months and find it super humbling.

June 2019

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 01:36:44 GMT

“Ahhhhh” is the best word to describe how I feel about June 2019 for Ecology Property - the month that all the pieces finally feel like they all fit together.

Four more sold stickers went up in June + we signed another three fresh contracts as well - new listings as always were in the works too; but the main and most noticeable thing for me in June was just a feeling of harmony + congruency in the team. I feel like we’re all in a good little rhythm and that we can now take things to the next level - it almost feels like we’ve completed building the foundation of the business in a way.

The great commentary around our little brand keep flowing in + the positive feedback from the marketplace about what we’re doing is super reassuring. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of people saying "oh, is that your company? You sell great properties" or "Is Ecology the one with the really nice signs" - it might seem like a little throw away comment for most, but hearing those things keeps my tyres pumped up in a big way.

We also finished off and took delivery of some branded gifts including organic cotton tea towels + laser etched Tasmanian Oak serving/cutting boards; if you’d like an Ecology tea towel for home, sing out! :-)

Looking forward; we’re wanting to do a bit more around marketing the brand itself, up until now it’s all been very ‘organic’ business which is super, but we feel we could improve on our growth by putting some more content and materials out there in the world. I’ve also started chats with a wonderful coach for myself to help me with both my day to day and also with some strategic framework so our business is as efficient + effective as possible; this coach has mentored a number of people who I respect the most in this industry so I can’t wait to progress on our ideas.

Coming up to the twelve month mark now (two to go), so we are working towards a goal of 40+ sold stickers in our first year, a number that brings me a huge amount of satisfaction + pride upon looking back on the year. Good times and good times ahead!

May 2019

Sat, 25 May 2019 01:34:20 GMT

It never ceases to amaze me just how fast each month goes by - I really quite enjoy the responsibility of writing a monthly blog post; it's a good way to keep track of what’s happening and just how fast time flies by when we're having fun.

We've had a good month this month; not a month void of any challenges - but a good month. As time passes by and different sets of circumstances present themselves in the line of work, I'm continually learning a great amount and I've felt some of the biggest learnings have been around understanding my own strengths and weaknesses. If I'm completely honest, up until quite recently I've struggled a little with establishing just what support I need to have around me on the daily basis to get the best out of myself, which in turn gets the best outcomes for our clients. I've also learnt that by getting the most out of myself, I'm happier; which in turn creates a happier environment and I'm very thankful for where we are at currently - we're moving in the right direction and feeling better than ever.

The election is now done & won and while I won't spectate too much on the specifics - it's great to feel some stability and confidence in the marketplace again. I must admit though; the election campaign this time around didn't feel too affect us too much - we still had some good results, I think if anything it just affected the number of new properties coming on the market for a little while.

At the close of May we were sitting at 27 unconditional sales - with 6 new contracts signed in May. Varying price points again; $363,000 (Land) - $386,000 - $502,500 - $555,000 - $745,000 - $770,000.

In regards to new properties coming up; some good ones there too - we've listed four around our office in the North-East corner of late and also forged some strong relationships with other business owners for long term business opportunities there... so more to come on those soon.

As always - thanks heaps for reading and your ongoing support. I'm loving being a business owner and building our brand nearly as much as I'm loving being a partner & new dad.

April 2019

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 01:31:44 GMT

April for Ecology was a month of fine tuning and good process implementation. I feel that we’ve been able to make real improvements in so many ways. Daily structure, team resources, team upskilling, office vibe and workflow in general - the office really feels like it’s starting to ‘hum’ so to speak. Sure, there’s always room for improvement - I won’t deny that; but, as the old saying goes “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time” not that I plan on eating an elephant anytime soon, it’s a figure of speech!

Market wise, I feel that the market in April took a really positive turn - maybe it’s just our headspace? Whatever it is, we’ll take it. Buyer activity has increased again and we’re noticing that the lack of new property hitting the market is creating genuine demand from qualified buyers and they’re making decisions. We’re noticing day to day things like increased buyer inspection requests (not just open house visitors), buyers proactively wanting to be contacted about new properties and buyers wanting more hands on assistance to find a suitable property again... for a little while there some of those cues were harder to find in the day to day because supply outweighed demand; a good sign! The election this year doesn’t seem to be bothering the market locally as much as it usually does, it feels a lot like the population (at least the people who I cross paths with) are a little tired and just want to get back to living again - a sentiment I can 100% relate to and support.

‘Success’ wise, the office wrote another four sale contracts at varying price points in April; a land sale at $280,000 and three house sales ranging from $375,000 to $715,000. It’s nice to see activity at a range of price points and in a range of locations.

