Renee Cross’s first brush with residential real estate was as the creator of beautiful floral arrangements as gifts for new home owners as part of their property acquisitions. Since making a mid-career shift into real estate, Renee’s work has triggered the exchange of many more flowers, and now also hundreds of sets of keys passed in celebration between satisfied property sellers and buyers.
With a Master of Business and a burgeoning floristry enterprise, Renee initially resisted when respected Ray White agent, Ian Campbell, invited her to join his property team in Elizabeth Bay. Taking the leap from corporate flowers to commercial real estate was one that had never crossed Renee’s mind, however her skills on display as a florist were clearly transferable in Ian Campbell’s eyes.
“I think Ian could see that I could work hard. I obviously was out there getting stuff done, so to speak. My PR, and my people skills probably were something that he observed when I was delivering the flowers. Maybe he identified that, but I don’t know,” she says.
Fast forward six years, and Renee’s natural poise, grace and communication style have held her in good stead as she’s embraced her new calling. She has applied her life experience to make an impressive mark both in terms of transactional business and a high volume of listings. Rated one of the top agents across Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point and Rushcutters Bay,
Renee has gained an admirable reputation for going above and beyond for clients.
But it hasn’t been easy by any stretch.
“This business doesn’t happen unless you do it. And I really discovered that my greatest skill was learning how to get outside my comfort zone to try and attract listings and be confident as a person. The first year was really tough.”
It’s been just over a year since Ray White The Woollahra Group acquired the Elizabeth Bay branch, and Renee says it’s been a smooth process through which business growth has remained the priority.
“If I need them, I can call on them for support and I know they’re 100% there and I’ve got the backing of the wonderful brand, of who we are and what we are, but the autonomy is absolutely there as well,” Renee says of the transition.
For Renee, the potency of a small team with complementary skill sets has been integral to success. She shares her pursuit of excellence with two young proteges – Nickolas Voloshanskyi and Tanja Kuehn, who lend their own unique strengths to the business. “I think the easy transition is a testament to the business that myself and Nick and Tanja have been able to build on the back of my time with Ian.”
Tanja and Nickolas share Renee’s high standards, and the genuine warmth and mutual respect the three have developed is palpable. It’s a recipe that has delivered some impressive outcomes.
“I think we’ve established a good brand and a good business, and it’s about maintaining and building on that now,” Renee says.
She is increasingly supporting Tanja and Nick to run their own campaigns and gain valuable industry experience.
“I think we’ve got the synergy now in the team and the strengths to be able to do that. Tanja is really quite magic working with buyers. Nick’s coming through now generating leads and opening doors. It’s a real team effort,” she says.
“I think what people want is service, they want energy, they want professionalism and good manners. They want to know that we are there with them. And I think that that is something that we do as a team really well.
“My clients would say that I’m hard working, a good communicator, and have good market knowledge,” Renee says of a relationship she takes very seriously.
Before she became immersed in foliage and floristry, Renee had worked closely with her dad’s property investment business.
“He was old-school”, Renee reflects, “He always said, ‘the fact of the matter is if you work hard, it will come’.”
For Renee, her hard work centres around her daughter, for whom she wants a solid education and the opportunity to follow her own dreams when she leaves school.
There is nothing performative about the rapport Renee builds with each and every client. She understands the common things people share and are striving for.
“I take the time to be with them on their level … As well as my own daughter, I’ve had two foster daughters and have tried a lot to give back. I’ve done things that create an understanding of people. And there’s a little bit more empathy there, and a little bit more care.”
Renee has been observed on more than one occasion making glacial progress from the office to her favourite coffee pit-stop, due to the greetings, chats and enthusiastic exchanges with the people she has become enmeshed with through her work.
She is one of those treasures among real estate agents who genuinely gravitates to people and loves nothing more than absorbing details of their aspirations, their families, and what life holds for them far beyond a property sale. Dedication and drive wrapped up in grace and kindness make Renee Cross and her team a formidable one.
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