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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. Now, today my guest is Emma Grant from Ray White, Malan and co. A driven high energy agent building serious momentum through strong client relationships, consistency, and a modern approach to real estate. Emma's known for bringing both professionalism and personality into her campaigns, and today we're diving into her journey.
What shaped her style and what really happens behind the scenes when results are on the line. Emma, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you.
Now I wanna start something probably a little bit away from real estate because this will really be able to tell our listeners a little bit about you and where you've come.
So you actually moved to Australia from New Zealand when you were 20, but tell me about maybe the. The five years before that.
Okay. So it's a little bit controversial and, um, I, I guess that you could say it's definitely not conventional. Um, I was a little bit rebellious, I guess you could say, as a teenager.
And, um, I had a child at 15 years old. Wow. Um, who's. 20 now. Almost 20. She's 20 in July. Um, she's an incredible human being. And, um, yeah, I, I had her at 15, raised her, went to school in New Zealand and New Zealand at the time. Um, teen pregnancy was at its highest rate. Okay. Um, per capita in the world.
Sure.
And, um, so it was quite common and, and New Zealand, there's not that much to do, to be honest. It's quite cold. Um, it's quite a cold climate. Oh. So, um, yeah. Had a child and we have, uh, had a, still have, I believe, teen parent school, so I went to school. I actually had another child at 17 as well. Um, had the two children, went to university, started a sales job, you know, doing some cold calling and really enjoyed it and ended up moving to Australia at 20 with the two children, so.
Wow. Yeah. I've been raising them alongside my career since I was 15. Yeah.
Two children by the age of 17,
correct? Yeah.
That's amazing.
It is.
That's amazing. It's
pretty crazy.
Okay. And at the age of 20, so you, you probably have a support network around you, I would assume.
Absolutely. Like I had a beautiful support network.
My parents obviously, um, and friends and family in New Zealand at the time. Um, but I was very fearless as a youngster and, um, I believed that I could conquer the world and yeah, I wanted to also give my, my kids a better life and I just felt that moving. Here to Australia was the right thing to do and it was gonna give them, um, more opportunity because I just feel that in New Zealand it can be quite difficult to make it.
And because it is a cold climate, you can, you know, it can get. A little bit, uh, sidetracked with other things.
Sure.
Which probably aren't the best things.
Which aren't the best things. So you've upped and moved at 20 with two, two kids
Yeah.
Away from your support network?
Yes. Correct. Raising them, looking back, it seems a little bit crazy
raising them on your own.
Correct. Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah,
I mean,
and to be honest, they're amazing human beings. I'm really, really blessed.
So you, you land here, what, what's the first thing you do?
So I landed here, actually I had a boss in New Zealand, um, who got me into sales while I was at uni. And, um, he, well, while I was studying, I was, I was studying something that probably wasn't the right fit for me, to be honest.
Um, I'm way too much of a nurturer empath and I think that, um, I was doing applied social sciences. It would've. Yeah, definitely not being able to leave that on a tree and walk away mm-hmm. From some of the things that you obviously, um, have to deal with, um, doing that as a job. So, when I got to Australia, um, obviously I went straight into work and, um, that was pretty much me.
I was just getting my career set up at that time.
Okay. Yeah. So what drew you into real estate?
What drew me into real estate, I was always interested in, in sales and people and building relationships and I love like the home, so I love making properties feel beautiful and just, yeah, everything about property is something that's always interested me.
Like I love historical architecture, I love everything. Everything about. Just buildings and property in general. Um, but it wasn't actually real estate essentially at the start. It was this amazing woman that I ended up working for. Um, I worked for her as like a pa ea and sort of like a property development sort of style role.
Sure.
And she basically said to me, you should, you should get into real estate. I think you've got a really good knack for it.
Okay.
Yeah.
Okay. So started in, in the, the property development, which was your. The first agency you worked for?
