As Explore Property celebrates its 10th anniversary, Elite Agent sat down with Network Founder, Andrew Acton, to discover the genesis behind the brand’s formation and where it’s headed next.
Andrew also shares the branding, community-building and consistent execution strategies that have helped his agents scale their businesses.
Let’s go back to the beginning, why did you want to start your own brand and what would you advise others looking to do the same?
I had been with a traditional franchise and I recognised the need for another path for business ownership.
I wanted something that bridged the gap between what I saw as a disconnected franchise and an isolated, independent agency.
Initially, I rebranded my single office under the brand we created, with a vision for something bigger.
We developed the brand, the marketing resources, and the operational platform.
With our hands-on experience in the industry, we set a course to align with talented people looking for a new business direction.
I don’t think my vision has changed much over the past 10 years, and that’s why we’ve thrived.
Staying focused over time is one of the most important things you can do to ensure success in your life.
A lot of what holds people back in their lives is fear.
What it comes down to is just taking that step and saying, “If I want to have a better life, and change my life, change is the path to growth and I just need to cut through the fear, show some courage and set a new path”.
What have been the most significant milestones and how have they impacted the brand’s relationships with your business owners and agents?
Our first member office with Ben Chick in Mackay will always be a highlight.
He’s about to celebrate 10 years of business ownership at the start of next year.
Every new business or person that has joined us has been significant in my view. Every person makes a difference to what we are creating together.
We’ve had a steady stream of high quality people become agency owners here at Explore.
So many highlights in fact but some stand outs have been Kyle and Natiesha Olufson who were operating as a large independent in Cairns rebrand to us five years ago, Steve Marks , one of regional Qlds best agents join from a large franchise to open his own agency and just now we’ve opened in Yeppoon which is an incredible real estate market.
Every business and every organisation needs key leaders who share the vision and take the brand forward.
We’re in this together. We might fill different roles but we care about each other and do everything we can to make each other’s businesses successful.
One of our strengths is a supportive peer group.
Another defining moment was the development of our operational platform, which serves as a framework for agency direction and success.
How has the real estate industry changed over the past decade, and how has Explore Property adapted to those changes?
Unlike some, I don’t believe the industry has changed dramatically.
The key traits for success—ambition, self-awareness, and determination—remain consistent.
While the technology side of the business has certainly grown in importance, the fundamental characteristics of good operators have not changed.
The industry is always evolving, and it will continue to do so.
The key is to embrace the new tools and make them work for you, but ultimately, it’s the person you are and how you approach your life and business that creates long-term success.
There are a lot of agencies and agents right across Australia, what do you do differently so that the brand stands out?
We’re strong innovators in branding, which I think is often underestimated in the industry.
Effective, market-connected branding works above everything else.
People are visual, and the cleverness of our name— Explore — allows us to continuously evolve new marketing angles and collateral.
In a sea of sameness, having a clever, highly effective brand is a significant advantage.
We’ve recently completed a full brand refresh, providing extensive new marketing collateral for our members.
The decision to refresh a brand is always a big one, what was the impetus for the change and what does it say to your clients and partners?
As we reflect on reaching the 10-year milestone, we’re not looking back; we’re focused on where we’re going.
We needed a fresh and effective brand to carry us through to 2030 and beyond.
We’ve shifted towards a more prominent use of blue, and the entire colour palette now has a fresh, vibrant feel.
We’ve also placed greater emphasis on the word ‘Explore’.
Our brand is a registered trademark that we own, and the word ‘Explore’ opens up numerous marketing opportunities for us.
You can’t just do it for the sake of it, you have to understand the ‘why’.
We’ve fully revamped our marketing suite and tools for our people, to cut through all of the jargon and all of the ‘sameness’.
It has some penetration and I think that’s been a big help for our business owners.
Earlier, you mentioned ‘We’re in this together’. What did you mean by that?
Fostering a sense of community among our franchisees, agents and clients is something we strive for every day and we achieve this by being available.
It sounds simple, but transparency and availability are essential qualities we truly value.
We’re in this together, and we all know it.
We care about the company and each other, and when that’s genuinely who you are, it naturally expresses itself throughout the network.
What’s the secret to scaling your business and how can other agency owners do the same?
Just figure out who you are, what you stand for, and what you want. That’s it.
Once you have that clarity, apply yourself consistently over time.
What has been the most rewarding part of the past 10 years?
I’m humbled that people believe in us and value what we stand for.
We all seek acceptance and a sense of relevance, so having a strong footprint and reaching this 10-year milestone makes me grateful for the journey, with all its challenges and rewards.
What do you hope Explore Property looks like when celebrating 20 years in business?
We want to share what we’ve built with more people.
That’s our focus—we’re a company dedicated to helping people reach their potential, and our growth stems from that ambition.
If you had to ask me what I want to do in my life, I just want to reach my potential.
I don’t want to get to the 85 and think, ‘I probably had a bit more in me and I was a person who wanted to express myself, share things with people and contribute to people’s lives and I didn’t do it’.
That’s why I do what I do.
When you work with people that care about your future, anything is possible.
