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🎧 Discover the agents behind the For Sale signs and the sales pitch.
Elite Real Estate Agents of SEQ is the go-to podcast for anyone buying, selling, or simply curious about the people driving Southeast Queensland’s dynamic real estate market.
Hosted by Adam Bell, each episode features a genuine, down-to-earth conversation with one of the region’s top-performing real estate agents. From the Gold Coast to Brisbane and everywhere in between, these agents share their personal stories, expert insights, and what it really takes to succeed in a competitive market.
✅ Learn how top agents win listings, build trust, and deliver results
✅ Get local property insights straight from the people making the deals happen
✅ Find out what to look for in a great agent—beyond just a flashy billboard
✅ Meet the agent who could be the perfect fit for your property journey
Whether you’re a homeowner researching agents, an investor watching the market, or a fellow agent looking for inspiration, this podcast puts a spotlight on the real people behind real estate in SEQ.
Welcome to the Elite Real Estate agents of SEQ podcast, where I sit down with some of the most successful and respected real estate agents working right here in one of Australia's most beautiful and sought after regions southeast Queensland. This podcast gives you a genuine behind the scenes look at who these agents are as people, what makes them stand out in the industry.
And most importantly, can help you decide if they're the right fit to guide your property journey. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation. You might just be listening to the perfect
person to sell your property.
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Elite Real Estate Agents of Southeast Queensland Podcast. My name is Adam Bell, and I'm your host. Now, today's guests are a duo who genuinely brings something different to the table. Suzanne and Luke Clarkson, better known as Team Clarkson, they're the leading agent servicing Ashmore and surrounding suburbs.
As long-term locals living in the area for over 35 years, they're deeply immersed in the Ashmore community now. What makes Team Clarkson stand out is their true two for one advantage. Suzanne and Luke bring distinctly different skill sets that directly benefit sellers and buyers. Suzanne's background in the legal industry gives clients confidence around contracts and legislation, and Luke used to hang out in the building industry so he can add huge value when it comes to.
Renovation guidance and trusted trades and helping buyers navigate those building and pest inspections. They're big on quality over quantity, doing fewer campaigns, but doing them properly, and that's backed by a strong office culture and genuine support. I have heard their office is actually described as a quirky, fun and professional place with no red tape and none of that usual industry nonsense.
By the way, apparently Luke's a bit of a nut bagg in the best possible way, and sus is a burst that
people slipped in
and sus is a burst of sunshine. So I know this is gonna be a great chat. Hi guys. Welcome to the show.
Thank you. Thanks for having us.
Excellent. Okay, so working as a team, as, as it literally is a, a two for one deal.
It is. Yeah. Yeah. So Susan and I are married. We've been married for 20 years last year.
Mm-hmm.
Um, she was a trial bride. We've been together for 27 years or something like that.
Yep.
Um, so yeah, you do get a, a two for one deal. Um, we find that it really does work with different clients and we can grab it, we can sort of naturally go to, to clients and they choose either of us.
Yep. Um, which works really well, which works really well, and that just happens organically. Love it. Um, and yeah, they can be, they feel comfortable with, with somebody, and it does. We don't care if it's. Either of us.
Sure.
The thing. And that seems to really, really work.
Excellent. So how did you, well, let's, I'll start with you Su, where Yes.
Where, where is your background? What was your, what is your working history and, and what brought you into, uh, into real estate?
Sure. Well, I, um, originally worked in a law firm. I was actually did, done conveying at the very beginning. Mm-hmm. Um, which is obviously a component when you're buying and selling.
Um, but not with that in mind at the time, uh, then I was in a paralegal role and from then I went to work for the director of Public Prosecutions. Um, so I worked in the Southport office, the Benley office, and the Brisbane office for a period of 12 years. Uh, and in that period of time my role was the victim liaison officer.
So dealing with victims of criminal offenses of personal violence, so significant. Um. Situations.
Yeah.
Um, so obviously my job then was very much helping people navigate the court process and everything that goes with that, including providing court support and all of those things. Um, in that period of time we had children, we got married, and I just found that, um, the intensity of that role after a significant period of time, I wanted to do something different while still being in the arena of working with people.
So. I went into real estate when I was in my early thirties. Okay. So, alright. I feel it's like mature enough to understand how people feel given that we owned our own home. I had children as well. Sure. Um, and also that
probably since our early twenties as well.
Yeah.
Our first house when we were 21 and we've sort of bought and sold along the way
Sure.
Since then as well. So I had a bit of a. Personal history with, with property, and
Yes.
Okay.
Yeah. And financially stable enough that if it didn't work out. 'cause it's a tough game.
It is.
So let's stop
it is pretend otherwise, which is a, a good point because, uh, you know, one thing I have learned about the industry is it's really tough to break into.
Yeah. And to start off the, you know, once you've, you have put in the hard yards, but there is a lot of hard yards to put in. Yeah. Yeah. Um, that's when you know you can do quite well, but. Geez. It's a, it's a tough gig to start
off. Yeah. People think it happens overnight when you do, but it definitely doesn't, it's an 80% dropout rate in the first year.
So you, you've had, you've had the easy ride. I saw
basically
started Sue's, got in and did all the hard yards, and you just said, I might jump on board.