Har Courts Coastal, actually. Okay. Is the first agency I worked for Har Courts, coastal Hope Island.
Um, at the time it was co-owned by Phil Shami and Dane Atherton. So they sort of owned it 50 50. Yep. And Phil had come from McGraw, I think, and he'd done some incredible things there.
Okay. Yeah. And how long were you, you there for?
I think I was there for, gosh, it must, well, I was with Hartz Coastal for a year and then it became Hartz Coastal, uh, sorry, sorry.
Hartz, uh, hope Island. So Phil, the old licensee left that, um, left the coastal branding and then just moved on and did his own thing. And I think I was there for about four years.
Okay.
Yeah.
So that's where you cut your teeth?
Yeah, yeah.
Okay, fantastic. Now, um. What, what surprised you most when you first started out as a, as a real estate agent?
What surprised you about the job or the, the industry?
I was shocked that there were people that worked in the industry that weren't so kind and didn't have other people's best interests at heart. That shocked me.
Yep.
Yeah, to be honest, um, yeah, it was. Quite confronting actually as a youngster.
Okay.
Yeah,
because you, there are all different types of agents and I guess, you know, while this podcast is here to show the good ones, um, there, there are, let's just say the not so good ones out there as well.
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
Okay. Um, when was the moment that you actually thought, geez, I'm actually pretty good at this. I, I think I can, I can make a, a, a good career outta this. Yeah,
probably a couple months in I reckon. Um, 'cause I had experience in cold calling in the past. I feel like getting on the phones was the most important thing.
And being able to get into the door I think is probably being able to get into the door is probably the most important thing when it comes to real estate. Uh, being able to connect to the person on the phone, on the other line, or even when you're door knocking, you know, just being able to connect to the other human being.
Sort of understanding their needs and figuring out, you know, where they want to go and whether or not that that's their final destination.
Sure. What motivates yama? What? What's your driver? You know, is it competition, people growth?
What is it? I think it's really just my family, my two. Two children have definitely been my driver.
Um, and also I'm quite competitive.
Right. How old are you, are your kids now?
My daughter will be 20 in July and my son is, uh, 18 this year.
Right. Well, I can't really call them kids then, can I? Do they still live with you? Are they
They do, yes. They still at home? They are still at home. Okay. My daughter is in her second year of uni and she works for me part-time and my son is in his last year of school.
Fantastic.
Yeah,
fantastic. Okay. And you live in Paradise Point? Yes. So, and your patch is sort of around that area?
Yeah. So
4 2, 1 6, I believe you're actually number one in a particular suburb, is that correct?
Yes, yes. Yeah, just made number one bigger waters. So part of the 4, 2, 1 6 postcode.
Okay. But 4 2, 1 6 is sort of your.
Yeah. Your main area, sort of the core suburb?
Yep.
Bigger waters, runaway Bay, run Bay. I used to, I used to always strive to be number one in Runaway Bay, but Okay. It's pretty hard to Sure. Knock, knock some certain people
off Peterson. Absolutely. Alright. What's one belief you had about real estate before you, you joined the industry that turned out to be.
You know, completely wrong.
I believed that real estate wasn't about relationships as much. I thought it was more about the property and more about, you know, the presentation of the home and the house itself. And I realized pretty quickly that it had nothing to do with property and more about the people and more about the relationship.
And that just so happened to be the one thing that I was actually. Probably bitter at. Um,
okay.
Yeah.
So can you explain that to me a little bit more? 'cause a lot of people listening, you know, who of course, you know, a lot of our listeners are, are people who come, are drifting into that space of wanting to buy or, or sell.
And they're probably thinking, well, it is all about my property. What's she, what's she talking about? It's
really not, yeah, it's, it's, I mean obviously it's about getting the right price for the person, but it's also for the real estate agent, it's about forming a tru, a trust bond between you and the other person.
