Navigate the Property Maze: How Buyer's Agents Transform Your Real Estate Journey

What exactly does a buyer's agent do, and why might you need one for your next property purchase? This candid conversation with three of the Sunshine Coast's leading buyer's agents—Murray McCarthy, Aaron Thompson, and Keeta Gibson—lifts the curtain on one of real estate's most valuable yet misunderstood professions.

From diverse backgrounds spanning corporate property development, IT, and sales, these professionals share their journeys and why they're passionate about leveling the playing field for property buyers. They tackle the biggest misconceptions head-on, including the myth that their services are only for the wealthy elite. As Aaron reveals, "I've helped an elderly couple from New Zealand buy a $760,000 house... so at any price point we can help buyers."

The conversation delves into their day-to-day challenges and successes, revealing how buyer's agents save clients not just stress but significant money. In one compelling example, Aaron shares how he saved clients $100,000 by finding an off-market property just days before they were set to bid at auction on a less suitable home.

Learn how these professionals wear multiple hats—from negotiator to counselor to local area expert—all while maintaining independence from selling agents. They explain how their deep connections provide access to properties before they hit the market, and how their negotiation skills and market knowledge help clients buy with confidence.

Whether you're a first-time buyer intimidated by the process, a busy professional without time to house hunt, or an interstate investor seeking local expertise, this episode provides invaluable insights into how a buyer's agent might be the secret weapon you need for your next property purchase. Tune in to discover if partnering with a buyer's advocate could transform your real estate journey.

Episode Transcript

Amy (00:02):
Welcome to Beyond the Signboard, where you get the
opportunity to learn all thereis to know about your real
estate journey fromprofessionals who are passionate
about property.
I'm Amy Bennett, your host, andI look forward to providing you
with education, inspiration anda behind-the-scenes look at the
world of real estate.
Well, welcome to Beyond theSignboard with a very exciting

(00:33):
first for the series, which is Iactually have three guests
today, which is awesome.
So we have the amazing KeitaGibson, murray McCarthy and
Aaron Thompson, all exceptionalbuyers agents here on the
Sunshine Coast.
So welcome everyone.

Aaron (00:49):
Thank you, amy, thanks for having us.

Amy (00:50):
Lovely to be here, so exciting.
So I was just saying off airthat it's the first time that
I've had more than one guest.
So this will be a lot of funand it was really interesting.
As my guests all came to theoffice, some of my team said, oh
, you've got three buyers agentson all at once.
And I said you know, like,ultimately, isn't that the gift

(01:11):
we have on the Sunshine Coast isreally a united group and
really, you know, I always sayrising tide lifts all boats.
So I really appreciate you allcoming.
What we're going to do today isreally unpack what a buyer's
agent is.
For some people it's a familiartopic.
For some of our listeners it'sgoing to be a brand new
discovery for them.

(01:31):
We're going to chat about howyou got to be in the position
you are, I guess, your keypoints of difference.
We'll chat about the appetitefor the market at the moment,
some misconceptions and myths,and then also get to know you
all, so welcome.
What we're going to do first iswe're just going to have a, I
guess, a bit of a chat of howeach of you got to being a
buyer's agent.

(01:52):
But I will sort of preface thatwith essentially, I guess my
take on a buyer's agent and feelfree to expand.
But essentially a buyer's agentis somebody that represents a
purchaser in the market.
So they may be somebody that'stime poor, they may lack
confidence in havingconversations with agents, which
is very normal.
They may not be here on theSunshine Coast.

(02:14):
So there's a myriad of reasonswhy I mean I am a very strong
advocate for buyers agents,which you all know, and I
personally would use one becauseessentially I'm time poor, but
also I feel and I personallywould use one because
essentially I'm time poor butalso I feel like sometimes I'm
too close to the industry aswell.
So you know, somebody may usethey may be based on the coast,
but they may use a buyers agentelsewhere.

(02:36):
So that's my take.
I'm happy for you each toexpand, but look, what we'll do
is we'll chat through, like Isaid, where from to where you
are now.
So we'll start Murray with you.

Murray (02:48):
Great.
Well, I've had quite thejourney, I have to say.
So I started off with acommerce law degree, so I worked
at a big international law firm, and then I'll do the express
summary.
But then I was companysecretary, legal counsel for
Multiplex and by working,working there, I had the
opportunity to move into thedevelopment space for Multiplex.

(03:08):
I did London's tallestresidential tower, came back
worked at Shell and then I wentdown to Stockland and I did all
their townhomes, about 400townhomes on their master plan
communities, and I was atStockland for about five years.

Amy (03:22):
And that was in.

Murray (03:23):
In Sydney yes, so I've worked all around the place,
yeah, and then I had theopportunity to come up to the
Sunshine Coast to run the citycentre for Walker Corporation.

Amy (03:34):
Yeah, so that's in Maroochydore the brand-new CBD.
Correct, yes, so the?

Murray (03:38):
brand-new CBD, so a real journey, which was really good.

Amy (03:42):
And always property-focused journey which was really good.

Murray (03:46):
And always property focused, always property focused
.
I always loved property, yeah,and when I came up from Sydney
at the time grew up in Brisbane,but when I came up from Sydney
I sort of saw that there's anopportunity for a bit more
sophistication on the waterfront.
Yes, and so I started to buyproperties on the waterfront.
So Malula Drive was my firstone and I did that up and it
sort of validated what I thoughtand in terms of bringing a bit

(04:07):
of style and sophistication andwe did quite well there.

Amy (04:10):
Yeah, so you were project managing that as well.

Murray (04:14):
Yeah, Wonderful, absolutely.
And then we bought one onSunbird Chase, which was a
north-facing block, and we setthe record down in Pariera,
slash, kewana Island for thehighest price sale at the time.

Amy (04:28):
So Murray has a good eye for property.

Murray (04:30):
Yeah, good eye for property and so we've got
another project on the go inBudrum now at the.
Moment.

Amy (04:36):
And first job.

Murray (04:37):
First job that I ever did myself outside of school.

Amy (04:41):
Yes, oh well, if there was one in high school.

Murray (04:44):
I actually worked at Brashers.

Aaron (04:46):
Okay, yes, I don't know if you remember that, but that
was actually a CD record company.
Yeah, that's gone back, so thisis a long time ago.

Murray (04:52):
Yes, Before you know, the internet was as much as a
thing, obviously, as it is nowI'm showing my age.

Aaron (04:58):
Yeah, yes, they.

Murray (05:00):
you know, it's got a song and it's got love in it or
something like that, and thenyou'd have to try to understand
what the song was and you'd flipthrough the book Whoa Like a
catalogue, even to this day thatI know Madonna's Warner, which
is pink, which therefore I godown and I pick the CD out and
hand it out.

Amy (05:17):
Wow, that's awesome.
Crazy things like that.
Yeah, that's so good.
I remember where I grew up herein the hinterland.
I had a retrovision with thereand when CDs came out there was
about 10 to choose from eachyear.
So my husband always talksabout, too, going to HMV at the
Sunshine Plaza where you couldliterally, like you could take a
CD off the shelf, put it in andlisten to it.
So that's cool.

Murray (05:37):
That was fun.

Amy (05:37):
Brashers, there we go.

Murray (05:49):
And I think for me so I've been heavily very big
corporates my whole life, yes,and you reach an age where
you've got the opportunity toactually go out on your own.
So that enabled me to move intothe buyer's agent space,
because not only do I see it asan advisory role, which is very
similar to what I've done in thepast, but I transact myself.

Keeta (06:00):
Yeah.

Murray (06:00):
So I buy, renovate, I sell, so I have the confidence
to talk to people about whatthey should buy and shouldn't
buy.
Yeah, absolutely, and I've hada client who said Murray, we
love so much what you buypersonally, you buy what you
find me something that you wouldbuy, yeah, that's awesome.
And to renovate and stuff.
And so I've had clients likethat.

(06:21):
I've had such a broader rangeof different clients.

Amy (06:27):
Awesome and that's essentially where we connected
because I guess we shared ourjourney from corporate you know
working for, you know bigcorporations and I guess you
know that pull of being here onthe Sunshine Coast and what
community means.
Is there anything else that youwould like to add to what a
buyer's agent does?

