How Fresh helped real estate agent Simon to build trusted relationships.
As a real estate agent and auctioneer, Simon Dale’s business is built on relationships, trust and engagement. So when he was invited to a Fresh Networking meeting, and saw that the Fresh ethos is ‘Know, Like, Trust’, he felt right from the start that this could be a great fit with the way he works and a boost for his business. He wasn’t wrong.
‘Right from my very first meeting, I seemed to have a connection with the other people in the group at Fresh Prahran’, says Simon. ‘To be honest, I had been as a guest to other networking organisations, but they put me off with their rigid approach. Fresh was really different though – relaxed and not ‘wound up’. I clicked instantly with the hub members and decided to join.
The energy and communication skills that make Simon a great auctioneer also made him the ideal candidate for facilitator, and within his first year he was asked to take on the leadership of the group. His time as facilitator coincided with some upheaval in the team and Simon’s strong leadership, ability to pull people together and have difficult conversations in a positive and supportive way all contributed to him being recognised as ‘Leader of the Year’ in Fresh’s 2025 Awards Ceremony. ‘I was so thrilled to win’, says Simon. ‘Not only is there the satisfaction of recognition, but being a leader at Fresh also helped me to develop and hone skills that have been invaluable in my business too.’
Fresh has, as Simon predicted from that first meeting, driven business success too. ‘My business is a slow burn’, says Simon. ‘Before someone will entrust you with selling their most valuable asset, the home in which they have immense emotional investment, they really have to feel they know and trust you. That takes time. So what I love about Fresh is that it’s not purely transactional, it’s not about having a referral every meeting; it gives you the time and space to build those relationship. I see it as a long term investment.’
It’s an investment which, after more than two years, is paying off. ‘One of the members of my hub was selling his house, which was in the Stonnington area that I specialise in. He trusted that I would do a good job marketing and selling his property, and he was delighted that at the auction, I got him a significantly higher price than he was hoping for, and well above his reserve. It was a great example of a Fresh win win – he got a great price for his property, and I not only got my fee, but he blasted the story from the mountain tops, so I know that it will lead to further referrals and business opportunity.’
I see Fresh as a way that I can build my reputation as a professional and a trusted advisor. I don’t expect a referral every meeting, but when I do get them – like one I got recently from a past member, who remembered me and wanted me to sell his home – I know they are going to be high quality referrals. The power of the Fresh network means that each time I do a good job, our members spread the word, and success multiplies into more and more opportunity and growth for my business.’