And, you know, um. Understanding what it is that they're going through, because a lot of the time people are going through some really challenging situations. You know, it could be that they're going through a separation. Um, there could be a death in the family, they could be having financial issues. So it's really just about being there for them and trying to get them the best price possible, but also, um, really understanding their needs and, um, understanding their situation.
And I think that. Real estate is about the people. It's about the people involved in the transaction. Um, and not so much about the property, but yes, of course it is about getting them the right price and, um, getting them the best price, but also really about making sure that you are nurturing them at the same time.
Sure,
sure. Now there's a, a, a common, uh, misbelief out there. I, I. Tend to think with a lot of people when they think about real estate agents that, you know, what is it they actually do?
Yeah.
Um, why am I paying such a high, um, of course commission rate? Um, I could pro, you know, I could do it. Houses are selling, you know, that quickly these days.
I could, I could do it myself. So look, tell me what does happen behind the scenes, um, you know, with a listing. Yeah. What, what is it that people don't see?
I guess a lot of the time people don't see the relationships that you've formed with buyers over a long period of time. Like I've had a couple of sales recently where they've been on the market with another agent for, you know, three to six months, and they've.
Been on online, on realestate.com au on domain, and they've done all the marketing and it just so happens that, you know, they've come off the market for some reason and we've drawn the property and I've got a buyer that I know that I've been working with for a really long period of time, and they might not have even seen the property.
And I will bring that buyer and be able to match them to the home and get the, the client the right price because I've formed the relationship with the buyer where they have gained trust with me. So I guess that there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes. A lot of calls, a lot of late nights. Um, you know, real estate isn't really a job.
It's kind of like your personality in the end because you work tirelessly. Like I work from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, it's the last thing I do. And I think that a lot of people don't see what actually goes into the whole campaign and the process. And even off market sales like. The amount of work that you have to do and the relationships that you have to form with people.
Sure. Now, I want to ask you about buyers. 'cause a lot of people out there again, would be thinking, well, you work for the seller. Yeah. They pay you, you know, they, they're the ones who pay you. It's your job to get them, um, the absolute best price you can, which we all understand. But how important is it to have relationships?
Build relationships and trust with with buyers?
Oh, it's extremely important. It's extremely important. Buyers are the people that are purchasing the property, and they're your future sellers as well. And I think if you can form a trust with a purchaser and you can build that relationship with them where they trust that what they're buying is, is the right fit for them in the right product, they will pay a little bit more.
Or if they do have the, the means to be able to do so, I, I find it a lot easier to negotiate with people that do trust you. Yeah,
sure.
And get your client the best, you know, your seller, the best outcome.
Makes sense.
Yeah.
What do sellers maybe underestimate? Um, you know, most when it comes to, to choosing a, choosing an agent
experience, honestly.
Um, and energy, you know, um, making sure that the, the agent is passionate about the property, passionate about this situation, and, and excited about trying to get them the best. The best outcome. I think that that is super important. I, I do think experience is important as well. Yeah. Because you need to know a lot about the contracts.
You need to know, um, you need to know how to negotiate with people. Yeah. You need to know how to form relationships and you need to know how to connect with, with your purchases. Yep. And I think, you know, that does take time and experience.
Okay. I'm gonna throw a curly one here at you.
Yeah. '
cause we do have a lot of agents who listen to this podcast as well.
We all know how difficult it is to break into the industry as an agent. Absolute. As an agent, and you've just said that experience is one main thing for sellers to look out for. What's your advice to a young agent who doesn't have that experience? 'cause we know 80% of them drop out in the first year who register.
Absolutely. What's your piece of advice to a young agent? Listening where you say Experience is one of the most important things for a seller to look for in an agent.
Get a good mentor. Work for another agent for the first year or two so you can gain experience, gain knowledge, and gain insight into how they run their business so that you can take those key metrics that you've learned from that person and apply it to your, your own business and say that you have got experience.
Fantastic. How would your clients describe your energy within a campaign?