Murray (06:40):
I think a good buyer's agent is someone who's got very
deep connections in the industry, because that's vitally
important if you want to findeverything you know, off market.
Pre-market on market.

Keeta (06:52):
Yeah.

Murray (06:53):
And to have that relationship and to have the
knowledge and understanding of asuburb is not necessarily one.
A house in one area is not in asuburb like Budrum.

Amy (07:02):
Yes.

Murray (07:03):
Versus.
You know, you might be at thetop of Budrum or you might be
down near Wises Road.
They're just different.
There's just different areasand you just have to understand
nuances and stuff.
So you need someone who hasthat understanding about
property and about locations tobe able to advise you on what is
a good purchase.

Amy (07:19):
So that's a great point, isn't it?
Because if I think about youknow, obviously sometimes we
just think at a localperspective.
But if you know, you thought,hey, I'm going to invest in
Townsville.
You're exactly right.
I mean, you know, I don't know,you know where the impacts are
for you know cyclones andeverything like that, or what's
a rougher end of town.
So great little addition,wonderful.
Let's head over to you, aaron,your career journey to where we

(07:40):
are now.

Aaron (07:41):
Career journey.
Well, it's been a lot of randomjobs, I will say, since high
school.
I'm 36 now.
I just feel like I finishedyesterday, but it was a while
ago.
I was initially from Brisbane,moved up to the coast in 2017
and I was working with a jobthat was at home and I think at
the time it was like realcutting edge.
I was like, oh, this is cool,I'm killing it.

(08:01):
I'm at home you know, makingmoney from the couch kind of.

Amy (08:04):
In your pyjamas.
Yeah, very much so.

Aaron (08:06):
Yeah, the underpants and anyway.
So that took me to the coast,right, because we were coming up
here regularly to visit themother-in-law and it was like
you know, it was on our visionboard and we're manifesting
let's move to the beach, and youknow, two months later we were

(08:26):
at the beach, sort of thing.

Amy (08:27):
Amazing.

Aaron (08:28):
And I loved that job.
It was really cool.
I learnt a lot.
I was a real and I think mywork ethic is shows but I'm a
real yes man, good or bad asthat sounds where I'd come in
and my role was my role.
But I wanted to learnabsolutely, absolutely
everything so I could makemyself like pretty, you know,
invaluable to the company, rightand and do it like that.
So if the boss was like, hey,could you help, yeah, cool, I'll

(08:48):
do that, or let me get on thefront, so you know, my, my
customer service role becamecustomer service, but then it
was sales account managementoperations yeah, it sounds
familiar yeah, and, and the jokewas that, like when, um, the
company's called red bookinspect carsalescom eventually
came and bought them, that whenthey were kind of trying to
explain my role to like the CEOand stuff like that, they were
like, well, this is his title,but we literally call him the

(09:10):
Jack of all trades, and then itwas kind of like a sort of a GM
position.
So it was really interesting andI was really, you know, stoked
to get myself into that positionbecause I was like, yeah, I can
do anything right, and thenfast-forwarding through that.
When COVID came to town, youknow it was pretty crazy.
No one knew what was going tohappen.
I was like, we're sweet, weweren't.
We all stood down for a monthand I was like, ooh, chewed into

(09:31):
the holiday pay and all thatsort of stuff.
And I think I was the first oneto pick up the phone.
I called the CEO and I said,look, barry, like I appreciate
what's going on in the world.

Keeta (09:42):
World is a bit mental, but I have financial, you know,
worries and and all that sort ofstuff.

Aaron (09:45):
So can I come back to work or I'm going to find a new
job and he goes, mate like love,your tenacity.
I've got this randomsanitization business idea and I
was like cool, know nothingabout sanitization, you know
what I mean and learned how tobuild like a Shopify website.
So it was me, the CEO and thehead of tech yeah and like I'm
just like you'm just like youknow, I felt like a what is it?
Small fish in a big pond, sortof thing.

(10:06):
I was like, wow, these heavyhitters.

Amy (10:08):
Yeah, but that courage to be able to just and that was
kind of you know.

Aaron (10:11):
Just I was like look, I've got nothing to lose here
because I'm just sitting at homelike we're just chilling
drinking wine on the couch.
So you know, learnt how tobuild a website.
Learnt how to sell sanitisationproducts, which was super
random.
Then obviously off the back ofCOVID.
A few new products came in.
I ended up taking the digitalstuff and ran with that for

(10:32):
probably 18 months to two yearsafter that I can't remember the
timeline.
It was a bit crazy, but yeah,that was kind of it, and then I
kind of just hit a wall withthat job where I was just like,
look, I kind of it.
And then I kind of just hit awall with that job where I was
just like, look, I've loved it,I feel like I've done everything
.
I didn't enjoy the way it wasgoing, sort of in the corporate
world.
You know things were getting cutand you know I just didn't

(10:54):
enjoy it.
I was like, oh, it's lost itscharm for me.
I like the fact that it wasonce a mum and dad organisation
I grew with.
It was just this huge beast andI was like, ah, this is it's
lost its charm to me.
And I was at that crossroads of, okay, cool, I want to make
more money and I don't know whatto do.
Where do I go from here?
So it was a bit of soulsearching.
I was, I probably.
To be honest, I was probably alittle bit lost for it for a

(11:14):
period of time and I wassurrounded by a lot of really
successful people, you know, alot of really close friends, and
I would always take inspirationfrom it, never took it in a
negative way, and I thought,well, I'm looking at all these
people that are successful andthey're doing different things
right.
So there's no one-size-fits-all.
Anyway so I was on my bestmate's Bucks party right as all

(11:35):
good stories start and I metthis guy Jordan Navy Box was his
name, and you know, hey, mate,how you doing.
I'm Aaron, I'm Jordan Having abeer.
What do you do?
I'm a buyer's agent.

Amy (11:46):
He was yeah.

Murray (11:46):
He was a buyer's agent.
That's what he said.

Aaron (11:48):
And I was like mate, what the hell is a buyer's agent?

Murray (11:50):
Probably said a few more expletives you know at this
point, but I was like what is a?

Aaron (11:54):
buyer's agent and he gave me and at the end of the
conversation I was like, yeah,like I think I could see myself
doing that.
That was kind of it.
Yes, you know, we cut ties thenand the weekend obviously got
out of control in the best wayand I come back to town and I
remember it was just sort of,you know, leading into these
events.
So I kept sort of seeing himand, I'll be honest, I wrote it

(12:16):
off.
I was like I just think this is.
I was so sort of naive at thetime.
I was like this is a fad, likeI don't know.
I was like this is for theultra rich, like this is I don't
know, I don't think it's goingto work, it's not going to work
up here, surely, and I wasreally dismissive of it, you
know, I'll be honest, and to thepoint where, like he sort of
you know offered me a job and Iturned it down.

(12:37):
I remember once and I was likeon becoming a finance broker
because that was the industry Iwas working in, sort of
alongside of, I should say, andI had so many job offers like
Sydney, brisbane, melbourne,gold Coast, but none on the
Sunshine Coast and I eventuallyfound one on the Sunshine Coast
didn't gel with the people atall.

(12:57):
I was like no, this is just, Idon't know, like I'm lost, still
right.
But I kind of knew that thiswas going to help me long term.
Anyway, again saw Jordan at thewedding and saw him at the
lads' cruise and saw him hereand saw him there and just kept
popping up and you know, as youdo with social media, you start
to dig a little deeper.
See this guy.
I thought he's a cool character.
There's something going on here.

Amy (13:17):
See, that's the thing, isn't it?
You can investigate this now.
I mean, you don.
You don't have to have a jobinterview.

Aaron (13:22):
Anyway, long story short got to the point where I was
like, look, I want it.
And there was a few otherpeople like my best mate knew
this guy, jordan, and it wassort of one of these things.
I had a few stars aligned rightand to the point where, like
I'd met, this was sort of rightbefore I started the job.
I was like, look, I'll catch upwith him again and I'll catch
up with Jarrod Cannon, who Iwork with on the coast as well,
who's been really really good,had like a catch up like this.

