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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 today's guest is someone who's built a reputation on trust, warmth, and authenticity in Robina and right across the Gold Coast. Someone who isn't just about sales numbers.
Although she has achieved them, she holds a five star rating across dozens of satisfied clients has sold 29 properties in the last year alone, worth over 27 million. Her medium sale price consistently around the $1.1 million mark. Meet Vicki Barr, property marketing consultant at Coastal, formerly HaCo, Harcourts Coastal, and specializing in the Ravina region, but all over the coast.
Good morning, Adam. How are you? Good.
I'm very well, very well. What really stands out about you, Vicki, is how you treat your clients. Um, you say your top prior priority is being on your side, understanding their needs, keeping them informed, and making the process of buying feel reassuring. So yeah,
definitely that's important.
You know, you've gotta always put yourself in their position. And that makes the difference to the outcome.
Absolutely. So tell me, how did you get into real estate? Where did it all start?
Uh, I used to live in a small country town, well was small back then, but not now. Camden, new South Wales. Okay. And, um, I had bought a house by myself as a single mom and, um, met a couple who were working in a local real estate agency.
And they just told me, oh, you know, you should come and talk to our boss. And I kind of forced my way in the door.
Okay.
And the boss kept saying, but I don't have a job. And I said, yeah, but I can do it. Yeah. So it's okay. You can, you can let me in. Okay.
So you had some friends who thought you, you had what it took.
Yeah.
Yep, yep.
And that's what just sort of, and in you walked, knocked on the door, said. Here I am.
Exactly.
Give me a go.
I've never had a resume in my life. Okay. Just so
what? Learn on the Go does it?
Absolutely. Sat down with a phone book. The old phone book and the phone. Old book. Yep. And sat at the desk and uh, and then I used to go to the supermarket and I'd be talking to everybody in the supermarket and just one conversation led to another and yeah.
Became very successful. Fantastic. Did a lot of a bridges, sold a lot of farm. Sort of situations there. So that was really good, great experience. Great. Mm-hmm. Tell me
about your, your childhood and your upbringing. Was it in Camden? Is that where you grew up?
Liverpool in Sydney. Liverpool, yeah. Okay. Western suburbs.
Um, yeah, I mean, I'm one of nine, so we had a big family of nine. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Yeah, we had a lovely big family. And, um, what
number?
I'm the second last. Second last,
okay. Yep. Yeah.
So, um, my oldest brother is like 80. Five now. Wow. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, um, nine kids. That
would be a, that would be a, an interesting childhood.
It was busy. I could, I could imagine. Yeah. So, yeah, I could imagine. What did your mom and dad do? What were
um, mum was a home homemaker and Well,
well, it would have to be with nine kids. Exactly. I know
those sheets. I remember the sheets. She'd bere washing all the time. Oh, I could imagine. And that's a stew.
Yeah,
that was it. That would be the way to go, wouldn't it? She, but she was such a personable person and she, yep. She was just a fun woman and she had a great sense of humor. And Dad was a truck driver, so he was cranky 'cause he was on the roads all day.
Yep.
And that was it. Yeah. Okay.
Yeah. What did you do?
So you, how, where, where is Camden?
So Camden is on the southwest of Sydney. Right. And it's, um, it's under the MacArthur region. So it's a farming. John MacArthur was the farmer who started this sheep. Okay. So
it's semi-rural or you would call it rural? Yeah, very much so. Okay. It's
very grown now. When I started there, it was pad pads
and
one little suburb.
Right. And
you could park down the main street for whatever, you know.
Okay. And what were you doing before that, uh, that day that you knocked on the door and, um, and got your first real estate job? So,
uh, my previous career was in newspapers.
Newspapers. Okay. I was
a sales rep for, um, the local newspaper in Campbelltown.
Right?
Yeah. So I spent, I think it was about 18 years there.
18 years before that. Yeah. Yeah. So you knew sales.
Exactly.
Yep.
Yeah.
Yep.
And, um, my boss used to say to me, you haven't got any ads? And I'd say, yeah, I'll go to the Catholic Club on Friday night and I'll come back with them on Monday. And I used to just take the sales book and just come back with all these pages.
Right.
What would you, what I, I always like to ask this. What would you be doing now do you think, if you weren't in real?
I would actually be interior designing.
Yeah. Yeah. That's a little bit of a passion of yours. That's
a big passion of mine.
Okay. Yeah.
I love it.
So that must help then when you're looking at homes and helping people to, to style for, um, yeah.