High, I would say I'm a really high energy person, um, and. Honestly, even as a new agent, I think if you've got the right energy, people believe that you've got the experience. If you are high energy and you walk in and you dominate and you are passionate and you care about the person, people will choose you and you've just gotta be on the phone.
You've just gotta be constantly connecting.
If someone shadowed you for a week, what would surprise them the most?
How much I'm working. And the fact that what I'm doing is integrated into every facet of my life. Like I don't believe in breaks. I think, yeah, it's okay to eat and obviously stop for a minute.
Well, I hope so, but I think you've gotta constantly be, constantly be on the ball and I think that people don't understand what's involved and how much you really have to be on the ball.
It's not nine to five, is it?
No, no, it's not. Nine to five.
Yep. Okay. Alright. Give me a, I wanna talk about sort of a few moments and, you know, career moments and stories.
Have you, what's your toughest negotiation moment that you can re recall? We don't have to talk names or, or anything like that, but can you remember a really tough negotiation you got over the line and how it all played out?
A tough negotiation that I had to get over the line was, um, actually a deceased estate and there was two people that had inherited the property, um, and it was going to auction and we had a lot of people registered for this auction and a lot of people interested and.
The, the, the issue was that one of the, the people that had inherited this, this particular estate wanted to keep the property because they didn't wanna lose the, the, the memories that they had of the appearance and the other person needed it sold in order to move on. Oh goodness. So the negotiation was that, um, we had to come to a, an agreement, um, and, you know, get them to agree to actually sell the property and, um, take it to auction because we had all these people registered and they wanted to pull, one of them wanted to pull the pin prior to auction, so.
That was a really tough negotiation, getting them to actually, um, well, getting both parties to wanna sell the property and actually really just understanding one of the party's situation and, and what made them wanna hold onto the property and actually just helping them let go. Yep. That was a really tough moment.
Um. And a tough negotiation in the sense of trying to get them to understand what their true needs were. And honestly, it was the best thing for them in the end. Once they had actually agreed to let the property go, um, and it went to auction, it went above reserve price. So they were really, really stoked.
But um, they were happy to be able to let go. And I think that that was. Probably a tough negotiation.
That would be,
yeah. Yeah, that
would be,
it was a very tough negotiation.
Good story. Good story. Okay. So a listing that didn't go to plan and what it taught you,
A listing that didn't go to plan and what it taught me, I can't remember any off the top of my head to be honest.
I've actually had, every listing has gone to plan.
Really?
Yes.
Okay.
Essentially.
Essentially,
um, I mean, there's been moments where I might take on a property that. Is Unsalable for some reason, and that is definitely quite confronting. Um, they may have tried a few different agents and, you know, come to me at the end and said, you know, can you give me a hand?
I can't seem to get my property sold. And I try absolutely everything to try and get that to, to make, to, to make things happen for them. And then kind of get to the core, um, reason as to why it's not saleable. And then we have to sort of replan and, um, reconfigure. Yeah,
sure, sure. What's the, what's. Do you think is the one biggest mistake sellers make that costs them the most money?
What's the biggest mistake that sellers make that costs them the most money? Not presenting the home, right? Yeah. And not listening to the market feedback.
Yep.
Yeah. Having an idea of what they think the property is worth and not listening or, or looking at the evidence of, of what it's worth can be.
Detrimental to them. Um, 'cause I do find that you will get the best offers sort of within the first few weeks, and I think it's really important to take that on board.
Sure.
Yeah.
So what is the fallout of pricing your home too high?
Oh, the fallout can be detrimental, uh, massively because. You know, you might think, oh gosh, it's the agent's fault.
Um, and I've seen this happen plenty of times where I've taken on some other, you know, other agent's stock. Um, but it's not even sometimes the agent's fault. It's the fact that the sellers just don't wanna really hear what, what the feedback is and, and you know, sure what the true price is, which can be extremely detri detrimental, especially if you're gonna, you know, spend 10 grand on an advertising campaign and then another five grand.
