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A shared passion for real estate has cemented a milestone for the Shay family, with four members collectively dedicating 120 years to the LJ Hooker network.
During the early days of his tenure as principal of LJ Hooker Ballina located in NSW, Michael Shay never expected his sons would follow in his footsteps in the real estate world.
Now reaching 53 years in the position, he celebrates 120 years of collective work in the real estate industry with his family.
Michael and his three sons have each been inducted into the LJ Hooker 21 Club, an exclusive group reserved for those who have achieved 21 years of continuous service with the brand.
“Working together is just something I never expected, and I’m very proud of my sons,” Michael Shay said.
Growing up, Michael’s sons had a front-row seat to the world of real estate, occasionally accompanying their father to the office or attending auctions.
Despite having exposure, Michael never pushed his sons to join the industry, and as young adults, they ventured into different career paths, exploring opportunities far from the family business.
Dean, the eldest, found himself in London as a town planner, the middle child, Kent, worked with the Commonwealth Bank in Brisbane, while the youngest son, Luke, settled in Melbourne, working in communications sales.
In his early 20s, Kent started thinking about a career shift in real estate.
“I was working in the operations department for the Commonwealth Bank. I was just out of school and enjoying life in Brisbane.”
However, once he saw the opportunities within the family business, Kent decided to return to NSW and be the first of the brothers to work alongside his father at LJ Hooker Ballina.
“I think he probably created this opportunity as he thought it was better for me to come back home,” Kent said of his father.
In 2003, Kent took on the role of principal at LJ Hooker Lennox Head, ultimately embracing the family legacy.
Upon his return from London, Dean took on the role of town planner on the Sunshine Coast before transitioning to LJ Hooker Ballina, where he became the sales and leasing manager.
Following his older brothers’ footsteps, Luke found new motivation to join his father in the family business after feeling unsatisfied with his communications job in Melbourne.
Luke said that compared to his previous job, time had passed quickly since he joined the family venture, noting that he had expected to commit long-term to the industry from the start.
“The past 21 years have gone extremely quickly, but it is nice to be at this point in my career and be recognised,” Luke said.
Kent said that while he had always been close to his brothers, their bond strengthened once they started working together.
“It wasn’t until they came back, and we started working together – even living together for a time – that those ties were really strengthened,” Kent said.
The brothers also attributed their success to their father, who provided valuable guidance.
“I was very lucky to be able to bounce everything off him and ask as many questions as possible,” Kent said.
This year marked their entrance into the LJ Hooker 21 Club as a family.
The network celebrated the family’s collective achievement and showcased the strong bond that had developed among them through their shared experiences in real estate.
“This year was the first time the four of us could be there together at the LJ Hooker 21 Club,” said Dean.
“A lovely presentation was made to us; it was just very special.”
Christine Mikhael, LJ Hooker’s chief executive officer, said that the Shay family’s achievement and combined dedication were a testament to their loyalty.
“We’ve calculated that together, the Shay family has dedicated 120 years to the LJ Hooker network, which is an outstanding legacy of loyalty,” she said.
Kent commented that he enjoys the dynamic nature of real estate, noting that every day brings new challenges and experiences.
“Every day in this job is different, it is never boring and working with family is great” he said.
“We do tend to talk a bit about work when we get together outside of the office, but it is good to bounce ideas off each other.”
Kent said that, like his own father, he does not hold any expectations for his children to join him in the family business.
“We will have to wait and see what happens,” he said.
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