The powerhouse families of Canberra real estate

Whether they're siblings or cousins, there's something special about working with your relatives according to these powerhouse families of Canberra real estate.

The Gutierrez cousins (Joshua and Sebastian), Ray White Canberra

What would you describe as the family traits you both have?

We both, just like our family, have high work ethics, share great values and always give our best to whatever task is in front of us.

What's different about you both?

Our differences are pretty major, we are almost complete opposites to one another! We both conduct our business differently and approach tasks differently but all efforts aim to achieve the same outcome.

Did you both grow up in Canberra?

Yes we sure did. Our family migrated from Chile in the 1980s and we are the first generation in Australia.

Were you close growing up?

No, not quite — unless we were at family functions together! Our age gap was probably one of the main contributing factors as Sebastian is 12 years older, so growing up as a kid Sebastian was already well into his teenage years and early twenties.

Are you competitive with each other?

No, we want to see each other succeed and we try to help each other achieve our goals.

What are the advantages of working as cousins?

Sharing the same values that correlate with our business and delivering exceptional customer service and outcomes for our clients.

What's hard about it?

There aren't many challenges about working together but perhaps the balance of family and work and where to draw the line with one another.

What do your parents think of you both being in real estate?

Our parents are really supportive of any career paths we take as long as we are happy and do it to our highest potential.

The Anasson siblings (Jason and Rachel), MARQ Property

Growing up, Rachel and Jason were known as ‘Irish twins’ — at just 12 months and three days apart, they’ve always been close.

“I was definitely the more dominant sibling,” Rachel laughs.

“I’m the eldest and I was always taller than Jason.”

The Anasson kids grew up in MacGregor and then Dunlop, attending St Francis Xavier College and trying their hand at a range of sports. Jason made the move to real estate first, with Rachel following a couple of years later.

“There’s an inherent trust that comes from working with a family member,” Jason says.

“The hardest part is switching off and focusing on being brother and sister, rather than work colleagues.”

Do they talk shop over Christmas lunch?

“No, we do well at focusing on us as a family at big events and on our family Sundays,” Rachel says.

The Srbinovski brothers (Vic and Igor), Raine & Horne Queanbeyan Jerrabomberra

Which schools did you both attend? Which suburb did you grow up in?

Vic: I grew up in Ohrid Macedonia, Berkeley Wollongong and then Queanbeyan. Attended Queanbeyan High.

Igor: I was born in Ohrid Macedonia and grew up in Queanbeyan. Attended Karabar High.

Who is the eldest and by how much?

Vic is the eldest by 13 years.

What were you both into as boys?

Vic: Soccer and cars.

Igor: TV, video games and some sports.

Who made the first move into real estate?

Vic made the first move into real estate in the early 1990s with Raine & Horne Queanbeyan at the time, and then had some years in different fields such as retail, mortgage broking and banking.

Igor came from the sales, retail and public service, specifically in Defence Housing Australia.

We decided to open our first real estate agency together at the beginning of 2008.

How long have you worked together?

We’ve worked together for 16 years! Our sister Irena Morschel has worked with us for 14 years, joining us in 2010.

What are the advantages of working as siblings?

Being able to be honest with each other as a baseline, wanting to help each other improve and knowing everyone in the office has your back and you can trust them implicitly.

What's hard about it?

No one holds back! It always comes from a good place but you can often talk to each other as siblings instead of co-workers.

Are you generally chatting about real estate over Christmas and other family dinners?

We try to avoid it in our off hours because it’s such a big part of our lives, but invariably the conversation does gravitate towards it.

The Ward siblings (Greg and Jen), Ward Estate Agents

Ask Jen Ward what it was like growing up with younger brother Greg and she literally clutches her hands to her heart.

“It was honestly like having my own little baby,” she recalls.

“I was nine when Greg was born and I honestly just carried him around everywhere - I was basically his second mum.”

Fast forward a few years and the brother sister duo are now co-owners of Ward Estate Agents, their own boutique agency catering to Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Googong and beyond.

“Greg is a master negotiator,” Jen says.

“You need a lot of runs on the board to be able to refine those skills and he’s had over 20 years of negotiation experience.

“I just look at him most days and think, wow.”

According to Greg, Jen’s an administrative and client experience dream.

“Real estate is essentially about project management and she’s all about processes,” he says.

“Everything has a process. And the relationships with our clients are critical to Jen. Her work has to have meaning and it’s the people we work with who bring that meaning.”