Now in its ninth year, the annual REB Top 50 Sales Office ranking sets the benchmark in identifying Australia’s top-performing offices. Using a number of indicators, including volume and efficiency levels, the REB Top 50 Sales Offices 2021 sets the standard for the country’s best real estate sales teams.

There are three metrics used to determine the rankings within the REB Top 50 Sales Offices 2021: number of properties sold, total dollar volume of properties sold, and an efficiency rating that is determined by the ratio of sales to support staff.

“This ranking and recognition is the result of everything coming together over a long period of time. I think the main thing was the ability for us to pivot and adapt very quickly to the changing landscape of 2020 – particularly in Victoria,” said Spiro Drossos, Managing Director and Auctioneer at Barry Plant Manningham.

“Keeping our communication between the team was paramount to our success. We communicated every single morning remotely during COVID-19 lockdown. We really took it 24 hours at a time, all business plans were out the window. There were so many stops and starts with the state government coming out with new rules. We’d work day and night to create new strategies and then they quickly became irrelevant, so you’d have to go back to the drawing board. I think our versatility and having a team that could adapt to the ever changing climate really allowed us to continue to sell properties during that period of time.”

Barry Plant Manningham placed 6th on the list in 2020. This is the 5th time they have appeared on the list, and the highest ranking the office has achieved.

“Last year we took a really human approach to the business. This is something we’ve always done, even before COVID pandemic,” said Spiro Drossos. “But in 2020 we ramped it up even further. More than anything, it was about the mental health of not just our staff, but also our clients. We wanted to ensure that we could not only sell their property, but do so in a manner that was caring and respectful in a climate filled with so much uncertainty.”

Barry Plant Manningham achieved total sales of $455,860,929 from 455 listings, and completed 398 settlements. With 15 sales agents and two sales support staff, the office received a 23.41 staff efficiency rating. The office also sold an astonishing 37 properties during the Stage 4 lockdown in the month of August.

Spiro Drossos admits that the business is now in a better place, especially on a digital and social media front, with the office now having dedicated digital and social media teams. And it’s that word, ‘Team’, that was the most critical during a challenging 2020.

“What I found the most important thing throughout all of last year was having the right team,” said Spiro Drossos. “Having a strong team culture really wins the day, and having people who are on the same page, who have synergy, and really buy into that team approach has been critical to our success. It really is the best team I have ever led, there is no doubt about that.”