Ray White takes the cake at state awards night

Ray White Southbank has taken out a prestigious award for its innovative approach to property management. 

More than 1300 Ray White Victoria and Tasmania members came together and celebrated the network’s annual awards at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on August 22. 

The Southbank agency opened its doors 12 years ago and has since become one of the city’s leading agencies. 

After the awards night, it added Property Management Team of the Year for Victoria and Tasmania to its already brimming trophy cabinet. 

It’s an achievement that the head of the property management department, Alex Mees, said had come after a lot of hard work and adopting a unique approach to operating the business. 

Ms Mees and her team are “breaking the stereotype” of what a property manager is by working with charities, as well as ensuring that they support both landlords and tenants in a difficult rental market. 

“For us it comes down to communication, so picking up the phone, meeting people face to face, following through on what we say. We’re going to make sure that our landlords are getting looked after by us,” she said. 

As for looking after the tenants, Ms Mees said the Southbank agency ensured that all properties were well looked after and that there was consistent and clear communication with the property managers. 

“A lot of us are local residents in the area and our legacy is that we act for all parties fairly and give sound advice,” she said. 

Another reason Mrs Mees believes contributed to winning the award is the local agency’s decision to partner with charities year-round. 

Last year the office took part in Movember to raise money for mental health. At the time of the fundraising drive, the principal of Ray White Southbank, Andrew Salvo, told Southbank News that he wanted to reduce the stigma around talking about emotions. 

The Southbank agency does things a little differently to others and Ms Mees is proud of that, saying that it wouldn’t be possible without the “incredible” staff. 

“We’ve got a really humble team that are down to earth, understanding and have empathy.” •