'You need to want to win': North shore agent James Bennett on the attribute that drives him

A childhood spent dancing helped prepare James Bennett for the hard work – and fancy footwork – of the real estate industry.

The principal at Belle Property Lane Cove honed his competitive edge playing college tennis in the US, before returning to Sydney to work in a neighbourhood close to his heart.

When he’s not selling houses, he can be found trying to lower his handicap at one of Sydney’s premier golf courses.

What were you passionate about during your school days?

I started dancing when I was seven and went right through until I was 17. I danced five days a week and had to do all genres, including tap and ballet, but my primary focus was modern dance. It was called jazz then. I was doing a lot of competitions.

I left Cranbrook in the last two years of school to attend a school where I could do dancing full-time but I started to realise I wasn’t going to be able to make a solid career out of dancing. It became a hobby rather than a career path.

That school allowed me to train in tennis as well. It was a sport I picked up relatively late, for a tennis player.

Did you go far with your tennis career?

I don’t think I ever had visions of being a professional tennis player but I liked the competition side and getting better. I stumbled across the idea of going to America and playing tennis at college. I thought it was a cracking opportunity. I won a scholarship to play college tennis in the US while completing a bachelor of finance at Tennessee Technological University.

Golf is my newfound hobby. I religiously take off Friday mornings to play at The Lakes Golf Club.

Do those childhood performing arts skills come in handy today?

Absolutely. You’re on show 90 per cent of the time, whether you’re on the phone or in front of someone. You’re trying to present yourself in the best possible light and sell your services to someone. Eventually, if you list the property, you’re selling a dream to someone, so you are performing all the time.

Do agents need a fierce competitive streak?

It’s probably the strongest attribute: you need to want to win.

Having said that, there’s a big difference between winning fairly and winning unethically. You’ve got to do it the right way. I don’t focus too much on what I earn, as much as being the best in my area.

How important is fear as a motivator?

I think it’s always the driver in real estate transactions. It might be fear of missing out, fear of paying too much, fear from a vendor’s point of view of missing out on a better offer in a few months. Harnessing that to get a decision is important.

I think there’s a really fine line between using fear to pressure someone and using fear to allow them to make the right decision.

I usually go down the path of giving people all the information possible and saying, “This is what you have in front of you. This is the gamble: a better outcome or a lesser outcome. I can’t make that decision for you but here are the benefits and here are the potential negatives.”

Your most memorable sale?

20 Wilona Avenue in Greenwich because the campaign took place in a falling market in the middle of last year, when clearances had reached 50 per cent.

The sale price of $5.75 million was over the reserve by $250,000 and set a street record. We got a really good outcome for a really good client. Everything went well.