(13:44):
Sat down, they gave me thepitch, I was real honest with
them, they were real honest withme and I walked away from that
going yeah, I think that wassomething you have to say.
I was like I'm going to takethe job.
I was like I've got nothing tolose and anyway.
So I took the job and, you know,took a pretty decent haircut on

(14:07):
my pay at the time.
So I was pretty stressed inthat way and I just thought I've
got nothing to lose here and Ijust was like, well, you tell me
what to do and I'll go and doit, and that's all that ran with
it.
So Jared was like, look, go andtalk to agents, go and do this,
go and show up at open arms, goand be at auctions.

(14:29):
You know, talk to you veryearly on, right, and I was kept
showing up.
I think that was the biggestthing and probably the biggest
takeaway that I could give toanyone is like, if you make
yourself visible, you makeyourself there, you keep showing
up, keep showing up to agents,brokers, financial advisors, but

(14:50):
eventually these agents aregoing to go.
Man, this guy like he just keepsshowing up, like, keep showing
up, like he wants to buyproperty, he wants to work with
buyers, and that just became mything, was just like just being
mr visible and and I, like youknow, two and a bit years into
it, I'm still like that, right,I'm very chatty and and and
social and stuff.
So it kind of, you know, comefull circle where I thought I

(15:11):
wouldn't have no luck in this.
It's been really good becauseI'm like it suits my personality
to a t.
Yeah, I love that it's not thetypical nine to five, because I
never liked that.

Keeta (15:21):
I like that you could get something done at 10 o'clock at
night, we're all nodding ourheads.

Aaron (15:26):
And that's really cool, like I get a mad kick of you
know getting the deal done,getting that, getting the new
client and genuinely helpingsomeone.
That's like.
You know you can see someonewhen they really need the help
and you're like man, I can helpyou here.

Amy (15:43):
And I think it's such a good journey that you've been on
and I think you know that's whyall three of you are here,
because you all actually have areally beautiful journey but all
come from a really great placeof looking after your clients
and it's just such a synergywith what I do.
But, you know, like relivingyour journey, you know, I think
that's amazing.
You've always been very open aswell.
I guess, you know, withpersonal impression,
professional development and Ithink that's, you know, can

(16:04):
often be a really courageousstep.
But for you to be able toidentify and go, hey, I'm not
where I want to be, but whatdoes that look like?
You know we've caught up, youknow, countless times and you
always bring a notebook andyou're always open, you know, to
, I guess, ideas and inspirationand sharing that.
And exactly right, you know allthree of you repeatedly support
my business and that means somuch because you know,

(16:27):
ultimately, when you're, youknow, presenting an open home or
an auction or an event, youknow there's nothing more
wonderful than seeing smilingfaces and having that support.
But, like I always say, thatdoes take, you know, out.
You know I'm obviously one ofthe only people that does a
Friday night auction, so Iappreciate that that's taking
away from you know, whatever itis footy on the couch.
But no, that's an amazingjourney, aaron.

(16:48):
And you know really interestingisn't it when you know you are
pulled towards something.
You know, even with resistance.
I mean that's very much myjourney into real estate.
You know it was so misaligned Ifelt with who I was and my
values.
But you know, ultimately youencapsulated which is just hard
work, honestly, just showing upwhatever success is, any sort of

(17:09):
first job or something as ateenager.

Aaron (17:11):
Yeah, my first job.
I was just like 14, I think itwas, and my mum's friend owned
the Pizza Hut at IndooroopillyShopping.

Amy (17:18):
Centre.
Ah, not a bad gig.
Yeah, and my mum's friend ownedthe Pizza Hut at.

Aaron (17:20):
Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.
Ah, not a bad gig.
Yeah, so come in $6.25.
That was my first hourly rate.

Amy (17:24):
I thought that was the cost of the pizza.

Aaron (17:25):
I think they were quite cheap and yeah, again, I just
liked it Like it was fun, it wascool.
You know, I got to meet peopleagain, talk to people.

Amy (17:34):
Yeah.

Aaron (17:37):
What was your role?

Amy (17:37):
Oh look I did everything, jack of all trades.

Aaron (17:40):
No look, made the pizzas.
You know, Saturday morning I'dgo in there, we'd make them.
It was like the mini pizzas.

Amy (17:43):
We'd go in.

Aaron (17:44):
We'd make them.
We'd talk with a you know crabgetting fired up for the day,
and then you'd go out the frontand you would do it and I loved
it and look, 14, I was probablya little bit looser.
You all the stuff and you give afew free pizzas away to friends
and whatnot.
But it was fun.
I think it set the foundation.
It learnt a lot.
Obviously, dealing with youknow, even back then you're

(18:05):
dealing with customers, somethat are super nice, some that
are super aggressive.
You know different backgrounds.
You know again, we're all humanbeings.
I think that's really importantand it's so cool because I love
, I get excited about liketalking to people you know and
taking in different opinions andimpressions and all the stuff.

Amy (18:24):
So yeah, and I think as well too, like if you go back to
I think that's ultimately whatpeople crave is, you know,
conversation, support, building,trust.
I mean, look, I'm the firstperson to put my hand up and say
that you know you areessentially, you know,
protecting your clients fromundesirable agents, or I guess
you know the antics or the smokeand mirrors that happens in
this industry.
So, you know, I do genuinelybelieve you don't have, you know

(18:52):
, such a poor, I guess,reputation as agents do.
So I think that's reallyimportant.
But rapport building,handholding and I think you know
this is the most importantthing, that we never move away
from this being such a biginvestment for them as well.
Awesome Pizza Hut hey.
Who remembers the dine-in PizzaHut?

Keeta (19:06):
All you can eat I did Was mine's business profitable.
What did you eat?
Yeah, not $6.25.
I'll give away all the money.

Murray (19:12):
I didn't imagine you did that.

Amy (19:20):
At 14, that was pretty a lot of pizza.

Aaron (19:21):
Yeah, yeah, I think my first roll it was $5 something
and I literally used to get thepayslip like cash in the
envelope had the same thing, shewould rip it off and be like
cool $80.
Yeah, oh, no, it wasn't $80.

Amy (19:30):
I think it was doing like three hours in a pharmacy, oh
man so it was about $15 that I'dget, yeah, and then mum would
normally have a book where I'dlet that out, so that sort of
went straight away.
All right, keita.

Keeta (19:41):
Well, how do you follow that?
So I went to university and Istudied computer science, which
is nothing related to what I donow.
I spent some time overseas, inIreland and Canada, as an IT
manager and then, when I cameback to Australia I guess, long

(20:02):
story short I started my firstbusiness with my mum and we made
coasters.
They were called Kitas coasters, so they were because living in
Queensland, everything.

Amy (20:15):
Yeah, we need some coasters on the table right now.

Keeta (20:19):
My mum was an amazing sewer and or seamstress, and so
mum was the little factoryworker.
She didn't get paid and shemade all these prototypes.
We love mums.
So that was my first business.
We changed the name to Soak itUp Coasters Keita's Coasters
didn't stick, unfortunately.
And then I had a business, anonline business with my
sister-in-law.
So we had a full store that wasall natural and organic

(20:44):
products, everything fromnappies to saucepans.
So wash, hand wash anything,anything and everything, shampoo
everything.
So I did that with mysister-in-law.
And then after that I was afinancial planner a mortgage
broker and then started buyingproperty.

(21:06):
So after that I also was a sharetrader.
So I traded shares for a periodin time and then just fell in
love with property and went thisis my jam.
So I was a property flipper, soforming and storming
predominantly on the easternseaboard.
I did go over to WesternAustralia but it just felt too

(21:26):
far and looked at and researcheda lot of those mining towns
over there but just decided, oh,it's just too far.
So then, you know, in thatentrepreneurial spirit, founded
the company that I own and runnow, with purely the intent to
help buyers, give buyers anequilibrium in the buying stance

(21:49):
or in the real estate industry.
But the reason that I foundedthe company is because my family
and friends are saying well,hang on a minute, what are you
doing, can you help us?
And then with the TV show LuxListingsings, buyers' agencies
became a thing.

Amy (22:03):
Yeah, absolutely, and they're selling Sunset in
America yeah.

