“My main metric of success is the freedom that I get. Everything now is my own choice—who I work with, the clients I take on, the properties I purchase. That’s where I’ve been most successful.”
After completing a civil engineering degree and serving in the British Army on international projects, James moved to Australia in 2016 on a working holiday visa. He initially worked in recruitment before starting his own solar company, which faced challenges during COVID. A conversation with a friend who worked as a buyer’s agent sparked his interest in the property industry.
James cut his teeth at two Sydney agencies, first at a larger firm making “a hundred calls a day,” then at a boutique agency where he worked directly with the director. This experience allowed him to manage his own clients from the beginning, teaching him valuable lessons about client expectation management.
“When I approached this with BAI, I looked at how I could design this business around the lifestyle I want. It wasn’t how can I flex my lifestyle around the business, but how do I mould this business to me and my lifestyle.”
James aims to service three clients per month while expanding from owner-occupiers to investment properties over the next two years.
“You don’t need all the perfect systems and brochures. If people are interested, they’ll talk to you. Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis—just take action.”
