Bartley passes the gavel

AFTER more than 20 years shaking up the Bellarine property scene with his innovative – and at times unorthodox – sales approach, Christian Bartley has farewelled the real estate agency he built from the ground up.

Mr Bartley launched Bellarine Property in 2011 with a plan to do things differently, leaping into the digital realm well before his industry peers and adopting a team-operated business model that removed competition from the office.

“The money has never been a driver for me. It’s been about being the best, being successful and delivering an outstanding experience for clients and also for staff inside the company,” he said.

 

 

A high-energy and conversational style at the auctioneer’s podium also helped Mr Bartley – who often turned up wearing a wetsuit or costume – quickly build a name for himself across the region.

“First and foremost, [the goal] was [to] have a bit of fun, make people laugh, make them relax and enjoy our brand and enjoy what I’m doing,” he said.

“But what it became was a marketing arm that got exposure because I did those things. People talked about it. People saw me doing it differently.”

 

 

It opened new doors, cementing Mr Bartley as a fixture at major charity auctions where he has shared stages with the likes of Guy Sebastian, and expanded his own his ability to give back to the communities he has always held in high esteem.

“You don’t want to be referred to as a hungry business owner. I’ve been fortunate to land on my feet and have a business which I call a vehicle that allows you to give.

“It’s about giving back because, at the end of the day, your community is the one who’s supporting you, those mums and dads with their homes to sell.”

 

 

But for Mr Bartley, who always intended to step back from the business once he was confident the right team was in place to continue driving it forward, saying goodbye is merely recognition the time has come to chart a new course, albeit after a well-earned pause.

“I didn’t want to become an old piece of fruit in the office. I wanted to leave on the right chord; I wanted to leave at the right moment.

“My era is done. It’s now over to them and I’m looking forward to sitting back and watching how it goes.”

 

 

He knows he is leaving on a high, with countless memories – the results, the banter, the jokes, the goodwill recognition – to look back on fondly.

“We’re the number one agency on the whole Bellarine Peninsula – the most amount of listings, the most amount of sales consecutively for about eight years,” he said.

“To be responsible for creating that and having a great team: the camaraderie and enjoyment and every team member having fun… that’s just been a joy.”

 

 

It’s business as usual, though, for the leadership team – comprising Levi Turner, Lee Martin and Andrew Kibbis – that remains.

The focus, they say, will stay firmly on the key points of difference that have seen the business achieve its success to date: its strong brand, customer service built on face-to-face relationships and the team’s geographical expertise.

“[Christian’s] legacy has been starting an incredible real estate brand on the Bellarine and then transitioning that into capable hands along the way,” Mr Martin said.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us to take over … Not a lot changes, but there’ll be little tweaks along the way.

“We will continue to just be at the forefront of any marketing innovations, as we have been over the past decade.”