Keeta (22:07):
So yeah, with all of that , it was just like hang on a
minute, this makes sense.
And with the love of property,it was like, oh, this is just,
this is fantastic.
And with my analytical,analytical background in IT and
project management, like we weresaying, you become that
overseer and you sort of becomethe project manager, if you will

(22:27):
, of the transaction, with thebest interest of your client at
heart, absolutely yeah.

Amy (22:32):
That's such a good encapsulation, I guess, of your
IT background because I'm asuper nerd, like I am living on
spreadsheets and everything anda lot of people don't sort of
believe that with me, but verymuch I'm process driven.
And someone said something theother day about oh, you have to
have this process in 20 steps.
I was like it's in my brain.
So I think that also provides areal peace of mind for your

(22:54):
clients.
So they know that you're on topof what is the next step and
you've got the ability to reallymanage through the process as
well.

Keeta (23:02):
First job I grew up on a farm, so my dad was a sheep and
grain crop farmer.
So we had lots of animals andone of them was a cow.
So my first job was milking thecow and then we had to separate
the cream.
Yes, so it was selling thecream to the bus driver and any
teacher that was in the vicinity.

(23:24):
When we got to school they gotcream too.

Amy (23:26):
There you go.
Do you have to get up early tomilk the cow?
Yes, such a city slicker Likevery early, right?

Keeta (23:34):
Yes, yes, not to go on about it, but yeah, so that's my
work ethic.
Yes, growing up on a farm.

Amy (23:42):
Yes.

Keeta (23:43):
You never sleep literally .
You're up before the sun getsup and you go to bed way after
the sun goes down and you justwork.

Amy (23:51):
And that's your family.
Has always been like that Ahundred percent which is good
and bad.

Keeta (23:55):
Don't get me wrong.
Like, yeah, I'm probably alittle bit of a workaholic as
well, but there's also that workethic that is definitely
ingrained in having thatupbringing.

Amy (24:04):
Absolutely, that's amazing.
Whereabouts was the farm?

Keeta (24:07):
Just back on that cow thing.
Yes, just so you know.

Murray (24:10):
Yes.

Keeta (24:11):
You have to tie the cow's tail back, because if you don't
tie, the cow's tail back.
Do you guys know this?

Aaron (24:16):
No, but he tied it too.

Keeta (24:18):
Well, you have to.

Aaron (24:19):
You put the cow next to a rail and you put them in there
and they pretend to eat yeah.

Keeta (24:24):
And then you have to get their tail and tie it to the
rail, because if you don't, youonly have to sit here and tie it
down.
They will fall, flick theirtail and it hits you, whips you.
Wow, yes, hot tip I like it.

Amy (24:35):
That's so good, we're learning a lot today.
That's epic.
And I always, when it's sofunny because you're such an
early bird, right like even now,like I'm not an early bird, I'm
definitely a stay awake, youknow, well past midnight.
And it's so funny becausesometimes I'll open Facebook and

(25:01):
Keita's, you know, gives asnapshot of the beach.

Murray (25:02):
And it's three hours ago and you know what time does she
wake up?
What about you guys, earlybirds or late to bed?

Amy (25:04):
no, I'm definitely early bird because I cycle, yeah, okay
, so I love to cycle, yeah youknow might cycle from from uh
Budram to Noosa and back, orbefore work like that before
work as you do, yeah.
Aaron.

Aaron (25:15):
No cycling.

Amy (25:17):
Hey, you are a marathon man , right?

Aaron (25:18):
Yes, yes, yes, in a different life I ran a marathon.
Thanks for bringing it in.

Amy (25:22):
I appreciate that I'll take it.
If you've done it and you'vegot the medal right, I still get
it.

Aaron (25:26):
I'll be keeping that forever.

Keeta (25:27):
Yeah, I'll take that to the grave One and done.

Aaron (25:29):
Um, no, no no.
I've always yeah, it's thebiggest battle.
I'm like I know how much likesleep is important for health,
blah, blah, blah blah.

Murray (25:41):
But I think cause you work like pretty much from dawn
or when you get up.

Aaron (25:43):
it's not dawn for me, but when you get up to probably
nine or 10 o'clock is prettystandard for me and then I just
like to sit down.
I'm back into the wrestling,you know, and I'm just we sit
down, we watch some wrestlingand it's just like, okay, now I
can just chill for an hour andthen it's bed.
So I probably sacrifice alittle sleep just to enjoy my
hobbies, you know, outside ofwork.

Amy (26:01):
I think we all run our own race, don't we?
And I think what we've all kindof discovered is that that
allows us all to essentially,you know, live our best life,
but we also are all in a rolethat, you know, accommodates
that Like.

(26:21):
It sounds like we've all sat ata nine to five desk, which I
don't think is any of our forte.
So I'd love to, I guessprobably let's get straight into
a really hot topic, which ismisconceptions and myths about
the industry, and then we'llkind of chat through a bit of a
day in the life.
So, keita, are you happy?
I know you've already got amyth ready to share.
I do.

Keeta (26:36):
So for me, the biggest misconception is that the
buyer's agent is in partnershipwith the real estate agent, so
we are at arm's length in anytransaction, in any acquisition,
in any purchase.
So I think it's also importantto understand that we or I, we
buyers agents we need realestate agents in our life,

(26:57):
selling agents.
I typically call them sorrybecause we just do.
You have those relationshipswith sellers, we have
relationships with buyers.
So I think that it's reallyimportant for people to
understand that we don'tnecessarily hey, amy, let's just
any, you know, let's just do aback-end deal and you know we'll

(27:18):
get this done for both of us.
That's absolutely not the waythat it works.
When I'm in that sphere.
It's all about having trustedrelationships and knowing that
you absolutely were there to getthe deal done.
We're in the business of buyingproperties, but we need selling
agents in our lives.

Amy (27:34):
It's great.
I was really amazed when yousaid that off air, because this
is why we have the podcast is tolearn all of these things.
And I guess you know you haveperceptions, don't you, and
everything like that.
But yeah, certainly I think youknow, ultimately, and even you
know, obviously you know you maysay as well that the selling
agent is only there for theseller, but the reality is there

(27:54):
is no deal without two partiesthat win in a transaction and
ultimately, I find the bestthing is if there is, you know,
a buyer's agent there who haspre-qualified and done the work
with their client, it just makesfor a smoother transaction.
I would definitely say there'snever, you know, favouritism or
anything like that, butgenerally, generally, I find you

(28:14):
can present a cleaner deal tothe client and essentially our
role, as you know, a sellingagent, is to minimise stress in
the process, make it as seamlessas possible and get to the end
result, For whatever that is forthem, it's either, you know
obviously, time or money.
I genuinely believe you can'thave both, especially in this
market, but ultimately, you know, I think that it's a great

(28:36):
education piece for your clients, but also for my clients too,
because essentially I often findthey're the same too.
They'll get a bit miffed.
They're like, hey, why are youdoing that for them when,
ultimately, it's about everybodyhaving a positive experience?
So great myth or misconception,aaron.

Aaron (28:52):
I've probably got a couple, the first one being that
.

Amy (28:55):
Such an overachiever.

Aaron (28:57):
The first one being that it's easy to be a buyer's agent.
It's kind of like just go andget a piece of paper and take
someone's money and get theirbrief and make $25,000, $30,000
plus a month.
It's not like that.
It takes time to forge theserelationships with key people in
the industry like yourself, andyou know where do you get your
buyers from.
It's not like there's thisplace.

(29:18):
You can just get online andpick them.

Amy (29:20):
So and also from their perspective.
You know, I think the challengethat you've got with an
industry is people don't knowabout the service or they don't
know they need it so you knowit's not like we're operating it
.
You know, fast forward 10 yearswhen everybody's using one, and
it's literally going throughreviews.
It's really about thateducation piece first and
foremost.

Aaron (29:38):
Yes, there's so much education.
I think when I came in, likemyself, even just talking to
agents, because some agents werelike, oh what?
It's almost like you're incompetition with them.
It's not like that.
You know obviously it's twoprofessionals now instead of one
professional and the buyers.
But I think we've all kind oftouched on it.
We all work late, we all get upearly and we're all work, work,
work, you know, and that'sawesome.
But I just in my world, youknow, I want to be successful

(30:01):
and I've got ambitious goals andstuff, and I just don't see
this where you can just sort ofhalf-ass it, so to speak, and
still be really good.

