Real Estate – Real Talk: About Me

I have written more property descriptions than I can count. When I first started as a junior property manager, my property descriptions were cringy in hindsight. I used to write things like “this gorgeous home boasts stunning fretwork”. Did you catch all the buzz words crammed into that sentence? Thankfully, those days were over swiftly, and I learned from some of the best agents in the business to refine my craft and my property description acumen.

Now it comes time to write a description on me and I’m almost lost for words. Without the option of a 3D online tour of Ray Miller, I must attempt to verbally describe the man who will be dishing out real estate anecdotes and advice right here on this blog.

I was built in the 1960s and I suppose you might say I’m a true old Queenslander. I grew up the son of a drover in Warwick and moved to Dalby after Highschool to fix windmills with my uncle. After I took a fall from a windmill one day and shattered my collarbone, my poor mother rang all her CWA friends to plead for a nice safe desk job for her son. As you can imagine, I had no idea that mum was working behind the scenes on my behalf (I would’ve been mortified). But when Margaret Miller calls and tells you to move to Toowoomba because you start work as a clerk in a Real Estate office, you just do it and say ‘thank you’. I’ve lived in Toowoomba and worked in real estate ever since.

From those early days sorting paperwork as the junior office clerk to owning my own agency, I have seen every aspect of the property market business. The decision to sell the agency and retire has been a source of great elation and a significant amount of grief. Elation for the freedom my wife Merryn and I now have. Grief for a career that I loved now over. But honestly, the freedom is amazing. Now I can leave the house looking like a disheveled mess if I want to and it doesn’t affect people’s perceptions of my agency. Merryn and I spend our weeks enjoying all Toowoomba has to offer and our weekends driving our teenage son, Isaac, to Kurrawa surf club for his competitions. He looks like becoming a promising surf sport athlete and I’m so glad I have the time now to watch it all happen. And while I’m enjoying my family time, all I need is my laptop to write this blog about my other love… real estate. Life is good.