Long before Lachlan Walker was calling auctions or advising homeowners on selling their properties, he was working at a local pub, learning the value of a good conversation.
More than seven years into his real estate career, some of those familiar faces from his hospitality days have become clients.
“I think what brought me into sales was the human interaction being something that I genuinely enjoyed,” Lachlan says.
Those early relationships helped shape an approach that has stayed with him as his career developed.
Now a sales consultant at Barry Plant Whitehorse, Lachlan works across Whitehorse and surrounding suburbs, particularly Blackburn, where he has helped long-term residents downsize and growing families move into the area.
He says it’s rewarding to be involved in two significant life changes, helping one family move on while another begins a new chapter.
But while relationships brought him into real estate, learning to call auctions changed how he approached the job.
Becoming an auctioneer gave Lachlan a new level of confidence, along with a deeper understanding of buyer behaviour.
“Becoming an auctioneer gave me a deeper understanding of buyer patterns and behaviours throughout a campaign,” he says.
That experience now informs the conversations he has with sellers, helping them understand what to expect, respond to changing circumstances and make decisions as a campaign progresses.
And he’s had the opportunity to put those skills to use for two particularly important clients: his parents.
Selling Mum and Dad’s property brought a different kind of pressure, even for someone accustomed to standing in front of a crowd on auction day.
“The pressure was on, but they trusted me with the process,” Lachlan says.
The campaign attracted six bidders, with the property selling well above his parents’ expectations.
“I’m not exactly sure who felt more pressure on the day, whether it was me or my vendors, Mum and Dad,” he says.
Away from real estate, Lachlan has also tested his ability to perform under pressure, competing in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
He sees parallels between endurance sport and property sales, particularly the importance of preparation, consistent processes and trusting the work that happens before the big day.
It’s an approach he hopes to build on following his move to Barry Plant Whitehorse.
Lachlan says the agency’s growing presence in the market attracted him, along with the opportunity to maintain a personalised, hands-on approach to each campaign.
His ambition is to become a leading agent in the area, although his measure of success isn’t simply professional recognition.
For Lachlan, the next three to five years are about enjoying his work, being part of a strong team and continuing to look after the people who put their trust in him.
It’s a philosophy that wouldn’t have seemed out of place behind the bar all those years ago.