We could take it either way. That way. I think so. Well,
let's go your history then. You used to be a builder.
Yeah. No, I wasn't a builder. I had a stone, I had a stone, um, business.
I had a stone. Right. Finishing and polishing business. Yep. Um, before that, uh, I had that for 13 years. Um, my dad's a builder though as well. He's always sort of flipped houses. Yep. Uh, and, and we sort of did that along the way as well. Mm-hmm. With his help. Um, so I've always been around the building industry for a very long time.
Uh, so we've still got a lot of trades that we trust that we've been using for. Years. Mm-hmm. Years. And he is our builder. We've known him for 25 years. Yep. As well. Paul Russell, he's, um, yeah, Paul Russell. Sorry Russell. He's, uh, he, he's been around our family for that long and he's done it for all sorts of things for, for our family from putting another story on a few of dad's houses to building an uncle's massive house as well.
Yep. So he's done everything. He, he's really good and he just lives in Koala as well. So we've got trades that we can really trust from my experience in the building industry as well. Fantastic. And we know people don't get ripped off and we know they're gonna show up and do a good job, so. So
what led you to the decision to then jump on board to be, to become a team and, and do this together
page.
Yeah. Pretty much, yeah. Age. So, um, stone industry is a hard industry. It's, it's not easy. Uh, the Gold Coast is very hot as you can imagine. It's, yeah. Working instead of in houses and outside. Um, I did a lot of big stuff. I did a lot of really big luxury houses. Um, so the jobs weren't small.
Yep.
Um, so it, it is, it was a hard job.
Physically demand. Yeah. Physically Maori. And I just needed a change. I've usually built businesses up and then, and moved on. That's what I kind of like to do, to do is to, is to build things and um, whether that be a business, that sort of stuff, I get satisfaction from that kind of thing. Mm-hmm. So, um, I had a dog grooming business, believe it or not, before that.
And I've also a butchered by trade, so I've built things up and then moved and so on. Moved on. Yep. And I just wanted something that I could still be flexible and, and build and, um, this one seemed to need to work. And Karen Stewart Sure. And have
autonomy.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Karen Stewart, our boss. Sort of kind of not pushed it, but she's, she's like, yeah, you guys would be really good together.
You should come on board. You should come on board. Yep. And she backed us. A hundred percent as well. So, and that's, that's a good thing about our agency is that we do have a lot of support from Gary. Fantastic. It's a little boutique, boutique agency. And, and it's a little bit different to the,
so what do you, what, what are you think are the benefits that you two, as a duo, as a team can offer your, your, your clients, and even your buyers by being two of you rather than one?
Do you wanna start?
Well, I just think that we are just human beings at the end of the day, so all we are really trying to do is help people. Obviously legally we work for the seller. Mm-hmm. Yep. That's the, the obligation and that's the requirement. And of course we do that, but having said that, we work within the best interest of the buyer as well.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, and you know, like Luke said before, we offer different things, you know what I mean? So I'm good at some things. He's good at other things.
Yep. Our skill sets together that
yeah,
they really do compliment each other and. We have, this has happened organically as well. Mm. That we do have kind of set roles.
Very set roles. Although we, Susan and I do. Yeah. Not on
purpose.
No. Although Susan and I do work together directly, we very rarely work directly together, if that makes, if that makes sense. Yep. So absolutely. I do most of, of the marketing. Yeah. Open homes, that's the thing. Yeah. But, um. I do all of the marketing and all that kind of stuff.
Yep. Um, I'm, Sue still does a lot of the, the backend work, the admin stuff. Yep. Um, 'cause she's really good at all of that kind of thing. The contracts and, and everything like that. Uh, and then the trades and everything, we can sort of work together with that one too. So It does, it works.
Although we do have admin at the office.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, it's hard to
doublet passing
things on
and all. Yeah,
I can imagine
Su likes things done properly.
Yeah,
she um, she does make sure every box is ticked correctly.
Well, you do have a no PA policy. Can you explain to me what that, what that is?
Yeah.
Well, we just, you never, you don't wanna like meet a real estate agent.
They come to do the listing presentation. Yep. And they see you at the first two opens and everything's great. And then when the property doesn't sell, you start getting somebody else. Or when there's a. Building and pest inspection. They send their pa, they don't send the agent.
That's a really important one too.
The building and pest inspection of a house in any suburb is, is such a, is such a massive part of a campaign. Mm. That it's, people don't think it's very important, but it's one of the most important parts. You need to be there with the building in PEs inspector with the buyer. As with the buyer as well.
You don't wanna send a 12-year-old PA there who has no idea about. The building industry of anything, or a house doesn't know the floor from the ceiling or anything like that. Mm-hmm. You need to be able to talk buyers through things, so they don't, they don't get alarmed by it. Especially somebody who doesn't understand the building industry like that, uh, or contracts will fall over and they do.
Yep. Ashmore. That's one of the hardest things to get over the line is the burning and pest inspection.
Yeah, sure.
It's not a new suburb, so I mean, we live in Ashmore. Yeah. Our house is built in the eighties. It's pretty common from a lot of the houses in the eighties. I would say. Anything built sort of 2000 or 2010 is new, you know, by Ashmore standards.