May 2019 feels like it’ll be a good one, including David’s 60th Birthday - and no doubt some further progress to be made on a real estate front. Thanks for reading.

March 2019

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 01:26:22 GMT

We've lost one & gained two! Exciting times ahead.

March was a really interesting month for us; some challenges, but a huge amount of growth on the back of those challenges, with some victories thrown in as well. One of our team left the business early in March, which I'll admit was a tricky pill to swallow at the time; mainly because I'm someone who would love for everyone who starts in the business, to stay in the business and prosper with the business - I'm the person who is forever hopeful and honestly, that's something I don't ever want to lose from my character; the reality is that in business, not everyone you hire will be the right fit for your business long term and people coming/going leads to further opportunity and growth - it's interesting too, because I re-learnt how great it feels to have the right people around you everyday.

The departure of one person, in our case... has lead to the exciting opportunity of hiring of two others, Dominic & Alison. Being able to hire two people will lead to them both having to wear 'less hats' so to speak, which will help us all just to be doing the things we're really good at; which ultimately leads to better efficiencies, happier staff and ultimately more momentum.

It wasn't all hiring and firing in March though! Three more listings went up and three more sold stickers went up (one of these was David's in Trafalgar - listed and sold within a few weeks); a well balanced month. We also sought out new training materials to up-skill with, started building new branding materials and ideas that had been in our minds for a little too long and most importantly... we've now got an outdoor setting in our office courtyard! Great for the midday recharge while having lunch

Onward and upward!

February 2019

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:22:13 GMT

The highlight of the month for me (on a work front) was seeing David Bennett sell his first listing with us.

I’m starting to realise why not many real estate business owners offer a personalised, consistent monthly update blog post - I’m always so behind with writing these! I won’t let it get the better of me though :-)

February has come and go now & while the market offered it’s challenges, I feel that we grew through it & finished the month feeling more knowledgeable and more established.

The highlight of the month for me (on a work front) was seeing David Bennett sell his first listing with us at 9 Coral Sea Drive in Middle Ridge at Auction under Auction conditions on the 9th of February for $795,000; a superb effort in my opinion, especially given the property had already been on the market previously for three months prior and was getting little traction in the marketplace - David’s sheer determination and work ethic got it done & the result is a credit to him.

Rhiannon & I continue the journey of being the best parents we can to our little boy, Orlo; it’s an adjustment to the routine, but it’s so rewarding. Every day I feel so blessed to wake up and to look over and see his bright little eyes and perfect skin.

We applied sold stickers number 18 & 19 in February with a further two unconditional sales. A quieter month by our normal expectations in regard to sold results, however the positive to come out of it is that I feel as a business owner I’ve had a little time to catch up & i’ve taken the "spare" time to learn a huge amount in February - I really believe the lessons learnt in February will really help us forge ahead in the coming months.

January 2019

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 23:21:59 GMT

January 2019 for me personally, was the most significant month of my life so far; with Rhiannon & I giving birth to our first child - a baby boy, Orlo Matthew...

2019 came around quickly for us; with the spring market starting a little late and then running right into the end of 2018 - a little unlike what can usually happen with a softening of the market during December, while people focus on family and rest; as they should.

January 2019 for me personally, was the most significant month of my life so far; with Rhiannon & I giving birth to our first child - a baby boy, Orlo Matthew; on the 16th day of the month. Learning of Orlo's impending arrival onto earth was the main catalyst for us beginning this business at the time we did - I wanted to give Rhiannon the flexibility to work when she wanted to work rather than having me rely on her so heavily (as I have done for many years now). I wanted to be able to have infrastructure and a team around me so that we could function well without one of us being present in the business - I look forward to being able to step away for some family time every now and then over the future time as our baby boy grows and finds his way.

On a business front; we finished January at 17 unconditional sales since beginning Ecology Property on September 1st 2018. It was a slower time for unconditional sales with a lot of our sales getting locked in prior to the end of the year & a lot of settlements taking place throughout January. On the upside; we still had & continue to have, a great number of superb properties available as the buying market starts to get back into the swing of routine life for the year ahead (albeit a little funny currently on the lending front, a change that needed to happen I feel - but that's a whole other topic!)

December 2018

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 23:25:57 GMT

We went into December feeling quite good about what we'd collectively achieved since September. We were excited to finish off the year in a positive way and finalise the set up of our new little shop space in Bridge Street, Mount Lofty. David Bennett (Sales + Marketing) began his employment relationship with Ecology Property and started his work remotely, he's started with a listing at 9 Coral Sea Drive in Middle Ridge - a large home on over an acre. It goes to auction early in February. David is a fourth generation Estate Agent, having worked in Real Estate himself for just on 40 years; his level of knowledge and his personal demeanor will be a great asset to our business.

