Transcript of “Allwright, Allwright, Allwright”

Episode:
EP90
Show Title:
Allwright, Allwright, Allwright
Cast:
Aaron Horne, Patrick Berry, & John McGregor
Guest:
Sam Allwright
Show Length:
22 minutes 08 seconds

Sam: And obviously, real estate provided opportunities to work with people a lot more closely--a lot more relationships, but then at the same time, it gives me flexibility during the week: picking up the daughter, doing a little bit of work from home, a little bit out, you give a bit more on the Saturdays, be a little bit back during the week…

[intro music]
Going once... going twice... SOLD! You're listening to The Property Pod!

Aaron: All right, all right, all right. Welcome to The Property Pod, your weekly engagement into a fun and entertaining show all about real estate here in the Hobart marketplace. [laughter]

John: You better believe it.

Aaron: You better believe it. Trying out new intros is pretty tricky, I'm your host, Aaron Horne. I'm joined as always by Patricia Berry and Jonathan McGregor

John: Well, let's face it. If commanding pauses can be difficult sometimes, but it's worth practicing

Aaron: Yeah, I pulled it off all right, can I get that?

John: Yeah, I totally agree.

Aaron: Yeah no, look. Shout out to everybody that's listening along. You heard our Olympic intros the other week, here we are with something brand new. Pat's claimed that we can't do the same one every week. I think it's good for continuity, Pat thought…

Patrick: I just thought I'd change it up, you know, we've got 80 episodes now, just felt a bit repetitive.

Aaron: 80 mate, 90.

Patrick: Oh [ __ ]

John: How many hours did you work out?

Aaron: I was lying in bed last night. I was trying to nut out how many times we've done this, like you could essentially listen to The Property Pod for two days straight... [laughter]

Patrick: Look. Speaking of people going to bed, I did find for my friends this week Marcus and Kirsten, who are probably be listening right now, that they enjoy the soulful sounds of us sleeping at nighttime [laughter] so I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but shout out to you, guys, while you lay there trying to go to sleep tonight.

John: Welcome to The Property Pod…

Aaron: I couldn't work out whether that was a really good thing or a really bad thing, like it was so boring that we put people to sleep or are we so soothing, those soulful terms, the focal tones are just like, "I really like crawling asleep" [John agrees] we can flip it either way. You guys are in sales, so you can flip it however you want…

Patrick: Hey, I'm just excited someone's listening so I'll take it. [laughter]

Aaron: Well, shout out to all our listeners out there! We had a really good response to last week's episode and I feel like we're gonna have a really good response to this week's episode. So this week, we've brought in a special guest and it's someone that you might get to know a bit more moving forward with The Property Pod and with 4one4 Property Co. Today, we are bringing in a brand new team member, a new guy that is joining the 4one4 family, we're bringing in Sam Allwright!

Sam: Cheers! Good Morning, everybody! How are you?

Aaron: Very well. Thanks for joining us on The Property Pod and thanks for joining us here in the 4one4 family.

Sam: I'm excited with this. It's getting very interesting. I love all the gear, I love all the tech...

Aaron: Yeah, there's nothing like joining a new company and then and coming and saying, "hey, just jump on camera and tell us your life story, so that we can like check you" like this is the interview actually.

Sam: I'm just being very careful I don't break anything. [laughter] I do have a history of breaking items. Anything expensive, keep it away from me. [laughter]

Aaron: Well, speaking of history, can you give all the listeners out there a little history in yourself, kind of a little flash into who Sam Allwright is?

Sam: Sure! Very very roughly, I've been in real estate for probably about 12 months, been in sales though I suppose you'd say for probably over 20 years. So, I've been dealing with a lot of clients, with government customers, print houses that sort of stuff, so I've had a lot of dealings with people back to front, but then I suppose, outside of that, I've dealt a lot to do with cooking, mountain biking, motor vehicles, car racing, motorbikes

Aaron: So your activities, man, you'll have a little bit of extreme sports out there in the...

Sam: Oh, 100%! Most of the reason I probably got into sales, so I could actually work while talking about cars. It's probably a bit of a selfish thing, you get to talk about the things that you like with the people that you like. It makes my life so much more fun, I suppose.

Aaron: It might sound like a silly thing, but real estate not cars was ever there…

Sam: I did dabble a little bit in cars a long time ago, but it is difficult to deal with the fast cars and the expensive ones all the time. [laughter] [John agrees] which is where my heart is.

John: Yeah, gotcha. Is it sort of a very different environment of selling too like where you work cars versus real estate? Has that been an interesting transition?