Yeah, definitely. So as a natural consequence, there are things that we see in building inspections like movement, hairline cracks. They're not major significant problems. But if you don't understand that and it's not explained. Yeah. And also termites.
Yep.
Yeah. We're at the Gold Coast. Yep. Our house, when we basic it's gonna happen, had old termite damage.
So just the word termites sometimes is enough, particularly for people
who run a mile
first homeowners, which is understandable.
Yeah, yeah.
But if it's explained and you know. There's a difference between old termite damage that's been there for 20 plus years
and it's been repaired and, and everything
like that.
Or even has never affected the structural integrity of the home.
No, no,
no. To like active termites. Okay. That's a whole nother ke of fish. So it's just understanding the difference.
Yeah. Yeah. And guiding people through
Sure.
Through that, through that.
Sellers too. Most sellers, they just. They're not intentionally selling a house knowing there's a fault with it?
No, no. Sometimes they just do not know.
Do any, do any of your, your sellers get a building in Pest before they
Yeah.
Yeah. They do. Yeah. Before
you or during While listing? They do. We, we always say that's a good idea to get a building in Pest first. Um,
as a seller,
we like to, we like transparency and we like transparency on both sides, and that's one of the things that we do plug a lot.
So with our listing presentations, that sort of thing. We are completely transparent. We're not gonna be, we not gonna tell you lies not gonna fill you for the things that aren't gonna happen and that sort of thing. We find that being transparent and open with buyers and sellers gets you the best result in every way.
So for sure if you are open and transparent with a buyer and you provide things like a building and pest inspection, you provide all of this stuff. Upfront, they feel that they can trust you. They have confidence that they can put in a, a good offer, and you'll usually get more money out of somebody like that because they feel they can trust you and they, they feel comfortable
for for sure,
and that makes a massive difference too,
for sure.
Hm. Now Ashmore is your patch.
Yes.
And, uh, sus you've lived there almost your, your entire life. Yes.
So back in the day we called it, uh, Trashmore. Trashmore
Trashmore,
but now we're calling it Flash Moremore.
Right. I love that
road. We used still live on a street called Horizon Avenue and directly across the road.
So we were in Ashmore, and that's like directly across the road. It was vanilla. So we call it like lower vanilla. Lower vanilla. So we would take our bins out, uh, in Trashmore on a Friday. And they'd do theirs on a Wednesday. Do you know what I mean? Like
if the was full on a Wednesday, you put it out on the other side of the road and you get
picked up
still.
Yep.
Very
cool.
Yeah. I went to Bola Primary school. I went to Bola High School. Yep. Our daughter is just finished grade six or last year at Ashmore State School.
Starting
high
is at high. Yeah. I wanted to ask a bit
about
your
lives away from the, the job. So two kids.
Yeah. Yeah. Emily's 12 and Oliver is 15.
Fantastic.
So Oliver of has got a job, which is good. He works at
local
G-Y-G-G-Y-G.
Right. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. Good, good.
Um, yep. So that's good. Emily's Yeah, Emily, um, loves sport, plays, demons, football club. Yep. Foot D She's done about four years there, so we uh, sponsored the club. She sponsored
them. Yep.
So I sponsored the footy club, we sponsored the bowls club across the road as well.
Okay. Uh, we sponsored Au High School. Mm. Our kids love that one. Yep. That's awesome. We were tagged. Tag high in a reel. We tagged Ben High in a reel the other week. 'cause they, uh, they got one of the best schools in the state. They are, it is an amazing school. Right. Uh, and I tagged him in one of our reels and it got shared across the, it got shared across the school platform.
The school platform. Wow. And all the kids store it. Oh,
wow.
Oliver was like, oh.
He
was like,
people are coming up to me, dad, you can't do that kind of stuff. Oh God. I actually, I enjoy
it. What you done, it's,
yeah.
The more you embarrass your kids, that's your job as a dad, isn't
it? Oh, it's weird though. 'cause we do, when I do parent teacher meetings and we do them.
Some of the teachers are the same.
Yep.
Yep. They're like, is that you, Suzanne? I'm, I'm like, oh my God. Yes.
And what about you guys? What are your interests outside of, um, outside of work
you go, Luke. 'cause you're more interesting than you.
Um, sport. Um, I do a lot of sports, so I was a cyclist for a long time.
Um, did a lot of cycling, raced all around Queensland. Mm-hmm. Um, and, and then went from that to paddling, kayaks, uh, cycling. Just got to. Dangerous and too hard actually.
Yep.
I was, uh, doing 700 Ks a week. You can't Wow. Do that to, that's what you need to do to keep up really, you know, grade. Yes. Yes. That it was getting too.
Yeah. Too hard with kids and all that kind of thing. Sure. And, uh, I'd had enough a little bit and went over to kayaks, K one kayaks
and
It's expensive. Yeah, it's expensive. Yeah. It's expensive. It's worth it though. It's fun. Yeah. I went over to K one kayaks and surf skis and do that now. Yep. As well. Um, so yeah, went over there, won a couple of national titles in K one.
Really they run marathon. Yeah. Wow. And, um, couple states in surf ski as well, but now I'm sort of just doing that as fun and really just to get out, do a few races a year, going to Tasmania next, uh, next month
Yep.
