Property Point

I have a confession. It’s about something I’ve carried with me privately for a long time. It’s something that could bring into question my credibility as an Australian, a Queenslander and, well, a Mackayite.

Like all confessions, it is something that can change the way people think about you.

On hearing this one, some people, maybe many people … oh, probably most of you, will apply a word to me that goes straight after “pretentious” and rhymes with “banker”.

Well, here goes ... I never use the word “youse”. I never have and I never will use “youse”.

The word is as common as reaching for a can of Aerogard, eating a slice of Vegemite toast, and enjoying a pie and beer at the footy … all of which I swear by. But I don’t say youse.

The emergence of the word is easy to understand. Other than “youse”, the English language doesn’t have a word that differentiates between the second-person singular and the second-person plural. It’s “you” for one and all.

If I were to ask: “Are you going to the footy?”, I could be speaking to one mate or several mates. So you can see how it evolved into “are youse going to the footy?” when speaking to a group. Or “are youse going to the ballet?” … well, not so much that one.

One of the important aspects of working in real estate, and doing business generally, is connecting with clients and customers.

They need to feel that they can relate to you, that there is common ground.

You have to be able to work with and connect with young people and old people, rich people and poor people, executives and brickies, men and women … just to name a few of the different categories.

There is no “typical” Mackay person because a buyer or a seller could be a lawyer or a plumber or a cane farmer or a teacher or a nurse or a shop worker. All equally as important for a real estate agent.

But although people can come from all walks of life, there is still a Mackay personality. It is understated, pretty relaxed and casual. They don’t have much time for a pretentious (word that rhymes with banker).

If a real estate agent turned up to an open house in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and was not driving the latest Porsche 911, everyone would think he or she was a dud, an unsuccessful failure. They expect the Porsche.

If an agent turned up at a Mackay open house and was driving the latest Porsche 911 it would not go down well. It doesn’t fit in. It would create a disconnection between the agent and the locals. That word that rhymes with banker would spring to mind again.

So you’ve got to read the room. You’ve got to connect and be relatable.

But you also have to be you. You can’t  try to be something you’re not just because you think that is what people want. In business and real estate and life, you have to be real. You have to be authentic.

People see through you if you’re not being yourself, trying to be some version that you think people want to see.

One of the great things about real estate is working with people, finding a connection, working out what they want and how you can help them.

And while you have to adjust to different personality types, you still need to be yourself.

So, apart from admitting I don’t use the word that really should apply to a group of female sheep, there’s a few other things I want to get off my chest. I don’t have a boat, I don’t like fishing and I don’t drive a big 4WD.

And if youse don’t like it, youse can all go and get stuffed!

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