How did you start your career?

I did economics and accounting at university (La Trobe) and was bored senseless. My best friend from school, and business colleague now of 34 years, James Connell, suggested getting into real estate, so I joined James who knows runs Marshall White with me. We’ve worked together since 1980. I joined Hill and Parkinson in Lower Templestowe selling blocks of land and homes in the Templestowe/Doncaster region with James, and then we both progressed through a company called Bongiorno Real Estate. Together we opened up our own company in 1990 called Connell Bongiorno and then both of us bought Marshall White in 1993.

What do you love about your job?

It’s so interesting. We have the privilege of selling some of Melbourne’s best properties and nothing’s ever the same, every property is different, every person you deal with is different. The variety and the nature of the job, it’s certainly not mundane. You’re not desk bound. It’s exciting from that point of view, but there are a lot of sacrifices you have to make. Initially when we started we were working Saturdays and Sundays and even now, 34 years later, we’re still working six days a week, more than 7 weeks a year than the average person does. The hours are pretty long and hard. If you’re in real estate, it’s certainly not a 9 to 5 job, it’s all encompassing, and wherever you go, people want to talk about it. Melbournians are fixated on real estate and love real estate. Every dinner party, every person you bump into on the street or at a school function, everybody wants to talk about the house you sold around the corner from them. People love talking real estate.

What would you say are the biggest issues facing the Australian real estate industry at the moment?

I think the Internet and some of the big listing portals could be a threat, they’re looking for ways of increasing their return to shareholders. I think they’re the biggest threat to the real estate industry in general because they’re looking at ways to increase their return to shareholders and once they’ve got the advertising market covered, they’ll go after the commissions as well, which I believe they’ve got a strategy to do, although they deny it. I think the industry and some of these principals are very naïve to believe that these major portals are going to be their best friend.

What would you like to see done differently in the industry?

I’d like to see our real estate institute be a more powerful body, be more representative of the modern industry. In regard to the recent Victorian state election, I think [REIV] tried to flex their muscle but I think they went about it the wrong way, and I made comment on this in the media. I think they should have played the issue and not the party. They don’t have the mandate to turn around and start playing politics on that basis. I won’t care who people vote for but I don’t think the body that represents us had the mandate of its members to do so.

What's your advice to a young person thinking about real estate?

If you’re looking to buy, do your homework and search long and hard. Remember real estate is a long-term investment, it’s not like the stock market, and it’s something you should take a long-term view over. If you want to get into the industry, it’s a fabulous industry but there are no shortcuts, there are no quick get-rich schemes. This aplies to both those looking to buy and those thinking about a career because in real estate, there's no get-rich quick.

What was your first home?

I was born and grew up on Wellington St, Flemington in a little two-bedroom house the size of a postage stamp.

Where do you live now?

Now I live in the leafy suburbs of Brighton.

If money were no object, what would your dream property be?

I think where I am now I’m pretty happy.