To, um, do a downwind camp down there, which means paddling in some massive ocean blue surf on the west coast of, um, of New of Tasmania.
So that'll be fun. Yeah, that'd be really fun.
Wow.
But, um, yeah, sports mine. Your thing. Oh, sport is my relaxation. Sure. Sort of thing. Sport and fishing.
Sport and fishing.
Yeah. That's about it.
You're not very good at fishing?
No, I'm not very good at fishing, but I still like it. Still like it. It's not the point.
Sounds like that fishing's about the relaxation, the uh, yeah. But, um, yeah, but that's my, that's my thing. I've always loved sport.
Right.
Cool. That's set me up for, you know, it does help you in a lot of different ways. Trying to explain to my son this morning actually, that sport can give you the structure and everything that you need.
To, to sort of, it, it transfers over to a lot of the time and uh, that's what I've found that does that as well.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Returns. It all returns, it all really helped, so.
Yep. And what about you sus what's not sport? Not sport?
No, no.
We are very opposite
in that No, not, we are quite different.
But also I, I feel that we couldn't both be as heavily into. So really welfare. I'm doing a favor with the kids. Well, more so when they were younger. Yeah. When he was doing, riding 200 kilometers on a Saturday morning. Yep. And then wanting to come home and have a three hour sleep. I'm like, we're not playing that game.
No. Not with the set of toddlers. Thank you very much. No,
no.
Um, yeah, so, no, that's not really my thing. I'm more of, I dunno, I guess I'm more boring. You're an acting person. No, you not
at all. You're a singer.
Well, I like to sing. I've been in a, yeah. When I was in primary school, was in like the Gold Coast Youth Choir and yeah.
So that's been a big part of my life and I just do it, you know, recreationally. Sure, yeah.
Fantastic.
Yeah. And
you're in an acapella group. You're not anymore there.
Yeah. But you know,
you'll be going back to that soon.
Yep. So now you work for, um, Stewart Estate. Agents. Mm-hmm. Yep. And Karen's the, uh, principal there.
Karen's boss. Yeah, Karen Stewart's our boss. Oh, that's,
and it seems like, um, you know, you've got a, a few things going on there that, um, well, firstly, tell me what's it like working for a boutique agency versus, say, a, a big, a big banner?
It's really good. It is. It's, it's completely different to something, you know, to a big Ray White or anything like that.
Um, Karen, Karen will come to anything we want her to. Mm-hmm. And if we can ask her to, so she will come and help us with clients. She'll come and explain things to clients. If clients feel that they need to talk to somebody like our principal or anything like that. Sure. She's there in a heartbeat. Yep. Uh, she's amazing.
She's amazing like that. And we're, we're very close. It's a close knit group that we are, we're, we're very good friends. Mm-hmm. Um, our, our office meeting is usually at our house on a Monday afternoon, having a drink. That seems to work. We do have a normal office meeting. Well, we actually
have a formal office
meeting.
We do have a formal office meeting.
We do have other people there.
Yep.
My personality, formal office meetings are, uh, not my forte. They're like pulling, pulling teeth that uh, it's much easier and we get much more done in that kind of, um, in that kind of meeting we find. And, um, she said, I'm a nut job. She's almost as bad as me sometimes.
Just saying. Um, but that's the boutique agency does. We can do whatever we like. Yep. Pretty much within reason, obviously. Yep. Legally. Um, legally, yeah. Karen, um, Karen supports us immensely and does give us a lot of free reign to, to do whatever we want and she'll support us. A lot of people think that we own.
The business all the time, but we don't. Yep. Um, we might one day. Yep. But, uh, we don't at this point. Um, but we can, yeah. We are allowed to do whatever we want like that. And she's always there, always there behind us to help and support. So.
Fantastic.
That's, that's what makes a difference. So
now tell me about your, your pay it settlement sale funder Yeah.
Program. How does that work and who does it suit?
Suits everybody. It's great. So what is love
sellers?
Yeah. Suits. Yeah. Sellers. Yeah. Not buyers. Yeah. So sale Funder is a product, uh, provided to us that you can tap into the, it's the equity of your house, basically, right? To, to get your house ready. So when you, when you put a, you know, when you go to list a house, there's always things that you need to do that can maximize the price that you get.
Yep. So we do a like price improvement program. So we can come in and we can say, okay, you should do this, this, this, and this, and that will genuinely maximize your price. Yep. We need to take away objections from people, from buyers. Yep. When you walk into a house. So,
and doing these things. Doing these
things,
we're not talking significantly.
No, I'm not talking, we're not talking, putting kitchen renovations or anything like that. Nothing like that. Small updates that make big impacts for low cost and things that photograph well. Right. It's like LED lights.
Sure. To Well, you shouldn't, three days doesn't be paint. LED, lights and flooring.
Garden.
Yeah. Gardens, mulch. Garden. Mulch gardens. They're the sort of, doesn't have to, they're the three or four best things that you can do at low cost. Yep. To maximize your pricing. Right. And, um, and that it works.
And through this you can fund that up.
Yeah, so we can fund a certain amount depending on the house.
We can get up to $70,000,
not us.
