28.5.2024. With the Fox LIVE.

It’s been only a week and we are reflecting on our first-ever, self-run live event here at WHITEFOX. We set out to provide something different to the marketplace and hold a live event where the audience could interact, listen, learn, laugh, and ultimately find value in the offering. With a keynote element, a live recording of our "With the Fox" podcast, a long-form interactive Q&A, and a VIP after-party – the brief was clear: make it bold.

We strategically designed our WTF Live to take place at the incredible Calile Hotel in Brisbane. This was for two reasons: first, to piggy-back off the AREC Conference being held on the Gold Coast and capture real estate professionals keen to immerse themselves in our world and upskill. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, we were going to launch a brand-new Brisbane office, and what better place to make this announcement than in the state itself, at its most iconic hotel.

In planning the event, we realised that we have so many incredible, insightful, and powerful voices associated with our business who can connect with and provide value to a variety of professionals. Utilising their voices in a forum like this made perfect sense. Marty himself can connect through his storytelling with everyone from agents, advocates, stylists, builders, developers, and other business owners, and is an expert at off-the-cuff presentations. Lana Samuels has become a powerhouse in the industry, recently being named among the top 100 agents in the country, and can speak to the non-traditional path to real estate success. Ryan Smith, a recent addition as co-Sales Director of our Perth office, can discuss the challenges and achievements of opening a new branch of an existing business in a busy marketplace currently in the middle of a strong sales cycle. Lastly, with a strong relationship existing between WHITEFOX and his brand, Director and founder of GRAYA, Rob Gray – a Brisbane local himself – could provide insights into the world of building and development. Hosted by our Content and Media Manager, Shura Taft, we felt we had the perfect mix of voices to cover the variety of topics we had planned, appealing to the diverse audience we would attract.

We designed the VIP after-event to give an even more intimate opportunity for attendees to rub shoulders with and connect to our powerful network

The day began with guests being welcomed to the Calile by our wonderful support staff, where they were given a "With the Fox" branded Fressko coffee cup and some morning tea, and were encouraged to network with other attendees.

The room quickly filled, and the event started with a welcome from Shura and an introduction of Marty. For the next 40 minutes, the crowd was treated to the inner workings of Marty’s mind and experience, with no topic out of bounds. We delved into his development from agent to CEO, the fundamentals of WHITEFOX and the brand behind it, the mindset required to succeed in business, and much more. Next up, Lana Samuels was welcomed to the stage where we talked to her about her rise through the ranks from Marty’s EA to Sales Director of WHITEFOX Bayside and her recent announcement as one of the top 100 agents in Australia.

This was followed by a live recording of our "With the Fox" podcast where Rob Gray and Ryan Smith joined Marty, Lana, and Shura for an hour of chat covering agency, sales, property development, leadership, team building, and more.

Lunch followed, giving attendees the chance to refresh, reboot, eat some delicious food, and catch up on what was a morning full of lessons and learnings.

The afternoon started with a Q&A session full of incredible questions from our guests. Given the room was full of not only agents but also advocates, developers, stylists, and business owners, they were keen to gain insights from all of our experts. We welcomed CFO of WHITEFOX, Rory Stumbles, to the stage to discuss the financials and JV model WHITEFOX undertakes regarding our expansion and the current setup of office hierarchy, as well as touching on market and economic drivers. A surprise FaceTime then greeted our guests as Gavin Rubenstein called in fresh from an appearance at AREC, to give a few nuggets to the crowd. Marty’s mother, Linda, also graced us over FaceTime, giving her renowned no-nonsense advice. Rob Gray’s brother and business partner, Andrew, also jumped up to answer a number of development and site acquisition questions.

The other exciting development from the day was a question asked by the crowd about expansion, which allowed Marty to announce we are going to open our 11th office and first in Queensland – in Brisbane – with the site also announced as being in the prime position of 1 James Street. This news was met with a few gasps and some celebration, as clearly several professionals in the room had been waiting for this to become a reality.

We ended up 30 minutes past our scheduled finish time as attendees were keen to learn more. As a team, we felt hugely fulfilled knowing there was such a thirst for our panel's experience and knowledge.

With the event officially concluding around 4pm, many stuck around to continue to network with our experts and each other.

For most, that was when the day concluded, but for a small number of VIPs, they were joining us at an intimate and exclusive dinner that evening at Bianca restaurant, across from the hotel.

The night session had a completely different vibe as guests were up close and personal with our carefully assembled team. We wanted the attendees to be able to get much more granular with the likes of Marty, Lana, Rob, Ryan, Rory and our Peninsula Sales Director Lloyd Hillard. Guests were treated to stunning food and drink and something akin to speed dating, where they were able to switch seats and vary the expert they could spend time with. Leaving with a wealth of information, a Hugo Boss voucher, and a monogrammed Kinnon leather compendium, the feedback from everyone was that they loved every moment of the night.

We are incredibly proud of our first "With the Fox" live event. We set out to put on an event that was true to who we are as a brand and to offer the marketplace something a little different. It was also an exciting opportunity to announce the opening of our next office in Brisbane, due later this year.