At just 26, Dougal Miller-Sneddon is fast becoming a standout name in NSW’s Central Coast property market at LJ Hooker Terrigal.
But for all his early success in high-end sales and record-breaking listings, it’s not just ambition and drive fuelling his momentum – it’s the quiet influence of a man who shaped Australian showbiz for decades: his grandfather, the late Harry M Miller.
“I think my grandfather was probably my biggest hero,” Dougal says.
“He was someone I always looked up to. I’m super proud to be related to Harry. He created his own path and I’m trying to pave my own, but it’s something I carry with me every day. It’s super inspiring to me.”
For those over 40, Harry M, Miller needs little introduction; an impresario and manager to the stars, he represented the likes of Barry Humphries and Maggie Tabberer, but also shaped media commentary during one of Australia’s most infamous trials as Lindy Chamberlain’s spokesperson.
But to Dougal, he was simply “grandpa.”
“I was pretty oblivious to it all when I was a young man. Like it was just normal to me. You know, Harry had a beach house, he had a massive farm. He had a great unit in the Horizon building in Darlinghurst. It was just normal,” he explains.
Spending school holidays in his grandfather’s Sydney office, Dougal was exposed early to the rhythm of deal-making—though at the time, he didn’t realise what he was absorbing.
“There were always deals happening around him, and when you are in that environment, even as a young child, it has an impact.”
A nudge towards real estate
Dougal’s path into real estate began in an unexpected place – his grandfather’s funeral.
“I spoke to a specific family friend, Barney McGrath, and he was like, ‘Mate, you’d be great in real estate,’” Dougal recalls.
“From there, I just threw myself in, and here I am now.”
After starting in a support role with a different agency, he eventually joined LJ Hooker Terrigal and began working closely with principal Tim Andrews.
“I started as his, I guess, associate, just doing all the grunt work. Now him and I run his little team, or our team, together. We both list and sell together.”
Tim says he didn’t know Dougal’s family background when he first hired him.
“He just had a presence about him and a little bit of cheekiness… Dougal is great with clients and vendors, especially our high-end clients. He is very enthusiastic and has a tonne of energy.”
Learning from the past, building the future
Dougal’s approach to real estate is steeped in the lessons he learned from Harry, even if they were never explicitly about the property business.
“Harry would talk to everyone. We’d walk down the street, and people would shake his hand. He’d stop and talk to everyone. He was a respectful man. He was super social. He’d have time for everyone, no matter what walk of life you are from. That’s something that I’ve implemented into my life.”
He credits Harry’s example for instilling a deep respect for people, transparency, and an ability to read a room; skills essential in real estate.
“My grandfather was the straightest shooter in the world. I think I’m like that. I’m honest. I’m transparent. I’m polite. I’ll give everyone the time of day.”
Family stories and dinner table lessons also taught him about backing himself and taking calculated risks.
“Harry was definitely a risk taker. He was born in New Zealand with absolutely nothing. He took a major risk coming over to Australia… when he’d see an opportunity, he would just seize it.
“My grandfather was a very straight shooter and a master negotiator. He would always tell me to look someone straight in the eye, give them a firm handshake, and always tell the truth.”
That fearless approach is already bearing fruit. Alongside Tim, Dougal has been involved in some of the biggest residential deals on the Central Coast in recent years.
“We set the record for the highest sale price in Terrigal for a unit at $7.8 million last year. We still have the record in Matcham, which we sold back in 2023. And we’ve had plenty of other good sales.”
He also recently listed a luxury beach home owned by Rugby Australia’s former CEO Bill Pulver, with a guide of $2.5 million.
Paving his own way
Despite the weight of his family name, Dougal is keen to forge a path of his own.
“I don’t really leverage or name drop my grandfather that much. I think I’m my own personality. I’ve got my own things that I bring to the table, my youth, my energy… I’m in a completely different field to grandpa.”
In five years, he sees himself leading in the high-end market on the Central Coast, helping more clients, and “making people go wow.”
“I just wanna meet more people. I wanna make more people happy. I wanna make more people go, Wow.”
The energy and clarity of purpose are hard to miss, and perhaps, not so far removed from Harry M Miller’s showbiz instincts after all.
“I love my job,” Dougal says. “People often say, ‘Far out, you work Saturdays, you work Sundays, do you ever get any time off?’ But it’s not work for me because I enjoy it so much.”
