In real estate, success is often measured by listings, sales figures, and social media reach. But for David Snow, Property Partner at The Agency Toowoomba, the real mark of achievement isn’t volume or visibility. It’s consistency.
After more than forty years in the profession, he believes the best results come from a simple philosophy that outlasts any market cycle or marketing trend: do the right thing, every time.
Professionalism, he insists, isn’t about appearance or polish; it’s about behaviour.
“You can’t pretend to be someone other than yourself, and people can see through that very quickly,” he says.
“The skills of listening have to be there to start with. You have to have a genuine interest in people.”
That approach has anchored his reputation in Toowoomba for decades, through market cycles, brand changes and generational shifts in the industry.
It’s also a reminder that while real estate might have become faster, louder and more data-driven, the foundations of trust remain the same.
Substance over show
David’s family has been part of Toowoomba’s business community since 1951, when his father, Peter Snow, co-founded the original agency, Swan & Snow.
The elder Snow was a valuer, auctioneer and community stalwart who juggled a busy business with raising five children and an extraordinary commitment to civic life.
“Dad was a Rotarian, a Scout leader, and he just got involved whenever something worthwhile came up,” he recalls.
“Considering how busy he was, and that we didn’t have much money, he still found time for community service.”
That legacy shaped David’s own definition of contribution and he distinguishes between genuine service and the kind done for optics.
“There are those with the photograph of someone handing over a giant cheque with the name of the agency on it,” he says.
“And there are those causes you support because you want to be there, because you want to help someone without payment or recognition.”
He doesn’t begrudge the newer, glossier forms of community involvement — black-tie fundraisers that wrap up by 11pm — but he worries about what’s being lost.
“The idea of public community service is still there, just in a different form,” he says. “I’m old school in that respect.”
The professional advantage of integrity
David admits he’s as competitive as ever, but his style of competition is grounded in ethics.
He recounts a story from a former colleague: “He said, ‘Snowy, I always know that when I’m up against you for a listing, you’ll fight hard – but no one’s reputation will be trashed in the process.’”
It’s a compliment he still treasures.
“You don’t lower yourself to be part of that kind of conversation,” he says.
“If someone tells you they had a bad experience with another agent, you don’t join in. You just say, ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ and move on.”
For David reputation isn’t an abstract value; it’s a business asset that compounds.
“It can take a lifetime to build your reputation,” he says.
“You can lose it in a few minutes with an error of judgment.”
Building people who might leave
David is equally proud of the people who have passed through his business and gone on to succeed on their own.
“Do you employ mediocrity, or do you employ people at the risk of them becoming friendly competitors? I prefer to go for the latter,” he says.
“That’s one of the joys of the last four decades,” he says. “Seeing people grow and still keeping those friendships alive.”
The sentiment says as much about his leadership style as it does about his outlook on the industry. Mentorship, for David, isn’t about control; it’s about stewardship.
“If the grass isn’t greener on the other side, they know they can come back,” he says with a laugh.
Like many in real estate, David came to the profession sideways. He spent the early part of his career with Shell Australia before joining the family business in 1984.
The move, he admits, was a financial step backwards – “half the money and had to buy my own car and petrol” – but it felt immediately right.
“I was totally addicted to it,” he says. “No day was the same. You could plan for half of it, and the rest you reacted to. It was a people’s business, and I thrived on that.”
Working weekends wasn’t new to him; nor was the art of setting boundaries. From his Shell days, he’d learnt to distinguish between work that’s urgent and work that’s simply loud.
“When someone contacts you, you need to work out quickly whether they’re ready, willing and able,” he says. “Otherwise, you’ll find yourself working seven days a week.”
His gauge for retirement is simple: “When the phone rings on a Sunday afternoon, and I feel like it’s an invasion of privacy rather than the next opportunity — that’s when I’ll know it’s time.”
Why the REIQ matters
David has long been one of the most active voices for professionalism in regional Queensland.
He joined the Real Estate Institute of Queensland in the mid-1980s, believing it was “imperative to support the profession’s only state-wide representative body.”
He remembers when local REIQ meetings were packed.
“You’d see all the other agents in town … there was a real sense of collegiality,” he says.
“If an ethical issue came up, you could pick up the phone, have a conversation, and sort it out. There was no need for hostility.”
He credits successive REIQ leaders, including Antonia Mercorella, Rob Honeycombe, Peter Brewer and Peter Camphin, with strengthening the organisation’s role and public credibility.
“Antonia, with her legal background and communication skills, has been outstanding,” he says.
“She’s been able to explain to government what the real-world consequences of legislation would be, and she’s advocated for greater professionalism across the board.”
Earlier this year, that long record of service was recognised when the REIQ Board conferred Life Membership, an honour David describes as “a reward for consistency, not ambition.”
“It’s a recognition of following the implicit values and standards that come with belonging to a professional body representing us all,” he says.
“I’ve been fortunate that a lot of it came as second nature thanks to the values my dad instilled in us.”
“I look back with enormous satisfaction that I can stay in this community knowing I’ve done a good job and done the right thing by people all the time. It hasn’t always meant a financial return, but I’ve kept the Snow name intact.”