Sam: Yeah, cars was a long time ago that when I was much younger, but yeah, it's very much sitting in a small confined space where here in real estate, you get to get out and actually physically make people in their own homes, much more of what they're doing, you get to make a lot more lasting friendships because you're dealing with them over two to three months, right? Rather than one or two interactions in an office…

John: Yeah and out again, now you did mention that cooking was a thing. Does that mean that you're the one who's doing most the bulk of the cooking at home? what's the story?

Sam: It's me doing the bulk of the cooking at home, 100% say that. I do love my partner, but cooking is not one of her strong shoots. She has many, [John agrees] she will listen to this, she has many lovely... [laughter] but cooking's not one of them...

John: So we can talk about all our good traits and none of our flaws... [laughter]

Sam: Please don't edit that out [laughter]

Sam: But yeah, look. Cooking, something I originally went through high school and into college and trained for when I was younger.

John: Oh, that's it...
Sam: Originally trained to be a pastry chef so, we do a lot of competitions between myself and a few other work colleagues, where we try and outpace for each other. [Aaron: Nice...]

Patrick: I feel like there's a TV show there.

Sam: Yeah, birthday cakes perhaps, but if you want pastries, danishes, any of that sort of stuff…

John: Yeah, look in the end, that's what really been searching for as this team grows is everyone needs a unique skill at this point and a pastry was it obviously, that was a big void yeah

Sam: I'll warn you, you'll all get slightly larger.

Aaron: So, John, you're the bagpipes...

John: Yeah, exactly.

Aaron: Bagpipes and pastry, we're all sorted... [laughter]

John: This team is gonna be epic.

Patrick: Can't wait for the joint open home with you two guys. [laughter]

Patrick: John brings the entertainment…

John: Yeah, just bring out the kilt and just be playing back like…

Sam: It'll be an experience like no other.

John: Oh 100%! Yeah yeah, referral business? maybe. But memorable? definitely.

Aaron: So, going back before real estate, before, you mentioned in high school, pastry chef-ing and all this stuff. Are you Tassie-born, Tassie-bred?

Sam: Yeah, Tassie-born and bred.

Aaron: Yep, all the way through.

Sam: Originally grew up on a farm so…

Aaron: ...in a farm?

Sam: Yeah yeah, I bought the Hamilton Broad Marsh way, so still got tires back to there, lots of family history, so yeah…

Aaron: Yeah, excellent. And now you're living down Cremonway

Sam: Yeah, down at down south arms…

Aaron: Yeah, so you've kind of traded in the farm in a rural lifestyle for beach?

Sam: Always had that inkling for a bit of space bit of land recently made that change to the beach, [Aaron: yeah, fantastic!] lots of beach walks with the dogs, slowly learning how to surf--although gotta admit, it is not a pretty sight.

Aaron: Oh man, it's the hardest thing ever.

Sam: I know... I used to surf when I was younger, but nothing works like it used to now I'm in my mid-40s. The balance is not there, everything hurts. It's but my daughter's keen and getting into it so that's why I turn up in the cold and we just wing it.

Aaron: Yeah nice, I really like that. That's really cool.

Patrick: No excuses, Sam! My father-in-law is nearly 65-66 and he still surfs every week.

Sam: I know... come on there.

Aaron: Are guys out there and have you got out there and had a go?

Patrick: No freaking way! [laughter]

Sam: The worst part is you've got your kids that are like six and seven, that just annihilate you and it's just embarrassing someone my age not been able to stand up. I'm not currently at about four to five seconds.

Aaron: Yeah so that's all right. The thing I always found hard was the paddling out like you you paddle out and get there and you think, "all right, this is the wave. Like today's the day I'm going to get this wave" I've paddled out here, I'm going to paddle in, and then you crash. You're like, "oh, I'm exhausted and I'm going to do it all again, just to try and get that four or five seconds"

Sam: Yep, it's probably due to my fitness level than anything else, but I'll give it a go…

Aaron: Hey, if you're happy to give it a go, then yeah, very good news and it sounds like across your career, you've been really happy to give kind of everything a go from baking to selling cars to I believe was printers was a…

Sam: Yeah, probably the last 15 years in printer sales? [Aaron agrees]
Sam: So yeah, pretty much enjoyed that. That was a good industry to be in. Obviously, things, COVID everything changes and real estate's been the direction now and to be honest, loving it like not looking back at all.

Aaron: So, is that one of the major reasons for the shift from printing to real estate, kind of the pandemic?

