An auctioneer career forged from friendship

There is a saying that the people you spend most of your time with can ultimately determine your path in life – especially when you’re in your formative years. Birds of a feather flock together after all.

However, back in the early 2000s Grant Barnett appeared to be the odd one out. Not when it came to achievements because he had already been the former Australian water ski captain as well as the three-time national champion and two-time Asian Australasian champion.

No, it was because he was living in a share house in Brisbane with three up-and-coming real estate agents and auctioneers who you may have heard of these days – Haesley Cush, Dwight Ferguson, and David Price – but he didn’t work in the same field at all at the time.

“We’d just sit around having beers every Friday and they’d be banging on about real estate,” Grant recalls.

“I’d be thinking, ‘Hang on a second. I’m the only bloke that’s not in this game’ but I did help out on Saturdays from time to time and loved it.

“I knew that all those guys were great auctioneers, not just real estate agents, and I thought, if I’m ever going to get into real estate, I want to be an auctioneer as well.”

As was clearly always going to be the case, Grant’s real estate career started nearly 15 years ago and over the ensuing years those share house experiences motivated him to become an auctioneer as well.

Now based in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, Grant says it’s not just those carefree days of share house living that have informed his auctioneer career but also the many years he devoted to water skiing.

“I’m really driven to make myself better. All those years of training also means I have that stubbornness, and consistency, as well as the desire to be better at what I do each day,” he says.

Over the years of his real estate career, Grant has worked in sales from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast, with the past few years being devoted to perfecting the auction craft.

Grant’s recently became Apollo Auction’s newest team member with his focus now the magical stretch of coastline and hinterland of the Sunshine Coast.

“Justin’s one of the best in the business obviously, and I’ve always believed you need to surround yourself with the best,” Grant says.

Over the more than a decade that Grant has been active in the Sunshine Coast property market, he says he has noticed a significant change in buyer dynamics as well as the evolution of auctions as an increasingly popular and successful sales method.

“The smartest agents are the ones that are looking at how many people are wanting to come and live here on the coast and they’re recognising that auctions are the ideal sales method to capture that strong buyer interest,” he says.

“Auctions are all about putting buyers in competition with one another and what a great opportunity for sellers to sell by auction in a place that is so desirable to so many people.

“So, the best agents are running campaigns and achieving dream prices at auctions here, rather than sitting and hoping that people might turn up and buy it.”

There is no question that the Sunshine Coast has metamorphosized over the past decade in particular with a plethora of major infrastructure, as well as population and property price growth – economic factors that show no sign of letting up, Grant says.

“The Sunshine Coast has been one of the best residential markets because of the fact that people can genuinely see the economic activity that’s happening here, whether it is the new Maroochydore city centre or the airport expansion,” Grant says.

“Plus, the fact that you can live here and have the type of lifestyle you desire without the hassle of hordes of people and cars. It’s just a great place to live. You’ve got the best of both worlds. It’s just an incredible place to live and will continue to grow and grow.”

Reach out to Grant to discuss your next auction campaign grant@apollopg.com.au or 0410 573 114.