Three generations of success

23 January 2020

By Hedgie Gundry

From a small garage on Kingsford’s Anzac Parade in 1962, Nassim and Doreen Farah, their sons and now grandchildren, have expanded their boutique agency to include three thriving offices in Kingsford, Coogee and Mascot employing over 60 people.

With a sales team specialising in residential auctions, private treaty sales and project marketing and a highly sophisticated residential and commercial property management division, NG Farah is currently at the top of its game in the local market.

According to Peter Goulding, Director and Head of Project Marketing and Licensee-in-Charge (Kingsford), NG Farah’s success is firmly rooted in the company’s family values and longevity.

“Our local reputation is built on honesty and trust, as a family-led brand delivering strong results with solid connections to the community,” he explained.

“Our 60-year legacy means we can demonstrate a history of achieving outstanding results. There really isn’t another agency in our local market that has sold as many properties as us over the years.”

Marinos Euripidou, Director and Licensee-in-Charge (Mascot), agrees that the family-focused approach and ongoing independence are both contributing factors to their success.

“Nassim and Doreen’s sons, along with six other current partners, including myself and Peter, are still a huge part of NG Farah today,” Marinos said. “Doreen Farah, now in her 90s, comes into the office twice a week and is still actively involved. We all work really hard to make sure the business retains the family values from 1962, which is very much our major point of difference.

“As an independent agency, we are also not bound by franchise rules and regulations,” he added. “If we identify an area for improvement, we can act straight away and adapt accordingly. We can be more agile and responsive, and I think this is also another reason why we’ve been so successful.”

Peter Goulding
NG Farah

Competitive market

Sydney’s South East is a notoriously competitive market, and Peter and Marinos are both realistic about the need to remain focused.

“We’re fortunate our longevity gives us a competitive edge, but we are never complacent,” Peter said.

“To secure new business, we need to be innovative with our marketing strategies and deliver consistent sales results teamed with exceptional client service. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in advanced digital marketing campaigns in the last 12 to 18 months to extend our reach to a wider audience and generate more business.

“In today’s market, delivering engaging social media content is integral to building our networks and reaching new buyers, landlords and potential vendors. Making sure we understand the analytics is also crucial.”

At the other end of the marketing spectrum, NG Farah has also recently engaged a Relationship Manager to pick up the phone and call current landlords and clients for feedback on a monthly basis.

“In the new digital age, it’s easy to forget about a simple phone call, but our clients and landlords really appreciate a personal touch,” Marinos said. “The feedback we receive each month has allowed us to fine tune our individual relationships, especially with our landlords, and also build trust and rapport by providing a more tailored service.”

Employee engagement

For Peter and Marinos, NG Farah’s low employee turnover is also a reflection of an inclusive workplace culture, and opportunities for growth and development.

“Like any business with 60 or more employees, not everything is perfect every day,” Peter said. “But we really focus on making sure our employees are fulfilled in their roles and are always growing. As an example, our number one salesperson in 2019 started his career with us 15 years ago as a property management leasing consultant.

“We are heavily focused on training our agents and we love to engage external trainers. But one thing we really pride ourselves on is encouraging our junior agents to lean on our more senior managers for guidance and support. And we actively discourage the competitive barriers that exist in other real estate agencies.”

Marinos added: “We also love to celebrate and socialise together to cement our team culture, organising around 10 functions a year – from dinners to putt-putt competitions. We all feel refreshed and motivated when we come back to work the next day.”

Community spirit

Since 1962, NG Farah’s community engagement has been an integral element of the agency’s identity.

“Essentially, we all grew up here, we all live here, and we raise our children here. We therefore feel accountable to serving the community and offering more than just real estate services,” Peter explained.

NG Farah is a generous supporter of multiple fundraising activities and provides major sponsorships to local grassroots clubs, teams and schools. As an example, for over 12 years NG Farah has been a major sponsor of Pagewood Botany Football Club.

“We have seen the club grow to be one of the largest in New South Wales, with over 2,000 children playing weekly,” Marinos said. “I played soccer there myself when I was younger, and my kids played soccer there. We also continue to sponsor M Club Maroubra, Maroubra Surf Club, South Maroubra Surf Club and Maroubra Lions, and are really focused on building on many years of community initiatives and sponsorships in our coastal suburbs.”

Marinos-Euripidou
NG Farah

Future

So, what does the future hold for NG Farah?

“We have experienced huge growth recently in our property management division and are looking to expand further,” Peter said. “But we also want to focus on quality control and maintaining our family values. Our sales team is also growing, but we are very mindful of making sure we have the right sales agents representing our brand.

“In terms of our physical presence, we currently operate from three offices, but we’re now looking at moving into a super office with all of us under one roof. This is more of a long-term plan, but something we’re excited about.”

Marinos added that “it’s been an incredible evolution for NG Farah since the 1960s and we hope to be here for another 60 years.”

“Like any business with 60 or more employees, not everything is perfect every day. But we really focus on making sure our employees are fulfilled in their roles and are always growing.” – Peter Goulding

“In the new digital age, it’s easy to forget about a simple phone call, but our clients and landlords really appreciate a personal touch.” – Marinos Euripidou

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