You know, for their, for their opens and things. I
feel it has helped a, a few, and I do have a stylist now that I work very closely with. Jeff Wilson. Yep. From Affordable Staging. Um, he's partner Darren Stockman. And, uh. Yeah, that really does enhance the product. So if, um, a seller is really wanting to maximize their money outta the pro the property, it is really good to listen to your agent when they're talking about styling.
Absolutely. Makes a a, a huge difference. It really does.
Yeah.
So, okay. And, uh, what. Do you think there's any sort of personal story of got, sort of growing up or through that time at the newspaper that has shaped the way you, you do work as an agent now?
Oh, look, honestly, I've got so many fun stories and to this day, my boss and I, you know, and she used to come in.
And she'd say, how do you work in this desk? It was just clutter after clutter.
Oh, you're one of those. Okay. I was
one of those and and I'd say, well, what do you want? I've got it right here. You know? Yeah. But even to this day, you knew where everything was. I knew where everything was and I'd say, what do you want?
Don't touch my stuff. I know exactly. But um, to this day I am best friends with one of the car yard guys, um, that own the car yard and still have, you know, contact with some of the people. We used to work really hard and on a Thursday after the paper had got out, we'd go to the local Chinese restaurant.
Close the Chinese restaurant and just sit there and eat and drink for the afternoon. The eighties were great.
The eighties were great. Oh, fantastic. So, alright, talk me through, how did you then end up, um, where's the story from Camden starting there to, to getting to the Gold Coast? Into
the Gold Coast? So, um, like I said, I was single mom.
And, um, I had one girlfriend who had moved up here and I thought, you know, it's getting a bit sluggish down in Camden. It's, you know, a bit hard to rejuvenate yourself.
Sure.
I'm that person that just, you know, gotta keep alive and moving and everything. For sure. So I thought, let's head up. And, uh, I bought a home over the internet.
I'd never even walked in at Varsity Lakes sight
unseen.
Yep. And um,
what, when was that?
That was in, uh, I think 2006 ish. Okay, so that's 2006. Yeah. That's
a long time. That wouldn't have been that common back then. I know. It is a lot more common now.
Exactly. They didn't even have a floor plan. It was a coral home in Varsity Lakes.
Right. They were just building the street.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, so it was in varsity Sounds. Okay.
So you didn't even have pictures to look at Other than I had nothing. Nothing.
Nothing. There was no house when I went to walk around the street. 'cause my girlfriend lived in Bayswater. So I walked around the back and the house ended up being sort of, our back fences were touching.
Wow.
So we, um, yeah. So I just had my cat, my kid, and my fish and I just drove to Queensland. That's pretty
courageous. I
know. It was,
yeah, we, when I
look back it was, at the time it just seemed like that's okay.
It just, no worries. I'll just go ahead and buy a house and let's do it. That's, wow. Fantastic. And, uh,
then I, my daughter went to varsity school and, um, that was how it was and that was how, yeah.
She was, she flourished here. Um, she was sort of staggering down there in the school system, in the Catholic school system. Mm-hmm. And not, not anything against the Catholic school system as such. That really wasn't doing her very well. So when I put her into varsity college, she just flourished. And um, yeah.
So then she's now 31 and she's got a baby and married and
lives in mud reBarr. Yeah. Just up the road.
Yeah. So,
yeah. And how long did you stay in that house for?
In there? Well then I met my husband three years later after that, and then, okay. We stayed there for another two years. So five all up I'd say.
Okay. And then we, everyone had sort of moved out. Yep. So then we went and moved down to Beachside Burleigh.
Nice. I love that. And we renovated apartments, two
apartments, um, which then we really loved it. So then we started on this journey of buying new, doing them. Presenting them beautifully and then, um, getting outta that and then buying the next off plan.
Buying next. Okay. So that's what we've done for the last. Seven, eight years now. Okay.
Which again, would be giving you great experience and knowledge for the, the job that you do. Yes, exactly.
And that actually has been very good situation because a lot of people do ask me about buying off plan.
Right.
Because I have that knowledge and you know, I know who I align myself with.
Yep.
Um, I'm actually showing. Apartment this afternoon with, um, a developer for a developer that I'm really certain that this, um, gonna be a buyer will purchase. Yeah. Oh,
fantastic. Yeah. Okay. So it's really, so first job when you got up here to the Gold Coast
was rail estate.
I went, um, in, into Ray White. Ray White, um, in Pacific Pines. So I've worked from Pacific Pines down to Tweed Heads.
