44 October 9, 2012 Te Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.

au
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THE BYRON SHIRE
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ECHO PROPERTY BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
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www.acceptancenance.com.au
Russel Shaw
6680 8045
0412 833 280
My wife Sheena and I became
partners with Rhonda back in
2000. Te plan was for Rhonda
to retire at the end of 2004 and
we would take over the company.
I became principal in 2005 when
Rhonda retired. All went to
plan and what was a very good
partnership came to an end. It
was important for Sheena and me
that we kept the business heading
in the right direction not only
for us but also for all the years
Rhonda had put into building
the business up and creating its
unique reputation.
While I am the principal, Sheena
is the of ce manager and wears
many hats within the company.
Her real estate background stems
from her time with Richardson
& Wrench in Brunswick Heads.
Her experience in the field of
of ce administration and property
management has been the catalyst
behind our success in building a
more than average size rent roll,
both permanent and holiday. We
have also just recently purchased
the rent roll of PRD Ocean shores.
Tis move was within our Business
Plan which is to continue growth
within the company.
From its humble beginnings with
Rhonda in 1979 to now, 33 years on,
we are proud of our achievements
and our aim is to be recognised as
one of the leading real estates in
the north of the shire long term.
We currently manage 300 +
properties, which makes our
office a very busy and active
one. We have six staf members:
Mark Lycos (Licensed Sales
Consultant), Kylie Edwards (Sales
Support), Linda Evans (Property
Manager), Tad Burcon (Property
Manager), Rosetta Smiriglia and
Belinda Egan (Reception/Holiday
Management).
I understand you have lived in
the area 30 years. How has Ocean
Shores grown?
Sheena and I became a couple
from our frst year in high school
and we married in 1975. We frst
came to Ocean Shores in 1973 to
visit my parents, who had just
taken up the position of managing
the Ocean Shores Pro Shop at
the Ocean Shores Country Club.
Tere wasnt a whole lot here back
then; the Club was the centre
of everything. From memory,
apart from the club there was a
supermarket at our main entrance,
now a hotel, and six or eight shops
being built down at the shopping
centre. We continued to visit at
least once a year for the next 10
years bringing our two children
with us on the 2000km trek up
north. Eventually the Byron Shire
lifestyle slowly but surely took a
hold of us.
After visiting Ocean Shores
for Christmas in 1982 we were
driving home back to Mornington
Peninsula in Victoria and we
decided to put our house on
the market and move up. Our
daughter Hayley was just four and
our son Luke was two. If we were
going to do it, now was the right
time for them.
We had just fnished building our
frst home; I had a great job with
Esso Refinery at Westernport.
Anyway the house sold within a
few weeks, I resigned my job, we
packed up, said goodbye to family
and friends and we were on the
road to Ocean Shores. During the
time of packing up the house we
had bought Splashes Ice-Cream
Parlour in Brunswick Heads;
we realised we would need to
buy ourselves a job until we got
settled. Our friends and family
down south thought we had lost
our marbles and that we would
return with our tail between our
legs. I dont recall there being such
a thing as an ice-cream parlour
in Victoria so I understood their
concerns.
Now 30 years on we have no
regrets. We have witnessed Ocean
Shores grow from what was really
a retirement village to what is now
a diverse village with an extensive
shopping centre complete with all
necessary essential services and a
very good mix of young and old. All
this of course means employment,
which was sadly lacking 30 years
ago when we made our leap of
faith and purchased the ice-cream
parlour. Glad to say the parlour is
still a success today.
Ocean Shores was the brainchild
of Wendell West back in the late
60s, buying out several dairy
farms. It was huge deal with an
American company coming in
and buying up land to develop,
residential, golf course, golf
club, even a marina were all
planned, Tyagarah airstrip was
also going to be redeveloped to
fy in the wealthy buyers.
Wendell West was taken over
by Princess Properties and
a lot of you would remember
the legendary Pat Boones
involvement. The anchor I
believe to the whole project
was based around the Country
Club and Golf Course. Te very
best golf course designers of the
day were bought in to design the
layout. Tey were Merv Barnes,
Bruce Devlin and Von Hagge. Te
frst game was played in May 1972.
I am pretty sure all the above
would be happy with what has
been achieved 40 years on. Yes,
Ocean Shores did struggle for
a long time to establish its own
identity but the last 1015 years
I believe has seen it emerge as a
precinct where people, whether
on retirement or as a young family,
want to live. It is unique; most of
my clients are from Brisbane and
the Gold Coast and they just want
to get out of the hustle and bustle,
but still be in easy reach of it; that
is what Ocean Shores ofers.
What drew you to real estate?
I cant say I was drawn to real
estate, it just happened. I had been
running a business in Brunswick
Heads for many years, which I had
just sold, and not really knowing
what I would get into next. From
memory Rhonda Browning,
whom Sheena and I had known
for years, approached me, she had
heard I had sold and said what are
you going to do now? Want a job?
I had already turned 40 not a good
age to be out of a job. Of course I
accepted (Tanks, Rhonda).
My parents background was in
retail; they owned for many years
an old-fashioned drapery store
back in Hastings, Victoria. I was
due to step into Dads shoes and
take over the company. I had
completed a cadetship with a
large retail chain when my parents
received an ofer they could not
refuse and sold up. However the
background has been invaluable
and has put me in good stead in
my real estate profession.
What community work and you
involved with?
Our community work mainly
i nvol ves sponsori ng l ocal
community events and sporting
groups. All things local are
important to us and we try our
best to contribute what we can.
Obviously schools and the ever-
struggling sporting clubs are
always sponsored. We also sponsor
two World Vision children and
have done so for many years,
watching them growing up and
proud that we are hopefully
making some improvements to
theirs and their villages daily life.
I know I shouldnt have favourites
but we enjoy sponsoring events up
at the Ocean Shores Country Club
both golf and bowls. Te club is so
important to our community, not
only the golfers and bowlers, but
it has become the hub for many
community events. A testament
to its use is the recent extensive
revamp. While many clubs are
struggling to keep their doors
open, not so with Ocean Shores
Country Club.
What are your hobbies?
Real Estate doesnt leave a lot
of time for hobbies, but having
said that I always try and squeeze
a game of golf in each week.
However boating and fshing are
my number one hobbies. I fnd it
a total unwind and I love getting
out on the high seas with our son
Luke who, luckily for me, has the
same bug, so we get to spend some
quality father-and-son time.
Outside my passion for my job,
my family and friends mean every
thing. I love get-togethers; give me
the barbecue tongs and a cold beer
and I am one content bloke.
I am a lifelong supporter and
have a great passion for AFL
football. I am a diehard Carlton
supporter. I am hoping that our
three grandchildren, all boys, will
follow Pop in the support of the
mighty Blues. I am also a big fan
of rugby league and follow poor
old Parramatta Eels. They have
struggled ever since I chose them
as my team 30 years ago. Maybe I
should change to the Storm.
To succeed in real estate you need
passion and loads of it. As an
owner of a real estate business it
is a rollercoaster ride; it is with
you 24/7. It is about people and
their lives. It can be challenging
but mostly it is very rewarding.
I have a responsibility not only
to my clients, my staff, my
community and myself but also
to the real estate industry, to do
the right thing; thats what I am
passionate about. I will continue to
strive for a reputation of honesty,
responsibility and respectability
not only for myself, my family and
my business but also for the real
estate industry.
With 17 years as a realtor in the shire Will Sorrell from Elders New Brighton/Ocean Shores is one of the longest-
established operators in the north of the shire.
Byron Shire Buyers Agent Q&A by Hans Lovejoy
Will Sorrell