Amy (30:08):
Yeah, that's a great take because obviously that's also
real estate, especially if youlook at the last few years and I
say this repeatedly on thepodcast, but I always say I
could put my two pugs out thefront of a house a few years ago
and they could have sold it.
So we definitely had a wave ofpeople entering the industry,
doing a five-day course andessentially, I guess, probably

(30:30):
sitting at a desk thinking, okay, well, when does the phone ring
or when do I get a, you know, aluxury vehicle.
So I completely understand Ithink that's a really fair call.
Do you get approached by people?
Do you think you kind of makeit like look easy Maybe.

Aaron (30:46):
I think social media is probably one of those things
where people say oh, we justbought this house we've just
done this or we're at a reallyfancy house doing an inspection,
people house doing aninspection.
people go, oh, that looks cool,that's pretty rock star, but
there's a, there's a lot ofother houses in between that,
that five plus million dollarhouse, you know, um, on the
water at bedena or somethinglike that.
So, um, I, you know again,being a night owl.
It's good, because I don't, Ilike working at night, so like

(31:07):
I'm, I'm rarely home beforeprobably 7, 7, 30, and I'm
always at things after dark, youknow, and I'm always just, you
know again, just making yourselflike visible, right, but yeah,
getting people now more, it'sfunny, right, like being a
buyer's agent, right, evenfamily members, oh, so how many
houses did you sell last week?
You're like not one.

Murray (31:25):
Yeah, I've never sold a house in my life.
I'm a buyer's agent, you know,and people are like what, tell
Right?

Aaron (31:31):
But then, just you know, recently a guy used to live next
door to him off a beach.
I bumped into him twice now, attwo different acres probably.
So I'd just recently purchasedsomething in Landsborough for
these guys, so they had a verysimilar brief, you know.
I said, look, you know I'mhelping these guys right now,
but you know I'd love to chat.
And they were like oh, I thinkwe need some help.
How long have you been looking?
Twelve, kind of really knowwhat you're doing, you know.

(31:52):
So I think there is that workto be done where people just
it's not everyone knows what asales agent does, right?
generally speaking, but mostpeople, I don't think,
understand what a buyer's agentdoes, and you know there's a lot
of work that goes into being abuyer's agent.
Oh, absolutely, some briefs area bit more cruisy, but you know
a lot of them are verydifficult.
You know if someone's beenlooking for a house for five

(32:13):
years.

Amy (32:13):
There's a reason.
Well, yeah.

Aaron (32:16):
And it's about us to delve deep into that.
I'm really buyer centric, so Iget, you know, really talkative
with my buyer.
I try to really like draw stuffout of them what's you know,
not just the house, but what'stheir lifestyle, look like, you
know what do they do on theweekends, and try to piece it
together like that andultimately it helps me get
results quicker with thosebuyers.
So yeah, and then just to touchon the other one.

(32:36):
Sorry, I don't want to take uptoo much time, but I think I
mentioned earlier, like Ithought it was for the ultra
rich.

Amy (32:41):
Yeah, that's a great misconception.
That is a big misconception.

Aaron (32:45):
I mean I helped an elderly couple from New Zealand
buy a $760,000 house inClarendra West the other day
right.
Amazing.
So I think I've done $530,000,being the smallest one.
So at any price point we canhelp buyers.
You know and I think it justcomes back to other issues right
, are they time?
Poor interstate, have they felta bit of pain in the market?

(33:06):
Other people just don't want todeal with it.
You know, they're scared ofagents, they're scared of
auctions, all these things.
So yeah, the fact that it's notjust for the ultra rich, it's
for everybody.

Amy (33:15):
That's awesome.
And look, I would say more andmore in my conversations that I
know I've mentioned to you eachlike at the end of every buyer
inquiry I'll always say, wouldyou like me to introduce you to
a buyer's agent?
But ultimately the I guesswhere I'm referring the most
people is actually in thosereally hot price points.
So you know, that sort of firsthome buyer where you know
obviously there's 30, 40 peopleyou know at a viewing or

(33:38):
submitting offers, and so Iactually think that that's a
really good.
You know, that's what I say toprospective buyers.
Like you're in a position wherethere's a lot of people and
especially if it's a home that'ssort of like single story,
modern, you know, close to thebeach, like it's kind of like
what everybody wants, and so Ithink that you're exactly right.
You know it isn't just somebodythat's time poor in Melbourne

(34:00):
or overseas that's coming back.
So awesome, murray.
Any myths or misconceptions?

Murray (34:05):
I think so.
I think there's a misconceptionby many buyers that they're
property experts.

Amy (34:11):
Yes.

Murray (34:12):
And I don't need a buyer's agent.
I can go and buy something, andthey're actually not.
No, and they actually need abuyer's agent to help them find
something that's a fair price,that's a good location and all
those type of things which we do, and so that's something that I
find really quite important ineducating particular people,
especially if they're time pooror they're not locally, all

(34:35):
those type of things that we'vetalked about.
It's educating them about that.
Hey, you may not be best placedto look for a property which is
a serious investment for manypeople especially if it's their
principal place.

Amy (34:47):
And where do you think they're sourcing their
information?
Like, do they kind of give youan insight or it's you know?

Murray (34:52):
I think buyers in general are obviously a lot more
savvy than, say, 20 years agoAbsolutely and that's obviously
just simply because of thevolume of information that you
can find online or differentthings like that.
But no one can beat a buyer'sagent with a finger on the pulse
.
All the you know theconnections and the agents that
you know.
Like I myself would use abuyer's agent if I'm time poor

(35:16):
and you know.
People talk about fees.
Everyone talks about the fee.
Oh, why do I need to pay a feefor a buyer's agent?
But the brutal reality is forwhat you pay and what you get is
actually a really good valueproposition.

Amy (35:28):
Absolutely, and I can't wait for us to sort of unpack
that, because I think that'sagain that's with anything,
isn't it?
You get what you pay for.
And I think, ultimately, youknow, like I always say well, I
guess we can just delve into itnow with fees is that I always
have found that buyers, agents,you charge.
Obviously, we'll kind of justtouch on it broadly, but you
know, my understanding is thatgenerally a client will pay a

(35:50):
fee to secure your services andthen on the successful purchase
of a property, they pay you apercentage of the sale, which
would vary.
But what I've always understood, or I guess I've seen, is that
because of your relationshipsand access to and we'll talk
about off-market properties,generally, you are saving the
buyer.
You're also helping them withtheir finance and everything

(36:11):
like that.
So they've got cleaner termsand therefore can offer less.
And you know, essentially, youknow I always say it's the same
with what I offer, I always aimto provide an experience that
exceeds what they pay.
That's the difference incommission and marketing.
So I guess it's an interestingthing, isn't it?
Because people don't know untilthey're at that stage, don't
they?
So they're taking a gamble.
You know they're taking thatsort of risk of that investment

(36:33):
and I think that's where thingslike today really helps, because
people can do a bit moreresearch but they can see who
you are as people and learn alittle bit more as well.
I also think buyers have TVshows, like you just mentioned.
Keita I in a former life was awedding planner.
It's the same thing.
I mean I can tell you you turnup to a wedding and the

(36:55):
mother-in-law, sister-in-law,grandma, everyone's a wedding
planner.
They kind of look at you likewhy on earth are you here?
I get the clipboard out andnext thing I've got like safety
pins or fixing some kind ofdrama.
But yeah, you don't know.
But I do always find that andI'm sure your buyers you know
they have your experience andthen no doubt they want to be a
buyer's agent as well.
I think as an industry as awhole, I'm sure you all agree

(37:18):
that we do make what we do lookreally easy.
I was absolutely sodden lastSaturday we had the crappiest
rain event here and you know Isent a picture to my husband.
I was like there is nothingglamorous about this kind of
weather and you know we've allhad those inspections at horror

(37:40):
properties and tenants in bed Ialways say I've had to
photograph tenants out ofproperties.
So look, it's certainly notglamorous or easy.
So we've spoken about the mythsor misconceptions.
Let's now chat about what youlove about your role.
I might throw back to you,murray.