It's you lose money and time. Yeah. Yeah.
Makes sense. What does a, what does a great client experience actually look like from your side?
A great client experience, uh, look like from my side, I guess that the, the sellers felt heard, um, and that they felt like I was on their team and also that the buyer felt the same as well.
Um, I just want everybody to walk away feeling warmth and feel like I was in their corner. Yeah. Yeah.
Okay. And how do you do that?
By just getting to know them and understanding who they are and what they need to achieve. Yeah, just being there for them, I think.
Yep.
It can be quite an emotional journey for a lot of people.
Yep.
Yeah.
Okay, so what's something you believe about selling that others don't talk enough about
Giving the seller the accurate feedback from the very get go. I think a lot of people get afraid that they're not gonna please the seller, and so they might say, oh, you know, everything's going absolutely fantastically, and it might not really be going that great.
And I think it's really important to set the tone of, of where the campaign's going early on. And to be completely transparent with the approach that you have with, with the people that you're dealing with.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I think that that's super important. I think that, you know, being honest and um.
Being trustworthy is what's the most important thing, and it's what people want. They want to know that they can trust you and that you're gonna try your best to get them the right price. That's the, that they just wanna know that they can trust you and that you're a bulldog, and that you're gonna go out there and you're gonna, you know, get everything that you can for them.
Yeah.
Love that. Love that. Okay. Do you have a favorite sale, a favorite deal that you've done?
Gosh, there's been so many I wouldn't wanna offend anybody.
Don't have to use, don't have to use names. Just
definitely. Um, yes, there was one on the, um, eastern side of Bayview Street. It was a really, really beautiful, um, estate and very rare property.
Um, I don't wanna give anything away 'cause I don't wanna offend any of my
Yeah.
Wonderful salads or fires.
What did you love about the deal? What.
The negotiation Yep. Was extremely fun. Um, and also the people that I got to meet, um, during the campaign and the property itself was phenomenal.
Yep.
Yeah.
Fantastic. How many homes do you see that you sell, that you think, geez, I'd like to buy this
A lot.
I can imagine
every, every property. Yeah. Yeah. I see like the potential in pretty much every home, and I'm like, damn. And I thank God, why didn't I buy these properties five, 10 years ago? You know, it's just crazy how much the market has increased, especially in bigger waters.
It's gone up 34.7% in the last 12 months.
Here's a question that I don't even know if we'll keep in here, but I actually just really want to know.
Yeah.
Um, if you are going to a listing meeting and you actually, you're actually in the market yourself, and it's actually a house you wanna buy. What happens then?
Well, you've gotta do a form eight. You've got to disclose to the, to the seller that you are the purchaser, because if for some reason you purchase the property and the property goes up in value. And you resell. It can look really bad.
That's what I was just thinking. It
can look really, really bad. I've
interviewed a lot of real estate agents.
I've never thought of that question till just then.
Yeah, you have to disclose it. You have to be completely upfront. And trust me, there's been a lot of times where I think, gosh, I wish I could buy this right now. Um, but I think to myself, would I be buying it and would I be getting my seller the right price or would I be trying to negotiate to get myself the right price?
And I have to remove myself from the situation because I think. It's probably not the right thing to buy the property off a seller because I'm probably trying to gonna try and get it the, you know, the right price for me, even though I'm disclosing it. Um, so I try and steer clear from, from doing so because I wanna make sure that I'm getting them more for sure than what I'm prepared to pay
for.
Sure.
Yeah.
Alright. What is the highest sale price you've ever achieved for a client?
The highest sale price I've ever achieved for a client is four mil.
Form that's, that's decent.
Yeah. Yeah. Love to do more. But, um, yeah, I haven't, my average sale price is probably more around that 1.1 to, to 2 million mark.
Yeah. Sure. Okay. Total sales.