Um, no, the, the homeowner. Yeah, the homeowner can get up to 70,000 be great. Yep. That can be used to pay for the trades, pay for the carpet, all of that kind of thing. And it can also be used to pay for your marketing sort of stuff. And then the payment, it's comes out at settlement so you don't have to pay a cent.
And it costs you about 6%.
Okay.
Of, um, you know, of them, which is not a, you know, that's a pretty good interest rate. Yep. And for, it's a short term thing, just while you have your campaign. Yep. So it does, it works extremely well. And we have all the trades to do everything coming from that trade background.
Uh, we have the painters, we have the plasterers, we have the sparkies. We know them all for years. Yep. And they can be there in a heartbeat. We had a comment from one of our sellers today, actually yesterday, that she just thanked us for. She said, as soon as I picked up the phone and said that we're ready to list, you guys just moved into action.
And she goes, it was so seamless. You just had all the trades there. You had everything ready to go. You had everyone there within a few days. Yep. And got it all started, got it sorted, and we're on the market and then we're sold. She, she just thank us for the, and that's just what we do. It, it doesn't seem, not everybody thanks us for it, but it's, that's just what happens.
It works. Sure. It works really, really well. Yep. Uh, and we have, you know, it's, everyone finds it hard to get trades on the Gold Coast, obviously, but because we have the relationships with all of these people and have done for a long time. They, they were there for us. They'll come straight away because they know they're gonna get paid.
Yep. We've paid them before, before we had sale funder and that sort of thing. We've paid our tradies out of our own money. Own money, yep. Just to keep them happy because they haven't been paid in time and that sort of stuff. So we will pay them first to make sure everybody, to make sure
they happy.
Circumstances are different. Yeah, that's right. Absolutely. And we're well aware that people sell for a number of different reasons. Yep. And some of it is because they're downsizing or their circumstances have changed, but there are also some people who are selling because there's financial implications associated with that.
So not
as nice reasons either. Not everybody's selling to upgrade. And you need to, you need to
understand that, that with
people, as I be aware of it too. Yeah.
So we are just trying to pay our mortgage and get the kids through school. Yeah. And not get divorced.
Yeah,
that's true. And have fun along the way.
Yeah. It's as simple as that.
Well, you do have this quality over quantity.
Yeah.
Um, mantra, don't you explain that to me.
Well, I just think it's very easy for somebody to. Go online and say, oh, well this person has the most listings, therefore they must be the best of their job.
Mm.
And that's not to say that those people aren't good at their job.
I'm sure they are. They must be this track record of the fact that they're doing transactions. But you, there's nitty gritty behind all of the scenes. Most people only see a for sale sign and a sold sticker. Yep. They do not know what happens behind the scenes. No. No. And if it was, and a
lot happens behind the scenes
in every sale matter.
What Every sale, if it was easy, people would just sell their own houses. Yep. Yeah. We wouldn't have a job. If everybody was reasonable and you said, Hey, I wanna buy your house. And I said, great. I want 1.2 million. And you said, oh, that sounds fair and reasonable. Great. The end, but simply not the case. No, that.
'cause I don't want 1.2, I'm the seller. I want 1.5. Yeah. And you don't wanna pay 1.2, you wanna pay nine 50. Yeah. Yeah. And as a natural consequence, the person becomes involved, which is us. Mm. And if we can make it work and everybody's happy.
Yeah.
Some people are happy than others, then. We're
there to
manage.
We've done our job,
we're there to manage the whole process.
Yeah.
Yeah. And do it in the right way.
Yep.
But it's not as easy as for sale and sold.
No.
Whereas everyone would do it and we'd all be rich.
Yep. Absolutely.
And I wouldn't be driving a Hyundai Tucson.
No,
I've tried to buy a new car. You hate, you know, you like that car?
I like that car. Yeah.
A car.
I hate that car.
I like it.
Now you, you're heavily involved in the community and the Ashmore community, as you said. You do sponsor the, um, the Surface Paradise Ds. Yep. And, um, the high school and the, the PCYC. Mm-hmm. But dogs and donuts.
Oh
yeah. Yeah. So we do a, we do a thing, it was my idea.
There's a big, um, off lead dog area in, um, in Ashmore called Sun Valley Park. Sun Valley Park. Yeah. Is that, and, um, is that.
Down below.
Below Hillview. Below Hillview Parade behind Hill, behind Hillview Parade.
Sorry, the Asheville Plaza.
Oh, okay. Yeah,
I grew up on Parisel Street, so we had a gate from my house
to the
park.
To the park,
to Sun Valley Park?
Yeah. To Sun Valley Park.
No, I was thinking the one behind, um, the botanical Garden. Oh,
that's bon.
That's a big one too, too. That's a good one. Toos on the other side. That's right. We lower Bon, remember? Yeah. Right. Okay. No, I didn't know about this one. I, I've got a dog, so I'm actually particularly interested in this.
So huge. It's a, okay. It's about a hundred
and something acres, I think
behind Ashmore Village.
Behind
Ash. It's near Asheville Plaza.
Ashmore Plaza, yeah. Right.
Yeah.
Behind Hillview Parade.
Behind Hillview Parade,
Hillview.
Yep.