Murray (37:56):
Well, I guess what I love about my role is because I
was always in such a defined youknow eight till six type of
role, and this allows me to beyour own boss, independent in
terms of flexibility, and you'remeeting people all the time.
Like I can talk to anybody andyou meet so many different
people, your brief is alwaysdifferent.

(38:17):
Yes, everyone has a littlenuance that you need to deal
with.
You have to change yourcommunication style with
different people because oftheir expectations, and so I
like the variety of the role andI just love looking at
different properties and beinginspired by going into oh wow, I
didn't realise that that wasthere, you know, in this little
pocket or something, so it'sreally amazing.

Amy (38:42):
So you're all I mean, it's so evident to me.
You're all personable people,right, like anyone that has the
courage to say yes to jumping ona podcast, thank you.
But also, I think that there isthat quest to help, but also
quest for ongoing knowledge,because, you're exactly right,
no two properties are the sameright, and it's always you move
from client to client.
But what I love is that you'veall got an interest and you're

(39:04):
all continuing your learning aswell, and it is really lovely,
isn't it, to consider thesehidden gems.
I know Aaron and I were talkingthe other day about a community
that I sell in and we kind ofspoke, didn't we, about a client
brief and also just expandingpeople's knowledge on what's out
there and what's here in ourbackyard.

(39:25):
Awesome, keita, what do youlove about your role?

Keeta (39:28):
So in the variances that we were just talking about, I
say to people that we wear manyhats as well, so we can be a
counsellor, we can be a marriagecounsellor.

Aaron (39:36):
we can be a motivator.

Keeta (39:38):
We wear all of these different hats literally because
we go on the buyer's journey,or the emotional journey, with
our clients, and so with myclients, I create a WhatsApp
group, and I have single peopleas well as married couples, and
what happens for me sometimes is, you know, we'll be talking
about the brief or we'll betalking about the properties,

(39:59):
and then I'll get a message onthe side outside of the group
more often than not from thehusband going.
She's not having a great dayjust so you know, and so I go.

Aaron (40:10):
okay, thanks for telling me.

Keeta (40:12):
So there's that as well.
But the thing that I genuinelylove, which we have all touched
on, is helping people Likethere's a satisfaction that
comes when you've had all thoselate lights and you've looked at
all those properties and youfind the one and it's signed,
it's done, the seller's signed,we've signed, we've negotiated,
we've gone through the journeyand then it's either the phone

(40:34):
call or the text message that Ireceive that my clients say
thank you, kida, we couldn'thave done it without you.

Amy (40:40):
Oh bless, yes, it's amazing , isn't it?
Because it's, I mean, it's oneof I mean, look, I always say
we're not saving lives, right,like I'm realistic, but it is a
rollercoaster, and you know it'sinteresting, isn't it?
I always ask kind of people,what's your sort of high point
of a transaction?
And you know, obviously youknow, for those that haven't,
you know, journeyed withproperty, obviously.

(41:01):
So our buyers agents here willsubmit an offer.
That offer will then go to theselling agent who will chat to
their clients.
It's obviously to and fronegotiating.
The best result from that is asigned contract, agreeable terms
.
Then, generally in Queensland,the buyer signs.
That now happens electronically.
It then goes to the seller.

(41:21):
Sometimes solicitors need toreview, sometimes banks.
You know this can be a drawnout process.
Once we then have a fullysigned contract, we then move
condition through condition.
So that's building and pestinspection.
So just when you thought it wassigned, sealed, delivered, you
get.
You know, in Queensland you getmould or water damage or no
termite barriers.

(41:42):
You know all of that jazz.
That's what.

Murray (41:44):
I've got now.
I've actually by 5 o'clock.
I've got to find out aboutbuilding and pest.
Okay, so we're just dealingwith that.

Amy (41:49):
So hopefully, and isn't it interesting though?
Because it becomes, you knowand this is where this you know
multi like having all of thesethings, because that's you know,
there's a lot of peopleinvolved in that your client,
the seller, everything as well.
The countdown's on, then you'vegot finance and you know we're
always at the mercy of thebank's delay.
So, anyway, once we get to anunconditional contract, you know
, yes, that's wonderful and agood celebration, but then we've

(42:12):
got to move the sellers out andhelp them navigate.
And then you know we help thebuyers, you know whether they're
connecting their power, all ofthose sorts of steps.
And then we get to settlement.
And you know, all going well,settlement generally is affected
in 30 to 45 minutes, butwhether that happens generally
not.
So best advice for buyerslistening, please don't have a
removalist truck on the drivewayon the day of settlement.

(42:34):
And then settlement happens.
And then you know we allobviously get paid as a result
from that.

Keeta (42:40):
So and sorry, just to add to that complexity with the C
word that was brought up, COVIDthere was the new clause that
was put into contracts thatallows either party to then
shift settlement for five days.
Correct, yeah, absolutely.

Amy (42:55):
Who did that?
Yeah, so then there's that aswell, right?

Keeta (42:58):
Correct, so don't have the removal track there.

Amy (43:01):
on settlement day because either party could go.
Oh, we're just going to pushthat Africa line.
Yeah with no, and so there's norebuttal on it.
Essentially, either side You'reexactly right.
I just don't talk about thatbecause it hasn't happened to me
yet.
My talk about that because ithasn't happened to me yet my
very first settlement.

Aaron (43:14):
That happened where the goalposts were moved and there
were older people and it waslike the brother that was there,
so they literally had a beddelivered.
This old boy is standing outthe back with the bed and it
just something blew up right.
It was a money thing and I'vegone to the property, met him,
helped him move the bed.
Yeah, and I was like look, andthe truck had to park up
somewhere random, like overnightand I think, just moving

(43:36):
forward, like I said to them atthe time, I said, look, I would
just wait until it's done andthen we'd get the moving truck,
but they jumped the gun and Iwas like, oh my God, and I was
like God.
I hope this doesn't happenevery time.

Amy (43:47):
Yeah.
But we do it all though you know, yeah, well, you learn, don't
you?
Like my biggest thing is writethe brand of the dishwasher or
inclusions in, because, you know, no doubt someone's going to
swap those out.
So, oh gosh, yeah, you're soright, though.
And so, again, we talk aboutthe highs and the lows and the
roller coaster of it.
So the testimonial at the end,which really is that deep breath

(44:10):
, isn't it into a property?
And I think you know it wasinteresting, aaron, you
mentioned that about as you gotto know clients that it's really
not just about the property.
Like, ultimately, there's areason people are moving, like,
I find, most people on the coastwe love where we live, and you
know that's testament to such alow shortage of stock is because
people only move for, you know,certain reasons, and a lot of

(44:32):
the time they won't disclosethat as well.
So you know, keita, when youwere saying about, you know,
being in the WhatsApp group, andI've certainly sold properties
for people that hadn't disclosedthat they were separating, and
you know, I think sometimes itis like you said, murray, it's
matching people's tone and whatthey're going through, and
especially in my case, I workwith a lot of people
transitioning from, you know,into aged care or family members

(44:56):
have passed away, so it's beingsensitive to that and that's
very much, I guess, a polar withthe.
You know, the champagne withthe signboard, isn't it as well?
Um, you know, I had a clientyesterday.
They just said, look, we justare really private people.
We don't want, um, our photosignboard photo online.
Absolutely, I respect that youknow, it's just something that
I'll keep for us.
So, yeah, awesome Aaron what doyou love?

Aaron (45:15):
Yeah, similar to what these guys have touched on, like
sounds cliche, but there's alot of stuff that I do like
about it.
I like the journey through theprocess too.
You know going from okay,where's my buyer coming from?
Like if you've got a referralfrom an agent, you know that's
great.
You're now credible to thatagent.
You know shown up enough thatthey trust me to get the job
done with.
And I don't take the referrallightly, you know, because it's

(45:35):
an extension of their business,whether it's an agent, broker,
friend, whatever it may be.
So then you know, like gettingthat person.
And then you know having thatgood sign-up call or meeting and
you know they've then entrustedyou with.
You know, like the fee issubstantial, the asset you're
buying is very substantial.
It's the most amount amount ofmoney that a lot of people will
ever spend, right.
So I really don't take thatlightly.
And you know, with Cow and Hand, I really noticed that from the

(45:57):
beginning, like from the topdown, they really drove that in,
like what we're doing isimportant, right?
So don't take anything forgranted.
You know, and I think, justgoing through the process, you
know I love it when it's a bittricky too, like where someone
has been looking for a while, orthey're a little bit Do.