500 in value. Yeah. 500 million in, in career sales so far.
Wow.
Yeah, so,
wow. Congratulations.
Thank you.
Excellent. And what's your, what's your. Your bread and butter property, what's the, what do you get most of what, what does your classic property look like that you deal mostly with?
Classic property would be duplexes.
Yep.
Yeah. Yeah. Duplex properties are definitely, um,
do you ever get both, both sides at once?
I have, yeah. In the past, I actually had this. Amazing auction in my early career while I was with Har Har Courts. And it was, um, a duplex pair that wasn't split, like the titles weren't split and, um, went to auction.
It was a cracker auction.
Yep.
Had a lot of people there bidding and um, it presented a really good return as well, so,
sure.
Yeah.
What percentage of your sales would be auction versus private treaty?
I'd say 50 50.
50 50.
Yeah. Obviously I'd, I'd prefer to do more options 'cause I do think it's a better method of sale for, for the client.
But it is property dependent too, in some cases.
Sure, sure.
Yeah.
Okay. Alrighty. You ready for my, uh, my quick fire round?
Yeah. Cool.
You haven't listened to any of my other podcasts, so you don dunno what's coming here. Alright, one word to describe your negotiation style.
Tenacious,
biggest myth about real estate agents,
car salesman.
Do you have an open home pet peeve?
Yes.
What is it
people that don't take their shoes off?
Are they all meant to? I haven't, I haven't been to an open home a long time. Yes. But I think I, I think I would,
yeah.
Um, okay. A lot of people say that people go into the toilet while they, they're there without,
or people that, um, come through and they run the property down.
Yeah. And they go, oh, I hate this about the property. I'm like, well leave then. Don't stay. Don't stay.
Alright. Um, if your career was a movie or a song,
okay,
what would the title be?
The Will of Wall Street, but without all the chaos,
without and drug use. Chaos and drug use.
Odd.
Okay. If your work style was an animal, what would it be?
A
cheetah. Okay. Or sorry, a leopard.
Okay. Yeah. Alright, um, go to coffee. Order
long black with a dash of almond milk.
Dash of almond milk.
Yes.
Okay. Are you sporty? Can I ask whether it would be a FL or NRL?
N-R-L-N-R-L? Yeah.
I won't hold that against you, but it is the wrong answer. Okay. And an even better answer would've been neither.
I prefer cricket, but, um, alright, my final two questions before we wrap up. So. What is your number one top tip for homeowners preparing to sell?
Clean the property really well and, uh, get it staged.
Yep.
Yeah.
Get it sta It's worth it.
It's worth it.
Okay.
Yeah.
Now, if somebody is listening to this podcast or watching us on YouTube and they are thinking about working with you.
What would you want them to know? What would you say to them? This is your chance.
I'd want 'em to know that I truly do want to get them the right price and that is the reason why I do this job. I love the thrill of the chase and I do care about my clients a lot. And um, it's kind of like I am, I'm good at both things, trying to get the right price and also being there for them is emotional support as well.
'cause it is such a challenging. It's a challenging time to, it's, it's, it's an emotional journey. Yeah,
I can see that. And, um, I think that's very much come through in the, in the podcast. So look, that pretty much wraps us up for this, uh, episode of the Elite Real Estate Agents of Southeast Queensland. A big thanks to Emigrant for coming into the studio and being with me today.
Now look if Emma does sound like the right person to guide your next move. All of her details are in the description below in the show notes. You can get in touch with her via Ray White Miladin co. So, um, and look, if you did enjoy this epi episode, please do give us a follow. Please do share it with anyone you know who's, um, who is looking at buying or selling, especially in the, um, in the bigger waters and, uh, runaway Bay area.
And look, please. Do give us a comment, give us a like a share. It helps us grow this and helps us get the word out about the very best agents of Southeast Queensland. Emma, thanks so much for joining me on the podcast.
No worries. Thank 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.