The most expensive street in Ashmore. It's a little bit fancy, little bit fancy number 51, just sold for 9.5 million.
You do on
Hillview Parade? I know a couple of people just, um,
yeah. Yeah, there's 9.5 million sale along there in Ashmore, um, recently. So it's, it's a huge, it's some big houses there. It's a really big houses there. But we, we did the Dogs and Donuts day because we, we've got Gj, sunflower Cafe Georgia, who we've known for years.
Yep. We, uh, we met her from selling her house actually, and she's absolutely lovely.
I met her, saw,
actually
I met, we met her through the coffee thing. Mm. She lived in Ashmore ire. We reached out to the Ashmore. Oh, that's right. Community Cage. That's right. She responded living in Ashmore. We then sold her property in Ashmore and subsequently we've maintained
Yeah,
yeah.
A, a professional relationship, but also Yeah. As well.
Yeah. She's lovely. So we get her down there. She's a little coffee van. We get her down there on a Saturday morning just for an hour. Uh, we get a massive amount of Krispy Kreme donuts. And we set up down there, come down and get a free coffee and a donut.
And dog treat. Yeah, dog treats as well. If your dog gets a bag of treats to take home. Very cool. Just happens to have a magnet with us in it on there as well.
But we've gotta go on retriever. Yeah. Because she's literally the best thing on in the, on a planet.
Yeah. Da Daisy's got a custom sash.
Daisy's
got a, she's got a steward.
Estate agent's team, Clarkson bandana go around her neck. Love. She's, yeah. She's a beautiful dog. She's the best. She's a beautiful dog. Love it. But people can come down for a chat who are thinking about selling their house. They can come down and have a chat, get a coffee. Without the pressure of having to call out a real estate agent to their, you know, to their door when they don't wanna do that.
If they're just at the start of, you know, looking, start of looking at selling or looking at buying as well, they can come down and get a coffee and just have a, have a chat.
Have a chat,
ask any questions. No strings attached. Yep, no strings attached. So we, we try to do that quarterly. It's
actually really successful.
Yeah.
It's kind of like my worst nightmare doing things like that, but looks like we're doing it. I
dragged you to do it,
so. Yeah. And
Daisy loves it.
And Daisy loves
it. Daisy literally just gets Pat the whole time. Daisy loves it and then steals the occasional donut from a toddler who's at her level.
Yeah.
Everybody
gently and quiet a toddler doesn't even know.
Yeah. Um, and everyone's covered in her fair.
Yeah. Yeah. Very cool. Is good. Very cool. At the same park, we do a, we've done for the last, this will be our fourth year. Fourth or fifth year this year.
Easter egg hunt for
the kids. Yeah. We doing an Easter egg hunt for the kids.
Yeah. So same thing. We get the coffee van down. Uh, we van An ice cream truck. Ice cream. Yeah. We get an ice cream truck down there as well. It's all free. Yep. All fabulous. It's free. Um, we, last year we hid. I think it was 1500. Wow. 1500 plastic eggs. Plastic eggs. Because it's a dog park. We can't put chocolate oil out through there.
Sure. But also it's hot. They melt.
Yeah, they melt. And then we have literally
yeah.
Tubs of Easter eggs.
Yeah.
That we, uh, the kids go out, they all get a. They all go out and get as many chocolate, no plastic eggs as they can. As they can
Come back and
come back and they all get the same amount of eggs anyway.
Yeah, that's So you get the kid that comes back with a hundred plastic eggs. Where's my a hundred eggs? Sorry mate. You get the same as everybody else. Fair. Can't have anybody missing out. Yeah. That's always fun. Yeah. Last year, last year we had. I think it's nearly 300, 400 people there more. Yep. And it was, yeah, it was a bit crazy, but it was fun.
And everybody, everybody seems to remember
it. It's over in a hot minute though. Yeah. There's all this work and this lead up
and then, and bang, it's
done. And we start on time because the kids. Uh, chomping.
Chomping a bit. Couldn't get the, where, like I'm standing on the roof of my truck with a megaphone.
Yeah,
yeah,
yeah. Going. All right. Kids go and then they literally, we let the, we let the, it's like the start of a race. We let, you know, we cut the, cut the ribbon and away they, and away they go. There go five minutes later they're all done and we, it's all sorted and they, and we're cleaning
up for hours.
They go get an ice cream and, nah, it doesn't take that long. No, it doesn't take that long.
Cool, cool.
And the council are really good supporting us with it all as well.
Fantastic.
Great. They're great.
Alright, so tell me, um, about a career highlight. What, what's a moment that you're proud of in
real estate?
Obviously
in real estate? Real estate,
hopefully proud of, I'm proud of the traction. There's not one moment
mm-hmm.
To be honest, that we're getting, I'm proud of what, in the last sort of three and a half years. Yeah. While I've, while I've come on board, uh, with sand, didn't do as anywhere near as much sort of advertising and, and as much sort of everything.
I'm proud of how far we've come mm-hmm. In that short amount of time. And how far into the community. We've got people, everybody knows us, everybody says hello as we, we are going around at the footy club and everything like that. I'm really proud of that. Yep. On that kind of thing. So it's not one little thing, if that's okay.
