The question of whether trust can be developed has long puzzled real estate leadership. For John Cunningham, managing director of Cunninghams on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the answer lies in recruitment practices and the criteria used to reward performance.
In a recent episode of The Edit, Cunningham and co-host Chris Hanley rejected the notion that trustworthiness is either innate or untrainable. Their approach begins with hiring decisions, focusing not only on a candidate’s skills but on how they reflect on their work and its broader impact. When interviewing candidates, Cunningham does not dismiss ambitious goals, such as targeting a million dollars in gross commission income.
Instead, he shifts the conversation toward their long-term vision. “Now let’s discover more about you,” he explains. The discussion then turns to whether the candidate has drafted a business plan, what they aim to accomplish beyond individual sales, and their willingness to learn. This method uncovers whether applicants think critically about their career trajectory or simply recite expected responses.
A rehearsed answer about “hard work” or “client focus” provides little insight, but a candidate who ties their goals to a larger purpose—such as how they will contribute to the team or grow professionally—reveals their character under pressure. Trust, according to Cunningham and Hanley, is not something that can be taught in a classroom. It emerges from the decisions people make when faced with stress, tight deadlines, or high-stakes client interactions. Leaders must observe how individuals respond in these moments, both within their teams and in their own behavior.
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Hanley emphasizes that trust begins with the type of candidates an agency recruits. While sales performance matters, he prioritizes how candidates engage with others. Some agents succeed by dominating the market, while others excel by supporting their teams. Both approaches can lead to success, but the latter often shapes a company’s culture over time. Neither expert claims experience eliminates the risk of poor hiring decisions.
However, they stress the importance of thorough candidate assessments and recognizing when a hire is mismatched. “Define the role and look for potential,” Cunningham advises. Chris adds persistence and evidence of overcoming challenges to the qualities he looks for in a salesperson. He calls it their motor: the capacity to keep going through the years of work that sit behind a successful sales career.
How Agents Guide Clients Through Uncertainty
At its core, an agent’s role involves guiding clients from uncertainty to informed decisions, whether through property listings, offer evaluations, or other transactions. Cunningham describes this as moving clients “from the unknown to the known.” Hanley reframes it as providing guidance rather than merely delivering feedback. The distinction lies in offering not just past client experiences but also expert interpretation and support. This shift in approach influences how agents communicate and builds client trust.
Cunningham’s framework, observation, initiative, and creativity, serves as a practical tool for decision-making. It encourages agents to notice changes, assess their significance, and take deliberate action rather than operating on autopilot. Applied to client interactions, teamwork, or time management, this approach ensures intentionality in every decision.
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Leaders Must Watch Behavior Under Pressure
Cunningham’s perspective on trust extends to how leaders handle team challenges. When people are stressed, the choices they make can reveal more than the values they describe when conditions are comfortable. The discussion places responsibility with leaders to pay attention to those choices, including their own.
This focus on consistent behavior sharpens the recruitment process. Cunningham advises against leading candidates with scripted questions. Instead, he designs conversations that reveal their true priorities. For example, if an agent mentions “building a strong network,” he might ask, Who in your current network would vouch for that? or What’s the last time you helped someone else close a deal? The responses often expose whether their claims align with actual actions. Hanley reinforces this by treating persistence as a hiring filter.
Trust Starts With Measurable, Repeatable Actions
To assess trust in its early stages, both experts avoid vague metrics. Cunningham suggests tracking specific, repeatable behaviors: Does the agent follow through on commitments? Do they admit mistakes? Do they seek help when needed? Hanley simplifies the approach by observing how candidates treat those who do not directly impact their success, such as receptionists, junior agents, or clients unlikely to refer business again. Their actions in these interactions, he argues, predict how they will behave with high-value clients or partners. The key, Cunningham concludes, is to design roles and expectations around observable actions rather than abstract outcomes.
