Selling tips and strategy from Australia's top selling agent James Tostevin

Australia’s number one agent conducts prospecting calls for eight hours a day over three days a month.

According to James Tostevin of Marshall White & Co in Melbourne, prospecting is the key to his success.

He sees it as a major source of neglect in the real estate industry.

“Anyone could do what I’m doing, but a vast majority of salespeople, sales managers and principals simply choose not to,” said Tostevin, who has ranked number one agent in industry website, Real Estate Business Top 100 agents ranking three times now.

For three days every month, Tostevin clears his diary for eight hours of prospecting, he said after an earlier win.

“Maintaining my concentration level is crucial, as is having intensity, focus, energy and sounding happy to speak to every single person,” he said.

According to Tostevin, the one year anniversary contact call is a prospecting call every agent should be having with their clients.

Then a once a year call which he says are one of the greatest areas of neglect in real estate.

The best time to make these once a year contact calls is around the Christmas period or the middle of the year, Tostevin said.

“It’s easier to make conversation around a forthcoming holiday period,” he said.

"It’s much easier to retain a previous client than it is to find a new client."