We completed 2018 with 14 Unconditional Sales & had a good amount of Contracts due to go through early in 2019 - making for a fairly stress free, smooth start into the new working year.

The little shop space in Mount Lofty was also pretty complete come the end of 2018 - with some more flat pack furniture assembly and minor details to be put in for our official opening in January 2019 (I really need to write these blog posts more on time, feels odd typing in past tense).

Teleah Brydon has also joined the team to assist me in my day to day activities and to also provide some support to the team as it grows - Teleah joins us from Ray White and will be a great fit for Ecology Property as we grow.

Overall, December 2018 was a "positive but tie up loose ends" kind of month for us - it felt great to finish the year off smiling with the people and space around us - setting us up to have a memorable 2019.

November 2018

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 23:26:46 GMT

Another month is in the books and our first quarter in business is complete!

Ecology is already tracking at a rate very comparable if not ahead of our busiest times over the past couple of years, so we're feeling very thankful for our supporters and proud of our efforts so far in this journey.

November felt a little more 'under control' than our two previous months, yet still had plenty of fun times and challenges involved. Seven new sale contracts were negotiated; it felt really great to get some negotiations across the line for some of our clients who have had to be a little more 'patient' than maybe they had initially hoped - I've found that sometimes it's a sprint, sometimes it's a half marathon; I always just want to be sure everyone's smiling at the end of the process, regardless of the challenges we're faced with.

Office renovations have been in full swing this month with Tom Haydock and his team at Lavish Constructions (free plug) doing a sensational job of the works and improvements there. They've stripped the old kitchenette, flooring, lighting & fittings out - and then proceeded to add in three walls to give us a small meeting room and a dedicated front reception area. We also wanted to replace the generic smooth sign writing board that was on the facade with VJ texture fibre cement sheet to add a little appeal; upon starting these works we found the roof of the front awning wasn't in great shape after dealing with a fair few years of weather, so we elected to work in with the building owner to replace the roof and add some extra fall plus a new down pipe to hopefully eliminate any future issues (Lavish Constructions even arranged custom flashings, pretty flashy!). New custom cabinetry has been created by Focus on Kitchens and is now also installed; they've created a custom two person reception desk and kitchenette for us. Mahon Decorating got the call up to do all the painting and finishing, inside & out - for an old building that was showing some 'character' they've really excelled and made it shine again, we're so proud of how it's looking now. We are on the home stretch now with the renovation; with TMEC Electrical due to come back for the final fit-off just as soon as my lighting fixtures arrive (sorry for slowness Justin) and then Floorworld Toowoomba will be in to install our new flooring - can't wait to see it all completed and get some photos taken.

On a staffing front; our original choice for our administration & sales support role didn't work out as originally planned (it's a long story, but we're all smiling still - I promise) which gave me the opportunity to meet with another standout person who was a clear favourite for next in line... she's excited to start with us in the new year. We've also appointed our first sales agent, I'm really looking forward to helping him get up to speed, putting together some cool marketing and having plenty of fun while doing so - he starts late 2018 and will be ready to set up a desk in the new office as soon as I've had a chance to purchase one (which I'll do really soon!).

Personally; our first baby (the human type, not the business type) is getting very close to making it's way into the world. Due in January 2019, baby De Maid (for those who don't already know) was the main catalyst for starting this business in the first place; being a dad is something that will without a doubt encourage me to grow, as he/she grows over the years to come. I'm extremely thankful and proud of what this business has become over the last three months and I'm even more excited about what's to come in life and in business as we start to surround ourselves with like-minded, great people for the year ahead.

October 2018

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 23:27:23 GMT

The return of routine, an office, a new team member and some real estate.

October is now complete; which notes the end of our second month in business for ourselves. It's been a busy month once again, but we've really enjoyed having pretty much everything set up so we can get back into a somewhat normal daily routine of listing and selling a few properties. Overall, we feel that the month of October has ended quite positive for us - with six sales negotiated & six new listings signed... a far more balanced month than our previous month.

October also saw some progress in relation to 'business set-up'... it wasn't all routine listing & selling We've been able to find a great little space to set our business up in, right at the top of Bridge Street in Mount Lofty; it'll be exciting to see the old gem shine again after some updates and improvements - we're hoping to be trading from this location no later than January 2019 (we've got a bit to organise yet!). We also created our first employment 'advertisement', opting to just use social media and an honest approach; we were really overwhelmed by both the quality and the amount of applicants we received for the sales support/administration role... it's so reassuring that people believe in us enough to want to join us on our journey. Two interviews later... we've appointed someone who we feel will be a truly great fit for our business and will also be a huge asset to our business moving forward - we can't wait to introduce her to you all once the time is right.