Murray (46:17):
The thrill of the chase.
Yeah, it is, that's what it is.
Yeah, yeah, we're all the sameon weed.

Amy (46:21):
I love it.

Aaron (46:22):
Yeah, just like going through that right and even to
the point where you'll call anagent and say, oh look, I'm
working with a new buyer lookingfor X, y and Z.
For that much, oh mate.
Yeah, good luck.

Murray (46:34):
Yeah, 12 months ago, mate, yeah, or didn't.

Aaron (46:36):
No, but I think that's fun because I love going cool
like game on right, becauseyou're one agent but you know I
could talk to another 50 agentsback to back and again being
chatty and work ethic, like I'mpretty tenacious, so that helps
and that's, you know.
Again, thinking of the fee,thinking of the result for the
buyer Okay, cool, I've got topick up the phone, I've got to
get it done right.
Some cool.
We've seen all that.

(46:57):
Let's go deeper.
There's more out there.
And yeah, I think just goingthrough that journey, you know,
going through it and meeting thebuyer, like I love that part of
it.
And then, yeah, just ultimately, I love being that professional
in their corner, you know,because a lot of buyers they
have their money, they take itto the marketplace, whatever it
may be, and they usually spendit all and maybe then some.

(47:20):
Yes, I want to level up theplaying fields.
I want to show them stuff thatthey're not seeing and I want to
buy it at a price better thananybody else.
That's two big key things thatI like to do.
I had some clients recently andthey were pretty hell-bent on
this auction property.
So I had them on a certainservice for that property and a
full service to show them otherstuff, right.
And there was, say, six daysbetween that and the auction and

(47:42):
I thought, well, they love this.
Like you know, we'll be able tobuy this at auction, right, but
I still want to show them stuff.
I was like six days.
I was like, okay, they're kindof it's a unique sort of
property.
Anyway, three days later I hadten properties of that.
I was like, okay, this is goingto be tall order and I knew
that particular property wantedquite a bit more than they

(48:05):
wanted to spend.
Anyway, lucked out, foundanother one that night and,
sorry, my stomach's rumbling,sorry.

Amy (48:10):
That's all right, we'll feed you after.
No, you're all good.

Aaron (48:13):
Fasting and you know, again, two days out of the
auction, dropped this propertyto them and they were like, oh
my God, I love it.
I was like cool, that's awesome.
Naturally, I couldn't get themthrough the property on the
Friday I really tried to.
The auction was Saturday.
You've got this time thing.
Now You're like, okay, what ifthis sells for a?

Amy (48:29):
better price.
We are always at the mercy ofthe market, 100%, yeah.

Aaron (48:33):
So anyway, long story short they and again, that's a
win for them because I'vecreated leverage for them they
were really hell-bent onsomething and didn't know about
this thing.
This was off-market, this hasnever seen the light of day
right now, and you know, fastforward another four or five
days we get through it.
Two days after the auction, wenegotiate it, we bought it and

(48:55):
there was $100,000 difference inthe auction property in up
showing the property, gettingthem through it, buying it.
To me that's like a reallypowerful case study, because
they've gone, we love this one.
Now all of a sudden we lovethis one more and we bought it
at a better price.
They didn't know about and theywould have seen it and yeah
just, I don't know, I just lovethat.
You know, look competitivestreak in me, like I love the

(49:17):
win.
I love the win of finding thatproperty.
I love the win of signing theclient, helping them you know
one there and then ultimately,you know, I feel we won the
negotiation, we got it where wewanted it.
So yeah, that whole thing.
So yeah, it sounds sort ofcliche, but there's not much I
don't like about being a buyer'sagent.
There's some tricky days, ofcourse, and some tricky
conversations you've got to have.
The other thing too, just tocap off, is you touched on

(49:40):
personal development?
I think this role it's good foryour personal development, just
in its nature, right, becauseyou have to go out and you have
to call people that you don'tknow and you put yourself out
there.
You're an expert here, You're aspecialist there and really,
you know, geez, I'm taking $2million of someone else's money.
Like I've got to get them.
Like a good result.

Amy (49:58):
Yeah.

Aaron (49:59):
And sometimes you know you might be left with egg on
your face like touch wood.
I don't get that, but you knowit can go pear-shaped pretty
quickly in this industry.
So yeah, I just think it's goodfor your own development.
You know from where I was twoyears ago, like it's just chalk
and cheese.
Where's it going to be in fiveyears, you know, and I plan to
be here for like a long time.

Amy (50:18):
Amazing so it's fun.

Aaron (50:19):
I love it.

Amy (50:19):
So we're just going to flip the script really quickly
because, if you weren't abuyer's agent, what would you be
?

Aaron (50:24):
doing Sales agent?
No, I don't know.
I don't know.
Look something, I think, whereI could talk.
I used to do podcasting as ahobby before this.

Keeta (50:32):
Really 153 episodes.
You could be a radio presenter.

Aaron (50:37):
Radio time radio was on the cards.
Yeah, I've never applied for,you'd probably know, obviously
been into the heavy stuff.
The racket on triple j okay Itried to be the.
I wanted to be the host of thatone.
I also applied for the job.
That didn't get it.
Um, but yeah, look, I love, Ilove music, I love movies, like
I'm into sort of the weird andwonderful stuff.
Look pretty clean cut.
But I'm a bit out there.
Um, I think something where Ican just again talk to people.

(50:58):
You know, maybe I could havebeen a sales agent I looked at
becoming a sales agent, like sixyears ago, and I just you know,
I didn't do it because I waslike oh, I don't want to work
Saturdays, I don't wear a bluesuit.
I definitely work Saturdays, butI don't wear blue suits, right,
neither do I, yeah, but look,it's something where I could
just use my voice and just bearound customers, you know.

Amy (51:19):
Have you always been a chatterbox?

Aaron (51:21):
Yeah, yeah, me too I've been chatty.
Hey, all the report cardsthrough high school, you know.
Yeah, he's good, he just needsto apply himself more Talks, a
lot, talks, a lot, talks a lot,and I just like it.
I literally did a podcast.
It was myself for, like in aroom for 45 minutes every Monday
In the mirror.

Murray (51:37):
Yeah.

Amy (51:39):
He did ask if it was being filmed.

Aaron (51:41):
I must admit, and what you were wearing, yeah, very
conscious of what I'm wearing,thanks for noticing.

Amy (51:45):
I also think that's your but interesting because you were
saying before and I think thatis, you know, like you are high
attention to detail, yeah, and Ireally appreciate that.
So you know, you're very muchlike what are the questions and
who are the guests andeverything like that, and
questions and who are the guestsand everything like that, and
I'm like I'm very structured butI'm also like, oh, you just
turn up Aaron and we'll justhave fun.

Aaron (52:04):
I think I had one look at the questions before and I was
like, oh, it's just cool, nowI've got an idea.
I'm not that much of a studierin that way, but yeah, look,
honestly it would be a podcasthost, radio host, something
where I could just talk, run abar, like just something where
it's involved with people and, Iguess, just around things that
I like, like music.

Amy (52:22):
Imagine a podcast in a bar with music guests.
Shut the front door.
Anyway, murray, what would yoube doing if you weren't a
buyer's agent?

Murray (52:31):
Well, I've done everything already, yeah.

Amy (52:33):
Retire.

Murray (52:34):
That's it.
No, like Aaron must be my lovechild, because you know I love
that stakeholder talking topeople and everything like that
as well and obviously I stillhave that affinity to
development and property becauseI still do that.
I've done my own apartmentdevelopment in Drupilly, one in
Taringa and I've done all thattype of stuff as well.
So I think the buyer's agentspace is a product of where I've

(52:57):
come.

Aaron (52:58):
So it's almost the other way.

Murray (52:59):
what would I do?
Well, I've kind of done, I'vecome, so it's sort of it's
almost the other way.
What would I do Well?
I've kind of done it and so andhere I am because it fits my
skillset and what I love.