Sam: Yeah, COVID, the pandemic, was just a bit of a mental reset, had a look at what's out there, what sort of skill sets, what sort of industry I might like to sink my teeth into and obviously, real estate provided opportunities to work with people a lot more closely, a lot more relationships, but then at the same time, it gives me flexibility during the week: picking up the daughter, doing a little bit of work from home, a little bit out, you give a bit more on the Saturdays, be a little bit back during the week.

Aaron: Yeah, fantastic finding that really nice life balance.

Sam: Yeah, 100%!

Aaron: Yeah, really cool! So I guess that's a really good way to segue from how are you finding it... You've been in 12 months now, you've kind of worked at a previous place now, kind of spreading your wings and going somewhere else and trying to kind of level up into the next phase of your real estate career…

Sam: Yeah, advancing to the next sort of level? Really loving it, like just surprise the amount of loyalty ,you can kick back from clients that I've sold their homes and their behalf or people I've sold homes, too. You just build lasting friendships which is just crazy like I wasn't expecting people to be quite, so I don't know... loyal, appreciative, like you know, it's open…

Patrick: I find they open up a lot more than you would expect…

Sam: Yeah, 100% and like that's just something I find really rewarding

Aaron: Yeah, definitely.

John: And that goes and with that then, as it's a... we surprised you, I suppose, we're building those relationships has been something you've really understood that you enjoyed or like because you just, with all the previous ones you never were able to build that sort of trust?

Sam: You do, but you know, generally, over a two to three year period with long-term clients, but here it's just a lot more you know a rapid you're helping people with generally the biggest asset in their lives. People are a lot more, I don't know, vulnerable, honest, open, you just find it's a lot easier and quicker to make those connections and people are just a lot more genuine--a lot more warm...
John: Yeah right. I mean, this is an interesting one, but no, generally speaking, when it comes to I mean you've obviously had a sales oriented career and you know it's usually sales is the most distrusted, have you found that?

Sam: Correct! Lawyers...

John: Yeah, exactly. [laughter] I mean, have you found that the way that you've approached the way your work ethic or anything has changed now you've come into real estate? or is anything surprising…

Sam: No, it's you know, you're still dealing with people and at the end of the day, I know it sounds probably corny, but always try and think about it how would I like my daughter to be treated one day, how do my dad be treated one day, and that sounds corny, but it's Tasmania. You do the right thing by everybody, you'll come around full circle, I suppose, at the end of the day. That's always been my ethos and it's worked fairly well.

John: I know like when I was learning because my dad taught me, he grew up on a farm in Western Australia and the difference of the country--I really like the country ethic, which is the shake of a hand is the deal and I think, obviously, by bringing that approach then which that era of authenticity and you know, what you say is your word, obviously that's been really big benefit, I suppose, in your career.

Sam: Look, it has been, as you say, sales people are naturally mistrusted because of what they do, but just I find being open, honest delivering what you say you're going to do. I suppose bringing that handshake from the farming background is, you know, you try and convey that as best as you can and prove to people that you are honest, you are here to do the right thing. [John agrees] That's just means that these friendships, you know, recommendations have gone from people that have appreciated what I've done, they've just come full circle…

John: Yeah and what's that been the transition for your family been like? I know it's a big shift working alternative hours all the time, but how's that been for Emma and the kids?

Sam: Emma's been great, so she's helped me, supported me, looked after the daughter occasionally on the Saturdays when you had to do an open home or something like that, the daughter on the other hand, she loves it really. There's a video with me in it or a picture with me in it. She's happy to take it.

John: She said, "Mickey, my dad's famous!" [laughter]

Sam: The first one possibly and then after that, she likes critiquing... [laughter] Aaron: Dad, I don't like your hair in that one…

Sam: Yeah, what did you do here? Why did you walk that way?

John: I like this.

Sam: Yeah, she she loves it, she gets on board. So, she's been a great support-- both of them, to be honest. So... and to be honest, all my past clients, friends, family, they've all been quite supportive stuff. I've actually been really impressed and surprised by how many people have supported me [John: that's awesome!] and again how many people are actually interested in real estate like everyone's got an opinion. Everybody…

John: Everybody...

Sam: Yeah, but when you start talking photocopiers... [laughter]

Sam: Real estate's just important to everybody. As I say, it's a massive asset. People are either renting, buying, owning, wanna know where their assets going, everyone wants to have a chat to you...