Okay. That would've been at that time, Pacific Pines, probably. Oh. A, a very vibrant market. Very,
very new. Mm-hmm. We were selling ra, um, just behind the service station there, those homes in a, uh, aviation drive and that little pocket there.
We were selling those for three 50. Wow. And they were four bedrooms.
Wow. Mm-hmm. Wow. Yeah. Okay. Well the house
I bought in varsity was 425.
Okay. So, yeah. Wow. Yeah. Wowy. So tell me, how did you get across to, what was Har Courts Coastal at the time?
So I met, uh, Ben Reeves and, uh, his wife Rachel Reeves is the financial controller at.
Coastal and had started with them from the, um, inception of it. So, uh, Ben was working for PRD at the time I was working for RAB Realty. We used to meet, have a chat out the front all the time, and we had very, very much a like, mind situation. Ben then went to work for Coast, uh, HARs. Mm-hmm. At the Broad Beach office and we caught up and he said, oh, you know, you should come and join us.
So I did and I started, um, a business relationship with Ben and uh, we worked for four years together. And, uh, yeah, it just kind of, Ben then went his own way and then I just stayed on and I just actually this week. Turned into 11 years at Coastal. Wow. Yeah. Wow. So that would
probably be almost the, the full journey with them.
Yeah. Almost from when they started. Yeah. I think
they were a year into it. So there was only, back then we used to have functions at very small venues, and now we need very big venues. I,
I, well, I wanna talk about that. I do hear good things about Coastal and, um, look, it's a brand now that I know changed across from that, that Har Courts brand.
Probably, I'm guessing about a year ago now, a bit more maybe. But uh, you see the signs everywhere. Yes. Yes. Um, it's very strong branding, but I hear it's a great company to work for.
Look, the thinking is the ethos. Is so good and it's very, um, certain about the way that they want to be in the business world.
Yep.
And real estate and present themselves. And they will not go off that. Dane Kim? Rob James.
Yep.
They all have the same. Like-mindedness about how to run business. Okay. And
a really strong ethos and stick to it no matter what.
Absolutely do. And they will not tolerate, um, bullying, they won't tolerate, um, you know, any misogynistic sort of, um, attitudes.
Nothing, you know,
which has, you know, we know that that has been in the industry and, and very much so, probably still is there in pockets. And
I didn't know it because obviously coming from a small country town and when I came up here. And some big brands were very, very. Bad. Yep. Behind the scenes.
Yep.
And hence the reason why I just didn't stay there.
Yep.
I was running around like a crazy person at one stage a week here and a week there, you know? But, um, you know, I had a daughter to feed and I had to put a roof over her head. So I had to just keep moving and look for the Right, right place to, to be
sure. And you are out of the ENA office?
Yes. So I've got an office in the Robina office.
I work, um, with a colleague of mine, Tracy Dere. So we partnered up.
Yep.
And, um, yeah, so we, we are doing really well and we, we just have a motto. We love to laugh, you know, we always laughing about stuff and just, yeah. How would you describe your, your sales style? Sales style is honest. Yep. Communication is key.
Key. You know, if you cannot communicate, it doesn't matter if it's one little thing, like, oh, I just remembered to tell you that there'll be a pre resettlement inspection, you know, um, there'll be this, there'll be that. Um. You know, even when a buyer, okay, so this is what you need to do and we'll do this.
And you know, we have all the administration behind us, which is amazing to be able to just hand over the sale process after we've finished
Yep.
To the admin. But unless the buyer knows what's happening. Then they're all very nervous. Yeah. And they don't know.
Yep. So look, for most people, they don't, you know, they might buy or sell a house once or twice in their Exactly.
In their lifetime. Yeah. Um, and it's the bit, probably, probably. The biggest transaction they're, they're ever gonna do. But they're not exp you know, most won't be experienced, most won't know all the ins and outs all days. So, and that's exactly right. Um, I can see why communication and education Yeah. On each part of the process
Yeah.
Is so important.
And just allowing them that time when they go into the property to have a look, to allow them the time. So many agents think that a buyer should be looking at a property for 15 minutes and they're out the door. That is ridiculous. You know, like give them the time. Mm. Let them open the cupboards, open the oven, turn the taps on.
Yeah.
You know, these are important factors. You're buying a very, very pricey item. Yep.
You know?
Yep.
One thing I'm picking up here, Vicki, is that you, you just, as you, you see your buyers just as important as you do your, your, your clients. I do. So who are the ones that, you know, you make your commission off and um, you know, I think we all know that there, there, there are again in the industry, people who really just after the, looking after their client, um, as they should, but I think often.