Amy (53:11):
And I think as well too, there's such an element of being
of service, isn't it Like beingable to share your knowledge?
And I think that's somethingthat we probably all take for
granted, what we do every day,or the journey that we've got to
, and because it's always ourworld.
So I think that ability I meanI still help people with rental
resumes and things like thatLike if there's an ability to
help people and especially, likeyou said as well, like you can
immediately for a buyer,articulate a bad move.

(53:33):
You know I had a.
I'm happy just quickly to sharethis story.
I had a client who was lookingto purchase a property next door
to theirs.
I spoke to a developer.
I said, look, what would a sixstack of units on?
Anyway, he just literally ranthe calculations and he said,
look, best thing your client cando is just sell their existing
one as it is.
They'll clear the same profit.
So I think, having access tothat information or people, I

(53:58):
mean I could imagine for myclients they would have gone on
this, you know, like discovery,you know mission, or you know,
bought a property that theyshouldn't have.
So I think there's so much inthat and you know it's such a
nominal fee that people pay tohave that exposure.
Keita, what would you do if youweren't a buyer's agent?

Keeta (54:10):
I'd be a professional surfer, I'd travel the world.
I'd have sun-kissed hair andI'd have a tan 12 months out of
the year.

Amy (54:17):
You already have those.
Drop the mic.
Yeah, I was going to say thesun-kissed hairs, yeah.
It was amazing actually.
I was just thinking.
I was like how does I alwaysthink of you as like a beach
babe, right, how were you overin Ireland in IT like rugged up?

Keeta (54:35):
Well, to be fair, I don't know if you guys have ever
lived there the Irish are themost lovely, friendly people my
dad's, from Northern Ireland.

Aaron (54:44):
I've been there a few times, yeah, wow.

Keeta (54:45):
So I live right in Dublin .
Yes, and I'm going to admit it,I became an alcoholic when I
was there.
No, that's taking it too far.
No, I became very social when Iwas there yeah.
Because they just.
That's just part of the culture, the culture is let's drink,
let's socialise, let's work thecrack.
Let's go to work.
Yeah, drunk.
Yeah, I'm over, yeah.

Amy (55:05):
Yeah, it was the crack yeah .

Aaron (55:06):
It's so good, but yeah.

Keeta (55:08):
I do not like the cold weather.

Amy (55:09):
Yeah, you're absolutely right.
I literally was just thinkingthat as well.
Favourite place to surf.

Keeta (55:19):
Oh, I don't know.

Amy (55:20):
Bali, bali's actually pretty good.
Okay, yeah, you should havereally said the Sunshine.

Keeta (55:24):
Coast, sunshine Coast, alex Bluff.
But be very careful of thelocals, because people do get a
little bit angry.
And there's also Noosa.
The locals at Noosa are very,very protective Territorial.
Yeah, hot tip.

Amy (55:40):
Good for our visitors, locals only Wonderful.
Well, let's wrap up ourconversation with just some nice
little fun getting to know eachother.
So let's chat about DreamHoliday Destination Keita.
We'll hit straight back to you.

Keeta (55:55):
Hot and balmy anywhere, anywhere that's hot and the
cocktails are good andsnorkelling yeah cool, yeah, and
food and drinks while you're onholidays.
Well, look, I must say that I'mpartial to vegetables.
I don't eat meat, so anyvegetable is a good vegetable,
yes, but Asian fusion.

Amy (56:14):
Don't want a little bit of Asian Nice and drink of choice
on holidays.

Keeta (56:19):
Oh, anything that's cold.

Amy (56:20):
Yeah, nice and booze.
Margaritas hey Murray holidaydestination, and what are you
drinking and eating there?

Murray (56:28):
Great, well, I can't be anywhere where I just sit and do
nothing.
Okay, I have to have activity.

Amy (56:34):
Yes, I have to do something like that, yeah.

Murray (56:35):
So anything that's activity-wise, where you know
I'm all of a sudden doing jetskiing or I'm mountain biking or
just something that I'm doing.
Queenstown, it would be greatQueenstown, fantastic.

Amy (56:47):
Yes.

Murray (56:47):
You know, being there Favourite meal, I love Japanese
Pan Asian, so, Keita, I will goout for lunch one day, you
should go for dinner.

Amy (56:55):
Yes, we are going for lunch afterwards.

Murray (56:58):
Love a coffee.

Amy (56:59):
Yes Coffee.

Murray (57:00):
I'm a big coffee.

Amy (57:01):
What's your coffee order?

Murray (57:02):
Usually just an oat milk , cappuccino or white.
So you know I get a lot ofribbing sometimes with the
coffee snobs saying, oh, you'reordering a chocolate milkshake,
aren't you?
Because of the cappuccino onthe top.
Yeah, classic and yeah.
So that's pretty much the ones,aaron.

Aaron (57:21):
Holiday.
I've been lucky enough totravel a lot, which has been
good.
I'm like Keto, I like the hot,you know tropicals, so like
maybe, Maldives, like Bora Bora,something like that.
I've never been to the Greekislands though, something like
that, you know, just chillingout.
A lot of seafood, a lot of rosé, Yep, that would be nice yeah,
and then food.
Yeah, look, we love Asian foodby the sounds of it.

(57:42):
Yeah, big ramen guy, big sushiguy.
Love seafood though, likeoysters, prawns, like yeah, I
just, yeah, I eat a lot.

Amy (57:49):
Awesome, good.
All right, let's wrap up ourhour of power with each of your
favourite quote or saying Keita.

Keeta (57:58):
Here's something I prepared earlier.

Amy (58:00):
I love it.
I knew I saw her get her phoneout.

Keeta (58:02):
I constantly have on my phone because I knew you were
going to say that Okay, soquoting, you can't go back and
change the beginning, but youcan start where you are and
change the ending.

Amy (58:12):
Wow, oh, I like it.
Nice, beautiful, all right,murray.

Murray (58:17):
Mine's a little bit more rudimentary.
Mine is, and it's quiteappropriate for this role is if
you don't ask, you don't get.

Amy (58:23):
Hey, I like it.
Good one Awesome.

Aaron (58:27):
This one.
It's got me out of many jams,different head spaces, but I
like this two-shell pass.
Yeah, it's a good one.
It's good in the bad situations, it's good in the good
situations.
You know, don't sort of rest onyour laurels.
You get a deal done, cool, allright, enjoy it.
Now get on with the next one,or this is a terrible day.
Cool.
Tomorrow's a new day, so thistoo shall pass for me.

Amy (58:46):
I think it's really pertinent in our industry, isn't
it?
Because you know it isn't all.
You know, as I say, champagnepopping and everything, tiktok,
trends and everything like that.
So I think, yeah, it's theability actually to be able to
level yourself, isn't it?
You know, bring the highs andlows.
I mean I certainly am guilty of.
You know the first.
You know few years of myjourney.

(59:09):
You know celebrating too soon,and you know, then you get that
termination notice that doesn'tcome from your clients, it just
comes from a solicitor.
And then that's the courageousphone call that you mentioned
having to do that as well.
So awesome.
And your favourite quote, amyoh, so many Gandhi.
If you can't change the world,change the way you see it.

Aaron (59:25):
Oh, I like that.

Amy (59:28):
Yeah, that's a good one.
I mean, I am a walking book ofquotes.

Aaron (59:31):
I love them.

Amy (59:32):
I've literally screenshot everything, because there is so
much to learn isn't there?
And I think that's obviouslybeen a commonality of our
conversation and no such thingas an accident that all three of
you were in the room.
I knew it would be a reallygreat conversation, so what I
will do is share all of yourdirect details with our
listeners.
They'll have the ability to beable to reach out and hopefully

(59:55):
that allows them to understand alittle bit more about what a
buyer's agent is.
So to Keita, Aaron and Murray,thank you so much.

Aaron (01:00:03):
Thank you so much.

Amy (01:00:05):
Wonderful.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of Beyond the Signboard
.
We trust you enjoyed it as muchas we enjoyed making it for you
.
If there are any topics youwant covered in the future, make
sure you reach out and let usknow.
Also, feedback and suggestionsare appreciated almost as much
as likes, shares and downloads.