I'm proud. I'm proud of what we've built in the short amount of time that we've done it in, and I'm really proud of what we're going to build in the future. Sure. Um, in the future. So we're gonna be around for a long time, so. We are gonna be here in 20 years.
Awesome.
So, uh, what we're gonna, you know, what we're building now is gonna be, is gonna be good for a long time.
And that's what, that's what I think is
Okay.
My highlight.
Can I ask about a few numbers?
Yes.
Okay. Um, highest price you've achieved for any particular property?
2.3.
2.31. Yeah.
2.3.
Your
average Depends on the time of year. Sure. Really, to be honest. That was
such
a Yeah, that's was funny.
Diverse, um. Area.
So at the moment, our average has gotten down only because last year we sold seven duplexes in, in row, actually from selling one.
And then we sold,
right?
We just went, boom. We just went right through the street almost and sold the whole, sold the whole lot. Okay, so it's come down a little bit. It does vary and fluctuate a little bit as well, but we sell in. Paradise River it's called in Ashmore. So when we sell more in there, then it comes right up up.
'cause it's a very up, very expensive up medium house. Price is significant. Yeah. Medium house price is 2.3 million in there at the moment. Wow. Okay. So we've just put out a report for the last six of the year. Yeah. Of all the sale, all the sales and, and the media house. Right. Of that particular pocket of Ashmore, which is only 200 house.
Okay.
Uh, 'cause that's where we live as well. Yep. And, um, we run the Paradise River Facebook page of that little group as well as which
Okay.
Just behind the old Ashmore steak and seafood.
Yeah.
You wouldn't know.
Well, we'll, we'll definitely if you've never
been there. Yeah.
We'll definitely be getting this episode, uh, of
Yeah.
Promoted in that little group then. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Nice
little
pocket.
Yeah,
it is a nice little pocket. Yeah. So, yeah, Ashmore is such a very, very suburb. Mm. Um, and that's where we. Really just concentrate on that
spot. Sure. Okay. And how many properties would you have sold in the last 12 months?
Remembering that it is quantity over, over say quality. Last 20
last year
we did 2020. In the last, yeah, last year going up to December we did 20. Yeah, I mean a couple more. Over contract. Under contract. Um, in the early stages as well. There also was 22. If you wanna add those on. Stuart, they're already online.
They're already up before then. Yeah. Cool, cool. We're building. And building and building. That's up. That's up, sort of, that's up a huge amount on the fir on the year before and then up again from the year before after that. So
sure.
Next year it'll be 30 and 40. Okay. Or this year, I should say.
What, um, what do you think you guys might believe about selling real estate that other agents might not?
You've
gotta be, I know everybody says transparency, but not everybody is transparent. You, you do need to be. That transparent agent and not just be full of it. Mm-hmm. And tell people what they want to hear. Sometimes you do have to have the hard conversations, whether that be with buyers or you have to have those hard conversations with sellers too.
Yep. And unless we have those conversations, we're not doing our job properly. We need to, we don't just wanna tell you what you want to hear, we need to tell you the genuine, the genuine feedback and the, and the genuine things that are happening throughout your campaign. Because otherwise, if we don't.
We're not doing our job right. And we're not doing our job right. To get you the best price if we haven't told you all of that kind of stuff. So, and then we can work together to, to overcome whatever it is. Or if we don't have to overcome anything, great. But we can, you know, we can overcome everything to, to get you that best price.
So.
Fantastic. Good
things.
Alright, can I do my quick fire round with you?
Yeah.
Okay, good point. Here we go.
He's always gonna overtalk me,
so that's all right. At times I might just hold that up and say, this one's for you, Sue. First one is for you 'cause I don't expect you to answer this one. Okay. But, uh, a FL or NRL.
A
FL.
Good answer.
I grew up in Melbourne. Melbourne.
Good answer. I moved him
from to the Gold Coast when I was
14. I could really divert here and say, who do you follow and go Hawthorne? Oh yeah, that I don't mind Hawthorne, but I'm
Hawthorne and Esen did because my dad did follow Essendon when he was alive as well.
So
I'm a de supporter. So
yeah. There you go. Oh, well there you, you go. There's, there's only one of 'em in Queensland. Is there or not joking. There's a few at surface days as well.
Okay. Um, one word to describe your negotiation style.
Genuine.
Genuine. Okay.
Mm-hmm.
What's your go to coffee order?
Oh, he's the worst.
Soy cappuccino.
Don't drink
dairy.
Yep.
I'm just a latte. I,
yeah. You're pretty normal.
Yeah.
Pretty.
Okay. Three words your clients would use to describe you.
It depends on the day
me would be energetic.
Yes.
Um, you,
um.
Beautiful eyes.
Yeah, but that's not,
I just saw your eyes like on fire blue today. Aw.
Um, compassionate.
Yep.
I think that genuine, we've thrown about that genuine a thousand times over, but I think that is, that's actually true. So
weirdest thing you've seen at an open home.
Weird.
Weirdest
thing. Weirdest thing.
Weirdest thing I've seen or that's happened?
That's happened.
We did this one open home and obviously we have our signboards out the front so people know our names.
