We had a chat with Julian Muldoon, Director of 1Group Property Advisory. 1Group was born from an aspiration to become innovators and leaders in the real estate space and this is exactly what they’re doing. Our kind of people!
Tell us about 1 Group, what do you offer?
We are an independent real estate advisory firm, developing tailored strategies using marketing leading research. Our buyer’s advocacy service covers residential and commercial property. Our clients are home owners, business owners, investors and anyone looking for unbiased advice and strategic support from a team of professionals in the real estate space.
Basically, we buy property for a living and we are good at it!
What should people be looking for when choosing a buyers advocate?
- The buyer’s advocate must be independent and paid by their client only. Some agents take commissions from developers and builders, we don’t.
- Fixed fee structure. Some charge % and this means they make more money the more you pay, which doesn’t make sense.
- Look at their reporting process and investigate how much independent research they complete on your behalf.
- No time bound agreements. It’s hard to gauge how long it will take to find the perfect property and they should share the risk with you.
- A research team with valuation experience.
Why did you choose to go into business?
I was a client of a buyers agent firm while working as a time poor professional. The value was immense, and it allowed me to build my portfolio. Just putting your head down and working hard isn’t enough to get ahead in life and the property market is far more complex than people think.
I am in business because at 1Group we are working towards being the most trusted brand in real estate and creating incredible opportunities for people to grow their wealth and businesses. No one else is tackling the buying process like us- we have put a science around it which clients love. I guess that’s another way of saying we are carving our own path and wanted to do things differently.
What’s been a hard lesson that other business owners could learn from?
This is a tough one, but I’ll give it a shot!
When in business, being busy can feel like being productive. I have moments of ‘overwhelm’ which can create decision paralysis and we all know big leaps in business growth can only be had if you are focused on the right things. Recently (with some other business guns) we started a weekly accountability call, where we set our objectives for the week and review the previous week. I do it with our teams but no one was doing it with me. It’s a great way to stay connected with quality people and stay focused on the most important innovation and research that will help our clients.
Why did you choose to be a referral partner of RBK?
I have known Jase and Greg for over five years when they were kicking off their careers in suburban firms. We always got along and I knew regardless of what business relationship evolved, they would be great people to stay connected to. I guess good people attract good people- Anthony and JK are of the same ilk. Success in business and life is largely a result of who you surround yourself with.
What are your top house hunting tips?
- Start with a plan, not realestate.com.
- Set your objectives, including your budget. Don’t deviate!
- Research. Research. More research.
- Always get a building inspection.
- If you really want to nail it, get a buyers advocate on your team.
There’s a good reason we partnered with Jules- he’s a great bloke with the experience and knowledge to back him up. Get in touch with him here.