Buyers are the forgotten, um, part of that, which is why we're seeing that. The rise of buyer agents too, I think.
Yeah, exactly. Right, because you know. You can list a property, but you don't have anything until you've got a buyer to buy it. So, and the, the fact that keeping the two parties very, very happy and comfortable.
So the dialogue that the seller might say to you is, you know, they might be getting very tense, but you do not. Spill that over to the buyer. Mm. You know, you need the buyer. Very pliable. And you need the seller. Very pliable. Yep. And it's a balance act that, and people say this to me, oh, I'd love to get into real estate 'cause I love houses.
The reality is it's got nothing to do with the house or the apartment, whatever the property. It's actually, that's the byproduct. It's the management and the way that you deliver it. You know, and
how you look
after the people, it's really, really important. Absolutely. So your seller knows that I'm, I've got your back.
Don't worry about that. I'm, I'm here with you front and center.
Yep.
And your buyer knows that. They feel they can trust you as well.
Absolutely. I mean, there's a lot more to, it isn't that, than, than what a lot of people think, which is where you, you know, you go and put up the for sale sign, wait for the offers to roll in a hundred percent and collect your, your commission check.
I mean, tell me just what does a, a standard week look like for you?
Well, I'm a funny one because I don't have a standard week, right. It can turn in a minute. Yeah. I can ring an old client, which I do have them all in my phone, and I'll just ring them and say, hi, how you going? You know, um, you know, a couple of 'em of their partners have just passed away.
You know, it's really important just to, to go back and say, hi, how are you? Oh, I'm glad you rang because you know, I was just talking to old Joan next door and she was saying that she wants to sell a house. Will you come and have a talk to her? These are the way. That, you know, my business operates.
Yep.
So I can't say I have a perfect week.
I can't say I sit down and prospect every week. That is something I'm really difficult to sit at a desk and do.
Yep.
Um, mine's more about just reaching out to people talking.
Yep.
I don't know how I would actually sit and say, this is how I do something.
Sure. Yeah. Sure. Tell me about what does a great client experience look like to you?
Um, look, I have a lot and I had one fellow who actually didn't achieve. Purchasing the property. Right. However, he wrote me an email and said that he was so impressed because he knew I held a straight bat, and those words have always resonated with me. Yeah. And he said, um, that when he goes to sell his property, I, he wants me to do that, which he did.
Yeah. Yeah. And, um, he said because the, the, um, transparency of the situation
Yep.
He needed to hear what was happening as a buyer.
Yep.
You know, so, I mean,
you've said it already, but how important is transparency on, on both sides?
Very much. And you can deliver transparency in the right way or the wrong way.
You know, you don't have to tell them exactly what the seller's saying. If you water it down and make it a smooth sort of situation and deliver it properly, the buyer will hear it and vice versa.
Yeah, no, that's very important and a great skill to be able to, to, to have. Yeah. So,
yeah, and it's a learned skill.
I don't think that you, you know, you do learn along the way.
Okay.
You know,
couple of things around, around numbers. The, the, the highest value property you've ever sold.
Um, I. Three and a half million dollars. Yeah. Had a fantastic auction. I, um, sold a solicitor an apartment down in Burleigh and she rang me and said that she was actually partners in this property down in, um, reflections down in cooling gutter.
Right.
And, um, she said, could I come down and sell it? Which we ran an auction campaign. Um, it was. Uh, amazing. Yeah. And, um, yeah, it lifted well above where we had anticipated, so yeah, that was a really, really good, um, come together auction.
Fantastic. What about a career moment you're proud of?
I am proud of that every day.
It's not just a moment, it's every day that I can ring somebody and. Say how? How are you? And they say, oh, thanks for ringing. That's really nice. So that's really it. I don't have a moment.
Yep.
I have every day.
Every day. I have
so much happiness and joy in my job
dealing with people and I
just, I just do. I rang, you know, my client the other yesterday, who is paralyzed now, she can't get outta the bed and she just loves the fact that I ring her.
Yep.
Yep.
You know, just to say hi, I don't want anything from her. She can't give me anything. It doesn't matter.
What do you get the most satisfaction of? In, in, in your role, in your job.
Exactly that.
Exactly that, exactly
that. I just really am that person. I, I feel sad when I hear people say, oh, you are just a real estate agent.
You just, you know, you want you, you want the commission. You know, I deserve my wages.
Yep.
Because I do work hard.
Yep.
