As part of an ongoing series, the Cowra Guardian recently caught up with one of region's most familiar faces in real estate to talk all things markets, moving and, maybe surprisingly, music.

How did you get into the industry and how long have you been in it?

I was born and raised in Cowra and wanted to get into real estate, so I thought I'd throw myself in the deep end. I moved to Sydney by myself and got into the industry that way.

I was very fortunate enough to be working under some of the best agents in Australia, learnt the right way and how to do things right from the get go.

I did that for 10 years and, once that was up, made the transition back to Cowra, which I always wanted to do and worked for LJ Hooker originally and now Ray White.

How is the Sydney market different from the Central West?

Probably the demographics of the people you deal with.

I could have been selling anything from a studio unit to an ocean front home or small acres in the western region of Sydney and at present I sell rural properties, from lifestyle properties to large scale agrications.

Is there a market you prefer to operate in?

I would definitely prefer selling a farm any day of the week.

It's a love of mine and something I find easy to relate to and the people you are associated with and selling to, or for, are like minded people.

What is a day in the life of a Real Estate agent like?

I'm extremely busy, I would generally start my day around 6am trying to get on top of phone calls and emails before I step foot near the office.

And it's very long days, most of the time you're leaving home when it's dark and coming home when it's dark.

But we've got a very good supportive team that helps lighten the load in all our offices.

What advice to you have for people who are looking to get into the real estate game?

If they want to get into real estate, if they see the perception of a real estate agent as a flash vehicle and flash suit, it's not the career for you.

There's a lot of hard yards to complete before you have any success, so it's about learning the right way and from the right people and under the right advice from the get go.

Any tips for people looking to put their property onto the market?

On the front of anyone looking to sell, to think further ahead, to prepare and do things right from the get go.

If it's a farming property I say to people think about how the paddocks will look at that time they are looking to sell.

Make sure it presents as well as it can, the first impression counts.

Are they any memorable properties or vendors you have encountered in your career?

Very much of late we've had some tremendous auction success. One example was 'Old Graham', a beautiful 1800s stone home on 225 acres that the expectations were from $900,000 and it sold $500,000 over expectations.

I had a farm in Canowindra just recently that had north of 20 inspections, 14 of those registered for the auction and that property sold for $5.6 million. Well above anyone's expectation.

What is your opinion about the state of the industry?

I've seen very different market places, when I was in Sydney it was the ideal position for any real estate agent to sell the big expensive beach front homes and then the GFC hit.

The market took a complete downfall and what was selling was the bread and butter properties, units, we were selling thousands of those and the higher end wasn't selling.

So in that time there was a change in how property was receiving in the market and then we've gone through different segments.

Is there anything people in Cowra might not know about you?

I'm very much, once I'm home, a family man, I have three little kids with my wife Catherine.

We live in Cowra and I very much love being a try hard farmer.

I'm also a try hard surfer and whenever I'm in Sydney I try to have a surf.

One passion I've had in life has been playing in bands, I play the drums, so I'm trying to get back to that and have some more time in life to do those loves.

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