Patrick: It's definitely an industry where everyone has an opinion... [everyone agrees]

John: ...and mine is always wrong [laughter]

Aaron: You're always ask the other person…

John: Yeah yeah, that's exactly right... yeah yeah yeah

Aaron: So, I guess you've said that you've been so supported in your little journey so far in the real estate game. How did you go about getting that first listing? I know that's kind of always the tricky thing of breaking in and being like, "trust me with your really important asset" how did you go again the first one? Was it kind of a tricky deal or was it…

Sam: It actually wasn't that tricky. It was actually an ex-work colleague that I'd known for probably close to four years. So, we'd had a really close relationship. He was a manager at the previous workplace and I just known him on and off. We'd had lots of banter and you know, just build up a relationship that I don't know, based on honesty and trust, and I've never sold anything to him. We worked together alongside it. And yeah, he was looking at shifting homes. He was moving, selling down here, and moving over to Queensland and then also had this place to sell and the two all just fell together. Beautiful property out in Brighton. Yeah look, he's obviously has prior relationships with other realtors and obviously need to put my best foot forward to justify why he
should go with me and what I should do. He knew my history, his 20 years of sales, what I'd do for him? And then obviously did the sales. I'm the only one that's going to be selling this house. This is the only house for me. I'll be working on it solidly for 30 days. We sold a second open home and the market's just so aggressive at the moment. Very happy with the ripper price for his property, too.

Aaron: Yeah, excellent.
Patrick: I love when things just go to plan like I remember my first listing was, I was finishing up working in this hotel and I'd just gone down for my dinner break because I was on the front desk and so you had shift work and I just happened to be sitting at the bar, talking to one of the bartenders, and he was like, "oh, what do you have to do?" and I was like, "I'm gonna go work with my dad in real estate" and he's like, "oh, I need to sell my block of land" and literally, I had dad in that night, signing the guy. Didn't know nothing about the blockers, just like, "you better come into, Dad." [laughter]

Aaron: I've caught a listing! [laughter]

Patrick: From memory, I think I finished up there and I think I had it sold by fluke to a friend from school within about three days.

Sam: Oh no, that's amazing!

Patrick: So, I had a really lucky start, but yeah, you get lucky sometimes. It's great when your friends or family can definitely support you in those early ones.

Sam: Yeah, well this is purely off the back of Facebook advertising, [Patrick agrees] because it's like, what? where you going? what are you doing? oh well, actually, timing.

Patrick: Yeah, cool.

Sam: Yea,h come and have a chat. Did it all remotely out of Queensland and worked well…

John: Oh, so we'd already gone to Queensland...

Sam: Moved to Queensland.

John: Oh, there you go! Yeah, so obviously having someone that he knew and could trust in that sense. Extremely important. [Sam agrees] That's it. Well, I mean with that then like after your first listing, I mean that's you know, sometimes too, they can come quick and fast and then think it's easier. Has the journey been easier or harder than you thought it might be?

Sam: Some parts of it have been easier and some other parts have been harder--stuff that you weren't expecting. So, the easy part of it, I'm surprised at how quick everyone says the property market's hot. Homes are genuinely selling pretty quickly [John agrees] and you're always trying to do the right thing by the vendor, obviously, making sure their house gets the right penetration to the market, they're able to make sure they can make the best decision based on information in front of them. But outside of that, the selling of the homes has actually found relatively simple especially a good team behind you taking pictures and videos, doing that sort of thing. The hardest part's probably been getting onto the market and actually physically getting those things at this market.
John: Yeah sure sure, and I guess that's that element of the relationships like you spoke with earlier. I mean with that gentleman from Queensland, he knew who you were and then just as a nature of who you are, your work ethic translated to a great result…

Sam: And you knew the honesty that would just blunt with each other. He knew exactly what he was going to get. You know, I'm not going to hide anything, you're never going to hide anything from anybody, but you know, information that come through is true and correct, he knows exactly what's going on.

Patrick: Well, unfortunately, real estate agents come with that element of distrust, so knowing your previous history, he didn't have that worry working with you, so that was, I
guess, that element to help grow that relationship and get that listing…

Sam: Yeah and a question for you, guys, I suppose, too. Like one of the things I have found a little bit interesting is trying to get the listings. Do you find there's a lot of people out there that are sort of interested that would list with you, but are holding off to find a home?

Patrick: Hang on, hang on... Sorry... We were supposed to ask you some questions... [laughter]

John: This is not in the show notes! [laughter]

Aaron: ...I'm taking control. I told you to have some fun with it [laughter]

Sam: Well, that's just one of my questions.

Patrick: John, you can go.

