The powerhouse couples of Canberra real estate

Individually, they're exceptional. But together, they're unstoppable.

We caught up with four powerhouse couples from the Canberra property scene for the skinny on what initially attracted them to each other, what it's like to sell property as a duo, and - of course - the most obvious question of all: don't you get sick of each other?!

Jenny and Michael McReynolds, home.by holly

How did you meet?

On a blind date organised by Michael’s brother and a friend of Jenny's. It was October 1985 and we had dinner at Canberra Labor Club.

What was Jenny's first impression of Michael?

Just a nice person, I liked the fact that he was from the country (Yass) and he was easy to talk to. It was very natural for both of us, right from the start.

What was Michael's first impression of Jenny?

Easygoing, with a good sense of humour. And there was also a country connection with Jenny having come from Cootamundra.

How do you manage being together 24/7?

We've worked together for a huge part of our lives - we were married in 1987 and just a couple of years later we purchased a farm near Harden, which we ran together. We found it very easy to work together as we think alike and always had the same vision, which was to have the farm and then invest in real estate. We bought our first investment property in 1990.

After selling the farm in 1999, we moved back to Canberra and started a career in real estate. And we've never looked back!

What values do you both share?

Honesty, integrity and treating people how we would like to be treated.

Favourite thing to do when not working?

Spending time with the grandkids and family, exercising, walks, gardening and also spending time on our farm near Yass.

View Jenny and Michael (and Mark's) current listings.

Sally McCallum and Andrew Curren, LJ Hooker Tuggeranong

How did you meet?

Sally: We met at a private inspection In Isabella Plains in August 2018. I was looking to buy a house and previously Andrew had given me wonderful advice about a different property. He was five minutes late and I was worried about school pick-up. He was very charming when he was showing me the house and then he continued to call me for the next five months weekly. He had excellent customer service skills!

Andrew: I remember taking a call from Sally asking for some advice on a property and she was incredibly engaging from the start of the conversation. Some time passed and then Sally called to book a private inspection at a property I was selling in Moonbi Crescent, Isabella Plains. In typical agent fashion, I was late, but I soon became intrigued and from that point on I made it my mission to help her find the right property. This was obviously just to get to know her better. (Note: My catch phrase is now: “I love you to the Moonbi and back.”)

What was Sally's first impression of Andrew?

I thought Andrew was the ultimate professional and excellent at his job. He was kind and went out of his way to help me even before meeting me. After our first meeting we spoke weekly about real estate and then I invited him onboard a Qatar Airways plane as I was the Sales Executive for the airline. From there we started to catch up as friends.

What was Andrew's first impression of Sally?

I thought Sally was a wonderful conversationalist and extremely genuine. She looks at you with her deep blue eyes and you absolutely know she is listening intently. Sally also looked fantastic in her gym gear!

How do you manage basically being together 24/7?

Sally: We trust each other and therefore work really well together. We don’t need to oversee what the other person is doing. Andrew has been a great mentor for me but has also trusted my decisions and actions. We have both been in sales for over 20 years which helps us navigate our working relationship. We niggle at each other every now and then but it never lasts long. Our biggest problem is switching off at night and not talking about work.

Andrew: It's important to consciously discuss different topics and have other interests in life as real estate can become all-consuming. We do spend some time apart because of kid responsibilities, as well as our own sports and hobbies, which means we are not in each other’s pockets all day, every day.

What values do you both share?

Sally: Honesty, kindness and being ethical. We are also great team players and have great discipline.

Andrew: Honesty is the key in real estate and we both value that highly, even though sometimes people don’t like to hear reality. We do share a similar very strong work ethic as well.

Favourite thing to do when not working?

Sally: We're both huge AFL followers so during the winter we pretty much watch every game and go to Melbourne to see our teams when we can. We also both love training and do it year round.

Andrew: The AFL is definitely a passion for both of us so whether it’s seeing a live game or lounging in front of the TV, we will always make time for that. We also get “our steps up” together when we can.

View Sally and Andrew's current listings.

Natalie Kokic Schmidt and Jason Anasson, MARQ Property

When and where did you meet?

We met in Year 7 at St Francis Xavier High School in Florey (but we didn't start dating until Year 11!)

What was Nat’s first impression of Jason?

I liked him straight away but we were so young so we were both very shy.

What was Jason’s first impression of Nat?

I thought Nat was the most beautiful girl in the school ... and from that point forward I fell in love!

Is there an advantage to being a husband and wife team?

A lot of feedback we receive is that vendors like having a male/female duo. We always know what everything is up to as we live together too, so our communication is on point. We have a son and we're able to juggle family life as one partner can always watch him while the other one is at an appointment.

Don't you get sick of each other?

No! We're not always together, we have different appointments throughout the day and hobbies in our personal time. We both have a passion for real estate so this works well.

Favourite thing to do when not working?

Walking our dogs Manny and Cleo, and spending time with our almost two-year-old Leo.

View Natalie and Jason's current listings.

Rick and Tina Meir, home.by holly

When did you meet?

We first met in 2000, while working together at a real estate agency in Manuka. It's our 20th wedding anniversary this year!

What was Tina's first impression of Rick?

Extremely charismatic and hilarious.

What was Rick's first impression of Tina?

Quiet and a little conservative. Boy was I wrong!

How do you make marriage and business both work?

Love, respect and laughter. We work well together because we respect each other professionally and personally. We value each other’s opinions and contribution. We have shared goals, in-depth understanding, and constant support. It’s probably easier being in real estate with your partner than not, given it can be all-consuming at times. Our personalities and skillsets complement each other in both business and marriage.

What's the secret to a successful marriage?

Marry your best friend!

Favourite thing to do when not working?

Travelling to new places. We’ve had some amazing holidays with our children. Also, Tina likes to sing with her trio, The Stilettos, or do some acting when the opportunity arises, while Rick enjoys driving and tinkering with his 1990 Mazda MX5.

View Rick and Tina's current listings.