On a final note, our first sold stickers went up in October - we are really happy with how they don't affect the visual attributes of the signs and look clean & tidy once applied.

September 2018

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 23:29:31 GMT

What a crazy time it was!

We launched Ecology on the 1st of September 2018 after what we thought was 'extensive' planning in advance... boy oh boy, did we still have some moving parts to finalise once the business had actually started trading. Now, don't get me wrong - we'd arranged a lot before we started; lots of artwork, designs, registrations and subscriptions which made things much smoother... but the little things that presented themselves when we actually started listing and selling were an ongoing challenge, a challenge that I feel we lifted ourselves to and managed well - I can't thank my partner Rhiannon enough for her help with all of my crazy ideas.

In our first month of trading we managed to list 11 new properties plus 9 existing properties that we carried across from our previous employment at Belle Property Toowoomba; that's a fair bit of paperwork and marketing to arrange! Sales were limited to just two new contracts - our first of which was cancelled after the buyer had a change of heart (haha welcome to business I thought!). October has already started much more positive now that we're in the rhythm of things with three new sales negotiated by the 10th day of the month, as I write this post - including a new deal on the one that fell through last month :-)

We're feeling very confident and extremely proud of what we've achieved in our first month of business and we feel super thankful after receiving so much positive feedback around the branding, advertising, photography & the feel of the brand in general from our clients, other agents & the general public - dreaming it all up (mostly on Canva) in the home office and seeing it all come to life has been amazing... it still weirds me out a little though!

Onwards and upwards now! I'm trying very hard to list and sell as much as possible while planning for our next steps; some of which include finding a suitable commercial space for our office, finding a office manager & admin support team member and opening our doors to potential (must be fitting) sales staff. Exciting times ahead.

First Signboard Install

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 23:29:28 GMT

We thought about every detail of these signs...

Created completely on Canva (bless it!) in our home office over many nights of back and forth with designs; our first signboards went up late last week.

We wanted a signboard that looked classy and complimented the properties they stand in front of; our 'putty' colour fills the majority of the signboard with a white edge to help frame the design. The flat, slimline design is a matte finish rather than the normal gloss & adds a touch of luxe. We thought about every detail of these signs... the white frame on the sign is the same width as the frame it's attached to, we even considered how the sold stickers will be applied; to ensure neatness they've been designed in charcoal to perfectly fit over the 'for sale' label.

Our Logo & Our Why

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 23:29:29 GMT

It's a brand that I hope people will be able to connect to and feel comfortable with

The 'ecology' name was something that came to me after many days of brainstorming. I liked the true meaning of the word and I feel that it reflected what we do; I liked the scientific and earth pairing too - it gives us the ability to use natural textures and design elements but in a very specific, considered way.

When I set out to create a real estate brand I wanted something that was a little less corporate feeling; I wanted a brand that felt good & wasn't afraid of taking a slightly different approach. It's a brand that comes from my inner self rather than a researched set of marketing ideals, it's a brand that I hope people will be able to connect to and feel comfortable with - polished but real.

We wanted a logo and a set of colours that felt a little less 'real estate' and a little more 'real life'. Combine the joys of modern technology, time and a little bit of creative flair; voila! Our three brand colours include a pure white, a dark charcoal & our hero colour, putty. We elected to use a classical typography with the little leaf signifying growth and our earthy, minimal approach that'll flow through the other parts of the branding and collateral.

Our Cards Arrived!

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 23:29:27 GMT

It was important to me that we had a card that reflected a little bit about us

In true 'us' fashion, our business cards that were designed entirely by us have arrived :-)

It was important to me that we had a card that reflected a little bit about us; a card that felt a little bit better than average, a card that had a bit of a background story - rather than 'just another business card'. The cards are minimalist in their design with rounded corners (born out of my hatred for cards with scrappy corners) & printed on 100% recycled cotton paper, made of cotton off cuts from the fashion industry.

Why portrait? Because any other card I remember in Real Estate is landscape.

The First Photoshoot

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 23:29:24 GMT

For Ecology, I wanted a very specific look for the photography.

I've been working closely with Ben Walker at Statik Illusions for a while now; he always supports (maybe tolerates is a better word) my creative endeavors and my desire to always try to produce better quality work than we've done prior.

For ecology I wanted a very specific look for the photography; a look that took us on an inquisitive journey of angles, lighting, lenses & editing ideas. Lots of back and forth, sharing ideas on Instagram & a few hours put aside to shoot the first house - we're both equally thrilled with the quality of the imagery (clients very happy too!)