Q&A with Alex Jordan: Lessons from a persistent, top-performing agent

With 20-plus years of selling experience under his belt, McGrath Paddington and Queensland’s top selling agent, Alex Jordan has achieved remarkable success with intense focus and unbreakable commitment – but it wasn’t without challenges.  

Openn chatted with Alex about his success, the valuable lessons he learned along the way, and what not to do when someone says “no”.  

Openn:  You were named the top residential agent in Queensland at the 2020 REA Excellence Awards. What was one key factor to getting that achievement? 

Alex: For me, it was persistence. I almost gave up in 2011. We had floods here in Brisbane and I was financially crippled. And to that point, I wanted to find another job.  I almost left to become a pharmaceutical rep. If I made that decision, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed the same sort of success.  So, persistence was really big. 

Openn: Are there any other key factors that have shaped you to become the successful agent you are today?  

Alex: The other thing for me that changed was vision of where I want to get to and not expecting an outcome from every activity. In this industry, often we do something, whether it’s a letterbox drop or a call, and there’s an expectation that every action should result in a positive outcome.  I had to change and recalibrate my mind and say, “I’m just going to focus on giving great service, adding value to every interaction I have, treat everyone equally and build a brand – a profile of trust, integrity, and being upfront with people.” 

Openn:  How do you handle outcomes that don’t produce positive results? 

Alex:  The delayed gratification is what I had to start to practice – just do the work and the results will come and have trust in the process. When I lose a listing, I try and practice gratitude for that. I’ll say, “Well, thank you. That was a good lesson,” because it’s an emotional rollercoaster. And if you’re up and down with every outcome, missed that listing or whatever, you’re going to have a rough time living in real estate. 

Openn:  What’s your advice for agents who are receiving rejections or not getting listings?  

Alex: If you get a “no” and you give up, then you probably haven’t really explored the possibility. You’re going to get no’s in this industry. That doesn’t mean you go back with ego or aggression or anything like that. You go back with humility. You go back with respect and politeness. Sometimes, it’s a journey of no’s before you get to a yes.  

Some of my best clients, the strongest relationships that I’ve formed into friendships, have come from a series of no’s before the yes. So, if I had given up after the second or third no, then I would never have that relationship.  And some of these clients, I’ve sold $15, $20 million in real estate for them in the last 10, 15 years.   

Openn: What would be your number one tip for agents who are looking to become top performers? 

Alex: Be consistent with your communication. Drop quality marketing material that is relevant to the audience – that's intelligent and has a humble tone. Layer that with your social media, layer that with your digital marketing, layer that with your door knocking to invite them to every open house. That, for me, is a good business model to create credibility.