Growing up in Tuntable Falls, Uri Ross never imagined he would become Nimbin’s go-to real estate agent.
“I’m in a pretty unique situation where I’m in a small village and I’m the only agent in town that’s grown up in town,” Uri says.
“All these other agents I’m competing with, they’ve all moved there.
“Some of them live in Ballina and drive here for work. I’ve got my grassroots.”
An unexpected entry into real estate
Uri’s journey into real estate wasn’t planned.
While working in insurance, making cold calls, his mother was selling her property.
During a sales inspection, the agent noticed his business cards spread across a table.
“Two weeks, three weeks later, my mum took the property off the market, and he said, ‘Oh, that’s fine. Do you want a job?'” Uri recalled.
“I was straight in. I just walked into sales.”
However, the transition wasn’t immediate.
As a 25-year-old newcomer, he faced scepticism from potential clients who preferred experienced agents with proven track records and his age played a negative role as many clients would refer to him as a kid.
“The first four years in the industry, the earnings weren’t big. I call the first four years an apprenticeship,” he said.
“You’re not gonna go in there and start making 200K a year in your first few years. You’ve just gotta be able to ride it out, build your reputation and then it took off.”
Nimbin’s evolving market
The Nimbin property market has transformed dramatically during Mr Ross’s decade in the industry.
What was once considered an affordable alternative has become increasingly valuable, particularly since the pandemic.
“I’ve just sold a three-bed, two-bath strata unit for $870,000,” Mr Ross said.
“A house in town that needs work is $600,000. You go out of town, everything’s over a million dollars basically, that’s got a little bit of charm to it.”
While COVID-19 drove a rural property boom, that segment has since cooled. However, houses in town remain strong, sitting approximately 15 per cent above their pandemic prices.
“The rural market went crazy in COVID. Now it’s quite poor. A lot of people don’t want a rural lifestyle particularly due to ongoing maintenance and the costs of machinery, repairs etc,” he explained.
“They’ll go up to 20 acres, but 100-acre properties are very stagnant. Houses in town are hot”
The move to @realty
After years of working in traditional office-based agencies, Uri made the decision to join @realty, seeking both flexibility and better financial returns.
“When you work in an office you generally lose half your commission to the office/principal,” he said.
“We all go to work to make an income, and @realty has the best commission split in the country to my knowledge.”
Overcoming the “no office” challenge
One unexpected hurdle Uri faced after joining @realty was scepticism from older clients about his lack of a physical office.
“There was a lot of the older generation that would stop me in the street, tell me I was going to fail because I didn’t have an office,” he said.
“I just said to them, ‘You need to go on the internet more. You don’t understand how strong the internet is becoming.'”
“I explain to them, I worked in an office for four years, and I only ever sold one property to a walk-in.
“If someone’s serious about seeing some real estate, they’re going to make a call and book an appointment rather than drive X amount of hours to go walk into a shop to chat with an agent.”
Community involvement
Beyond his professional success, Uri remains deeply connected to the Nimbin community.
He served as vice president of the Nimbin Headers Soccer Club, where he was also a junior coach and is still the sponsorship manager while playing on the men’s team.
His community contributions extend to donating a gym to the local high school and organising “Clean Up Nimbin Day,” which brought together local businesses and schools to collect roadside rubbish.
Future ambitions
Despite his success, Uri maintains practical goals for his future.
While he jokes about selling high-end properties in Byron Bay, his focus remains on building financial security.
Currently expanding his team and property portfolio, Uri has clear objectives for the coming years.
“In the next 12 months, I’m going to have three houses in Nimbin and probably building another two,” he says.
“My goal is to get a beach house, have a few staff members who help run the business and enjoy life more. I am currently a slave to my business, and we all need to stop and smell the flowers.”
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