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A dinner for agents, staff and family members of the “founding fathers” has commemorated the founding of the network nearly 50 years ago.
Back in 1976, a group of independent agents sat down over a steak and a beer to work out how they could work together at Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek Hotel.
While a plaque commemorating the foundation of Professionals Real Estate has hung on the wall of the pub for decades, this was washed away by the floodwaters of February 2022.
Last Tuesday, 21 March, a replacement was put back in its former spot, and a celebration of the occasion saw agents and staff, and the families of the “founding fathers” come together over a meal.
One guest in attendance was Brian Brady, the son of original founder Keith Brady and a Professionals agent himself.
“It is at occasions like this that you fully appreciate the enormity of what they did nearly 50 years ago,” he reflected.
“The Professionals we see today began from truly humble beginnings around a table at the Brekky Creek Pub.”
Mr Brady shared, “My father was entrepreneurial and was instrumental in organising that meeting when those local agents decided to join forces to support their individual businesses.”
“These guys felt that as a group, they would have stronger buying power for a range of services, such as newspaper advertising, signage and printing.
Straight after that meeting, Mr Brady said his father “headed off to knock on every door of an agent along the east coast of Australia.”
“I was only a teenager at the time, but I remember him being away for months.”
“Dad knew it was a strong plan and he was committed to the group despite running his own business at the time,” he shared, noting there was a lot of hard work done by pioneers “who rolled up their sleeves and did what had to be done.”
“It’s a proud legacy.”
Speaking of proud legacies, Mr Brady operates as the principal of his own business, still under his late father’s business name, Professionals Keith Brady at Everton Park.
“I never changed the name as his legacy needs to be celebrated,” he commented.
“I have fourth-generation buyers coming in whose great grandparents were Dad’s clients.”
Mr Brady believes that network-wide, “it’s been a continuous process of giving back and helping raise up generations of agents. That’s probably why so few agents fail in this company.”
“Now there are Professionals’ offices right across every state of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.”
“That’s something special about the Professionals; we have the longest multi-generational ties in the industry.”
There could be every chance that applies within his own family, with a son in year 12, with an interest in real estate who is looking to study finance, meaning a third generation would join the business.
Weighing in on the importance of legacy to Professionals, CEO Katherine Gonzalez-Cork acknowledged the “debt of gratitude” to the founders “for their foresight in creating a uniquely independent real estate company that has stood the test of time.”
With the network continuing to grow, she shared that the group is “embarking on a period of revitalisation and expansion”.
“More new agencies [are] recognising the benefits of our long experience combined with the premium service we provide agents,” she concluded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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