John: Look. I guess... I mean, when we, Patrick and I, have been around for a little while now, so we've had enough time to see a couple of different movements, so I mean we've been selling before, you could say that and if two people came to an open home, we didn't know what to do with all these people, but of course, it's very different environment now and
with, I mean the statistics showing that there's like a serious lack of properties becoming available, there are a lot of people that are stuck. So you know, everyone's waiting to go who's going to make the first move, so um at the moment, we had like with one of the properties we've got currently for listed, there's three separate clients who all need to sell their property to purchase this one house because we're trying to help all of them and that's just the nature of the environment at the moment. You've got a lot of people that are just stuck. So, it's that element that if in these markets, it would seem to me that the relationships are more vital than ever because we're connecting or you know, connecting people with opportunities that otherwise don't exist.

Sam: You've got to keep those lines of communication open and honest.
John: Yeah yeah, absolutely. Well, I mean with now, like, starting with a new team, have you been thought about any goals that you're looking to do or moving forward, what does that look like for you?

Sam: Goals?

John: If that's even a good word for it, I don't know. Or just carry on the good work that you've been doing…

Sam: Yeah, look. Predominantly carrying the good work that I've been doing is probably the best start out point. I'm effectively trying to get myself out on social media and let everyone know that I've obviously moved and changed. But ultimately, I'd like to move into that 45, possibly 50 houses per month...

Patrick: "per month"? holy [ __ ] [laughter]

Sam: 45 to 50 per year…

John: Yeah, sure.

Sam: That's yeah, trying to concentrate on one a week would be awesome

John: Yeah, great.

Sam: I don't honestly know how long that's going to take: two to three years or 12 months, but that's the ultimate goal and I hope that I can provide a level of service to clients that they recommend to me. I want to sort of want to concentrate and I've got a few people that I'm sort of modelling myself off and it's all about that repeat business, so if I'm treating each individual sales the absolute best that I can and those people appreciate what I've done that, they'll pass out the business. Sounds a bit wanky, but…

John: No, no... because, well because in the end, any person that's successful in this industry is only successful by the virtue of good work and great referrals, so if I'm…

Sam: Well, I'm the same. Look, if I go down and have a great coffee at Shake a Leg or District B, first thing I'll do is recommend it to, you know, five or six people, "you gotta go here; you gotta try this" Shout out to those guys, by the way, too. [laughter]

John: Free coffee... [comments and laughter]

John: It's real all the time

Sam: But like, I love coffee. People ask me what I like, I recommend those guys and I hope ultimately, the same thing happens with real estate. I mean, I know it's a serious business--it's big biggies, but you deal with the relationship and the trust and build those foundations, like have a bit of fun doing it. I mean, it is life, you've got to enjoy life. But at the end of the day, I'm hoping those relationships will come around full-time.

Patrick: I think that's what we're really excited about is that you do like to have a bit of fun with real estate and that's what our brand is all about, like we're not into big giant corporate sort of way of doing real estate, it's more about fun technology interaction with clients and yeah, it's going to be good good experience to work with you over the next couple of years.

Sam: Watch this space

John: Absolutely!

Aaron: Indeed, well I think what we might do there is wrap that up. We will go and try and sell some houses. I think you're going to have a little bit of a breather before you officially pop the colors on. [Sam agrees] You're going to take the wonderful Emma away for a promise [ __ ]

Sam: Probably might need to buy a few things after this.

Aaron: Yes, maybe yeah. [laughter] I don't think you threw under the bus too bad. We'll mention your hair and say how she says that's your only good asset

Sam: ...my only asset, thank you.

Aaron: Indeed. Thanks so much for coming in. You're always welcome on the pod. If one of us is ever away, I'm sure you could step in
a heartbeat and and be the extra member of the team, but yeah, we greatly appreciate you
you're coming in and being part of it and yeah, we look forward to the future of 4one4 with Sam Allwright on board!

Sam: Thank you, guys! Appreciate the time.

Aaron: No drama! See you!

[extro and disclaimer]
You have been listening to The Property Pod, recorded and edited by 4one4 Media House in conjunction with 4one4 Property Co. This podcast is general information only and the thoughts and views expressed are the opinion of our panel and listeners should always seek to use their own investigation into any topic we discussed to ensure they fully understand their own situation. It does not constitute and should not be relied on as purchasing, selling, financial, or investment advice or recommendations, expressed or implied, and it should not be used as an invitation to take up any agent or investment services. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken on the basis of this information without first seeking qualified and professional advice.