Daniel Baran began his working life as an electician. After working for a number of agents, he decided to make the switch to real estate himself, and 33 years later, he hasn't looked back.
Daniel Baran is one of the most established agents in Sydney's eastern suburbs. He told WILLIAMS MEDIA he expects low stock levels in the area to keep prices firm over the next 12-18 months, but the "urgency" has gone out of the market.
How did you start out in real estate? Have you always worked in the industry, or did you do something else previously?
I used to be an apprentice electrician with my father when I was 19 (I am now 53) and we were working for a lot of agents. So, one day I said to my Dad, 'I want to give real estate a go.'
I started at Andrew Gibbon's Real Estate in Double Bay as a property manager, then moved to sales about year after that - 33 years in the business.
Baran is marketing this property at Wilberforce Ave, Rose Bay: view listing on Luxury List. Image: Stone Double Bay.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Always closing the deal, and meeting people.
Can you tell us about an interesting property you’ve sold?
There have been so many, but the best one was The Butterfly House in Dover Heights.
What’s your advice to a young person starting out in real estate?
Whoever you meet, put them in your database and create a relationship. Be honest and upfront. Don’t have 'commission breath', always try to help people
If you could change one thing about the real estate industry, what would it be?
Abolish five-day cooling off periods. Let people commit unconditionally if they have done their due diligence.
You work in Sydney’s exclusive eastern suburbs. Are you seeing prices soften in line with the rest of Sydney’s prices?
No, still seeing good prices, however the urgency for buyers has lowered.
What’s your outlook for the eastern suburbs market for the next 18 months?
I see a stable market, with a continuation of low stock levels for the eastern suburbs.
Where do you live now, and what would be your dream home if you could live anywhere in the world?
Would love to live on a beach in Byron Bay: who wouldn’t?
Read more about real estate in Sydney's eastern suburbs:
Meet D'Leanne Lewis, Australia's top female real estate agent
From pubs to penthouses: Bill Malouf
Get to know John Normyle, conservator and moderniser of the Paddington terrace house