There are numerous traits and attributes that distinguish highly successful companies from those that are more average. You can see similarities between large companies and start-ups when you examine the development of such companies. For instance, their strategy or work ethic. But without a strong leader in the company, even the best ideas may fail to get traction. A brilliant businessperson can do the same thing by taking a concept and making it into something legendary. A person should possess the fundamental qualities necessary for successful business, including honesty, cooperation, accessibility, and consistency. These qualities are possessed by Ian Hurdle, the founder and director of The Agency Turks and Caicos, who is at the top of his profession.
Tenacious Journey
Ian moved from the south of England to Grand Cayman at the age of 18 to help his parents realise their dream of establishing a property there. In that nation, he constructed two model homes that he later sold for a profit during a five-year period. He had never really attempted to grasp how real estate worked before. They relocated as a family in 1998 after hearing about Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands as being the next big golden nugget of opportunity for real estate investment and development in the Caribbean. Before he started his own landscaping business and concentrated his efforts on design and installation while overseeing a work team of over 150 employees at its peak, he constructed a substantial home in the opulent Leeward community. He was able to obtain his licence with the Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association and complete his apprenticeship with Regency, a subsidiary of Christies International Real Estate, because of his wife Tracey’s status as a Belonger owing to their marriage. Tracey is a native of the islands.
His journey to Beverly Hills, where he was offered the chance to pitch for what would become the company’s first international franchise, and an introduction in July 2016 are the main events of the lengthy account of how he acquired The Agency Franchise. As of October 1st, 2016, he was operating with the brand in TCI, proving that the pitch was successful.
Honesty Paramount
Ian Hurdle is the most experienced, and his team turns to him for guidance in all areas of everyday operations. Being active on social media, sharing his successes and the path he took to them, gives his team members a very public road map to follow. As a leader, there is nowhere to hide. The ongoing review of objectives, including where you have succeeded and failed, what has to be updated, and what must be repeated, even if it is tedious. Honesty is essential. To advance in any endeavour, you must be honest with yourself every day; else, your business will stall as you fall into a very cosy rut.
Collaboration and Accessibility
The satisfaction of knowing that you can share anything with anyone in your team and they will reciprocate. Ian thinks there is a great satisfaction in knowing that everyone else on the team will be right there fighting alongside you on the tough days and that everyone else is experiencing the same degree of achievement as you. A lovely thing has always been, and always will be, people working together for a common purpose. You should always be accessible to your team, especially to brand-new agents who are just starting out.
Working in the real estate market early in his career may be a lonely and expensive path with little to show for the time and money invested. Although it is easier for Ian Hurdle to contribute that time and knowledge due to the firm’s small size and location than, say, larger organisations in key markets, he believes that having a mentor with whom you can connect, bounce ideas off of, and draw on their positive and negative experiences is the minimum obligation of any business leader.
That being said, in my 6 years with The Agency, I have never not been able to reach any of our business leaders within corporate and, again, I think that speaks to the incredible culture that has been created. -Ian proclaims.
Challenges
Daily obstacles are offered in this industry and in life, and how well a person is able to deal with them and ultimately find solutions to them determines whether a firm succeeds or fails. Ian has dealt with everything during the previous six years, including work, family, health, and regional and international events. His oldest daughter unexpectedly fell unwell shortly after they opened their office in October 2016, to the point where she lapsed into a coma and passed away just before Christmas. Nothing can adequately prepare a parent for this kind of loss, but he had recently taken on a significant brand and the related financial obligations.
Ian learned that he could conquer any challenge by juggling grief with the responsibilities of being a father, husband, and expanding his nascent business. 2017 was the worst year of his life, and he wanted to give up so many times. However, Ian always found the strength to get up the next day and try again. No bigger obstacle could have been thrown in the way of the business, but the blows continued coming as a massive hurricane in September 2017 destroyed the home and market, and, of course, the team all had to deal with the pandemic’s challenges the following year.
Accept the Changes
As not every new technology may assist the firm, Ian does not necessarily need to adopt it all. However, he does have a responsibility to at least be aware of the possibility that a specific technology may help him achieve his business goals and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. It can be intimidating at times, but if a certain technology can provide him an advantage in a field that is fiercely competitive and benefits the agents he supervises and the clients he represents, he has a duty to understand it and successfully implement it. This requires instruction and time. Despite the modifications, he has a very specific morning ritual that involves drinking coffee while facing the sun and remaining open to the breeze, the temperature, and the sounds of nature. Although he doesn’t actually meditate, it does allow him to clear his head before the day gets hectic and his head fills with thoughts. He likes to exercise for at least an hour every day, and that may be anything from circuit training to walking to spinning to TRX. In order for his wife and him to spend time together as a pair, they usually work out together. He has a lot going on at home to keep things in balance.
“We are home to seven dogs, so they also provide constant entertainment and distraction,” says Ian.
Being Consistent
Consistency in anything you do shows discipline and dedication, and I believe sincere people respect those who put in hard work on a regular basis rather than just when they feel like it. It can be all too easy to get complacent and give up while still projecting the image of a leader. While he could occasionally get away with it, over the long term, doing so will weaken the customers’ commitment to the principles and produce fractures in the company’s foundation.
Ian Hurdle suggests new leaders maintain their own motivation. It’s easier said than done, but if the field in which you’re a leader is your passion, finding new ways to stay motivated is more important than constantly reinventing the wheel.
Vision
In the Caribbean, Ian Hurdle has always imagined the brand expanding regionally. Given that island communities prioritise collaboration over competition and that natural disasters can affect this area, the possibility to offer clients numerous jurisdictions under a single brand has always appealed to him, especially if his team can persuade all offices to collaborate as a single unit. With their second office already signed in the Bahamas and due diligence conducted on numerous additional islands, the office in Turks and Caicos was always intended to serve as the cornerstone of growth. As soon as he hits one target, he pivots and sets up two new ones.
Ian thinks we remain motivated by goals. A pleasant by-product of achieving those goals is success. Depending on how well he hits his lesser targets, his eventual aim is a moving target. Finding the ideal partners in each country he identifies as having a viable market for the brand and services cannot be sped up through relationships.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
