Paul Tonich: The Force of One

Former protector of the people, Paul Tonich, took the skills and life lessons he learned in the police force and applied them to his real estate business. He is now WA’s number one real estate salesperson as voted by the REIWA.

Paul Tonich’s family business thrived because hisparents would put the customer first, interacting strongly with them and giving them more than they paid for. “People knew they were never the cheapest, but were always available, first to open and last to close,” says Paul of his parents’ success. “Mum and Dad were a great example of Just Do It, but with five kids to feed, I suppose motivation was never an issue.” It was a fantastic lesson to have learnt at an early age and Paul has applied it ever since.

Though the business provided good grounding, Paul’s first real calling was to serve and protect. At 17 he joined the WA police force, where he served 10 years developing specialist skills in high-level investigations through his work as detective and police investigator. “The police force was an amazing chapter of my life which I am extremely grateful for,” he says. “The personalities, cultures, environments, tragedies, death, destruction, fear, mateship and amazing situations I was faced with gave me a maturity beyond my years. I strongly believe this period of my life gives me my business edge.”

His time with the police taught him many things: never assume anything, preparation is everything, be a solution- based thinker, research is paramount, surround yourself with trustworthy people, no problem is bigger than you, always look people in the eyes, “No” means I just don’t understand, a persons’ motivation is the secret to your success, stay
accountable, responsible and punctual and never, never, give-up or give-in.

Into the property game

During his time in the force, Paul bought his first property and enjoyed the experience so much he continued to play the market. A close friend’s father had an independent agency and at the age of 26 approached Paul with a job offer. “I had lost my drive after having been exposed to some internal police politics and the thought of working within another field of passion excited me.”
Eight years ago the average age of a real estate agent in Perth was about 52. Paul was amazed at how comfortable the industry had become: it lacked innovation, planning, technology or, as he believes, any serious levels of energy or enthusiasm. “I definitely didn’t conform with the industry flock and soon received criticism for bucking the boring, basic systems that were in place.”

He was labelled a trouble-maker, but ‘making trouble’ seemed to be paying off and referral business started to flow in. “I reminded myself of what former super coach Rick Charlesworth once said to me: “Don’t make the popular decision, make the best decision. My gut feeling was telling me what I was doing was right.”

Read the full article in the current issue of Wealth Creator with Lachlan Murdoch on the front cover. Out Now!