Yep. So obvi, when people come to the front door, we say, can we get your details? Whatever. This particular one was quite busy. This man walks straight in the front door, goes straight up the stairs, and he says out loud, hi, Suzanne and Luke. And I'm thinking, that's right. I dunno who that is. And someone says, do you know who that is?
And I was like, no. I looked at Luke. Luke looked at me. He went upstairs. He used the toilet. He went downstairs, flushed the toilet, left, flushed the toilet, and left.
Wow, that's quite funny.
It was so strange and random.
Really?
Very. And it happened in under one minute, so I don't think it was a number two.
No, but I dunno why you'd announced yourself to do that.
I know. Why wouldn't you just sneak in and pretend you were looking?
I don't think so, wouldn't you? No. But is it that old? I'm sure that's
happened before.
Yeah. You do anything? Confidence, you know, to go anywhere. If you put a hard hat on That's right.
Walking
with a ladder, you'll get in.
Yeah, that's what I mean.
So maybe even Yeah. Fake it till you make it
fantastic.
It
was weird. Alright. Um, biggest myth about real estate agents,
they're all rich.
Okay.
No, sorry.
That is a good one
too. Um, they're slimy.
Yep.
They don't know where the sock section is. Yep.
That's not a myth.
That's true. Look, this is as, as I explain to you that's
true.
I'm wearing socks as you can see. By the way, I've got my smiley socks on as I do.
I'm glad you said that because that really is the purpose of this podcast. Yeah. To show that you.
Real estate agents can wear socks or is
that Well, yeah, you're not all slimy or even rich. No. But, um, but 'cause that is, that is a stigma that, that, that is, that is out there.
Sort of secondhand, secondhand hand cast sales. Oh, they're
dishonest actually.
Yeah, that's another one.
A lot of
dish. That's another one.
Dishonesty conversation.
All I always ask this anyone's children life. If you've listened to my podcast before, you'll know. You should have known this one was coming. If, if your real estate career was a movie.
Which one would it be? What would it be called?
Oh, sliding Doors.
Oh,
no, before and after.
I was thinking more Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
I haven't seen it. Was that, was that good or bad?
It's Quentin Tarantine ever if you been
trying. No, I know what it, I haven't seen it.
I haven't seen it either. I've heard of
it.
Yeah. Um, sliding doors is probably a good one as well. Yeah.
You know, you make one decision in your life. You start with one agency, you end up moving somewhere else. You bring another. You know, member into your team, then things are different.
Yep.
But not always bad.
Yep. No.
In fact, in our case, positive.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Fantastic. Yeah. What's your number one top tip for homeowners when selling?
Uh,
do the, do the things that. Need to be done before you sell to maximize your price and take away the objections from buyers.
Yep.
Um, staging, staging as well. That's part of that process too.
Doesn't have to be expensive.
No, it doesn't have to be expensive.
Partial
staging.
It makes a huge difference. And it's becoming, then, it's becoming a, um, a stock standard now in the industry.
Yeah.
I would definitely stage our house if we were to sell.
Okay. Now, if someone's listening, especially in the Ashmore area and considering using you guys as their agent.
Hmm.
What would you say to them?
This is your chance to
give us a call. Um, we're a, a no pressure or come see. Yeah. Or come and see us. If you don't want us to come to your house at all, you're not ready like that yet. Come to our office at Pinal Village. Pop in, just sit down and have a chat with us. We're, uh, we're not about pressure.
We're not gonna ring you 13,000 times in the next two days after you've met us to, to try and give you the push, push, push. We're, we're genuinely there. Just to, to help you with a process that you need to get done like that. That's how we see it. Where, yes, we're out there to make money. Obviously we're a business, so mm-hmm.
It is our job. Um, but it's also our job, you know, to do it in a, in a nice way for everybody else as well. And, um, we can do it without the pressure and without the the, um, the stock standard. Real estate agent, if you know what I mean. It's not the way we roll.
Fantastic. Excellent. Alright guys, well look a really big thank you to Team Clarkson for, uh, for joining me today and coming on in and giving us this real behind the scenes look at, uh, thank you.
You know what it takes to deliver great results in, uh, Ashmore. Thank you very. So, look, if Suzanne and Luke sound like the right team for you, especially if you value, experience, clear guidance and a hands-on approach. You'll find all their details in our show notes and in the description, so please do reach out and give them a call.
Now. If you've enjoyed this episode and make sure you do follow the podcast, leave us a rating and share it with someone who might be looking for the right agent. This is the podcast for you. Listen to hear. Uh, who these guys are behind that sales sign and they are real people believed or not. Guys, thanks once again for joining me.
It's been a having, thanks for
having
us. Thanks having us. Lovely chat
us. I love what you're doing as a, as a, as a pair and, um, I wish you all the best.
Thank you. Thank you. You,
thanks so much for joining us on this episode of Elite Real Estate Agents of SEQ. If today's guest sounded like the right agent to help with your next move, please reach out.
You'll find all their details in the show notes and episode description. And if you're a real estate agent interested in being showcased on the podcast, visit www dot. Pod pro australia.com au to learn more and register your interest. If you enjoyed the podcast, we'd love it if you could like share and rate the podcast and let us know in the comments if there's an agent you've dealt with and you think they should be featured next.
Thanks again for listening and we'll see you on the next episode.
I.