You know, I've worked long weekends, I'll go out seven o'clock at night. I have no problem doing anything for anybody that hurts me because that's not who I am.
Mm.
I really am someone who will help you if I can.
Fantastic. And I can see that. I can see that. Do you have a listing that, um, that maybe didn't go to plan?
Oh yeah. Oh yeah, yeah. Yep. Um, yeah, I can't think of one offhand, but I remember there was a fellow, an old fellow around in Varsity Lakes and um, he told me, I'm not selling this house for any more than six 50.
And it was right on the lake. This was six 20. Six 20.
Right.
Anyway, it was worth about five 80 at the time. Right. But
yep.
This other lady came and she asked me did I have anything and I put the deal together and, um, oh my gosh. The both of them were just so, um. Yeah. They, they were just so cranky in their lives.
She had an agenda. She had an agenda, and it was, that was a, yeah.
Well this is the thing, isn't it? You're dealing with all types of people at all different stages of life. Exactly. I mean, divorces, you know, all sorts of, so managing people's emotions, I would assume is another big part of what you do.
That's exactly what it is.
It's their emotions. You're not dealing with, you know, you are in the thick of their life. Whilst they're in it, you are in it. Mm-hmm. You know, like we just sold a, a townhouse up in Promenade and Valerie, you know, she was a lovely lady, but she was on her own. Her husband had passed away and you know. It's very, very sad.
And she was crying and Tracy's hugging her, you know? But next week we're taking Valerie out for lunch. She relocated. Oh, lovely. We got her lovely buyer. And you know, actually the buyer met Valerie, met the buyer. They had a lot in common, so they've changed numbers and now they're crafting together. Oh,
fantastic.
So, yeah. Fantastic. Alright, so let me, uh, I want to now jump into my, my quick fire round. Okay. Okay, let's do it some, uh. Some quick questions here. The first thought that comes to mind. So, um, one word to describe your negotiation style.
Real.
Real. How would your, what words would your clients use to describe you?
I hope real.
Real,
yeah.
Honest. Yeah. Transparent.
Yeah.
Biggest myth about real estate agent.
Uh, that they don't care as much as what they do. Yeah. And that it's not the, they take things personally.
Yeah.
You know, we do have a, a personality and we have a person behind the facade.
Yeah. Love that. Love that weirdest thing you've ever seen at an open home.
Ooh. That you can say,
ah, yeah, what I can say weirdest thing. Oh. I don't know that. Oh, yes. A phallic symbol on the wall. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Actually it was a, it was a sculpture and I thought, what is that? I thought it was from Fiji, right? When I picked it up, looked at it, I thought, oh, okay.
Right. Okay,
let's get rid of that.
That wasn't my next question. Did you, did you
put that in a cupboard? Yeah. Why don't we
just pop that away? Yeah. Okay. Um, if your real estate career was a movie. What would it be called?
Oh, the Life and Times of Vicki Barrr.
Alright, and your number one top tip for homeowners when selling.
Trust your agent that you want to sell your home and listen to them.
They really are there for you with you all the way. Yep.
They're not just there to get you the, the best price, which, which of course they will, but they, they're there for advice. Everybody wants the best price. Yep.
They want you to be so happy with them.
Yep.
And that's what they want to achieve.
Yep. What do you want to achieve for the rest of your career?
Um, health, wealth, and happiness.
Lovely.
Yeah. That's all lovely. I just, um, I mean, I'm happy. I'm, I'm happy in my personal life. Is amazing. I have wonderful little new grandson. Oh, thank I'm in. So love with him. Congratulations. Thank you.
Fantastic.
So yes.
Alright, so final question. If there is somebody listening out there right now and considering using you as their agent, what would you say to them?
I'd say, um, let's sit down and have a real open, long chat. Yep. I don't want your time for 15 minutes. I don't want to be in and out. I wanna be able to really satisfy what you want, and sometimes we may not be the agent and the seller together, but I'd certainly want to open up a discussion and make sure that I'm listening to everything that you want.
I love that. I love that. Vicki Barrr from Coastal. Office, thank you so much for joining me on the, uh, elite Real Estate Agents of Southeast Queensland Podcast. Now, if you have. Enjoyed today's episode. Vicki's contact details are down there in the show notes. Please do get in touch as you've heard, she would absolutely love to sit down and chat with you no matter where you are in the, in the, in the process.
Um, come along and give you a, a, a free appraisal. Um, so do reach out. And, um, I look forward to you joining me on the, on the next episode. Vicki, once again, thanks very much.
Thank you, Adam. It's been wonderful.
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.