A breakout reality TV star and one of the country’s best-known (and arguably most divisive) real estate agents – we chat to Rubinstein ahead of his second outing on Luxe Listings Sydney.
4 min
Gavin Rubinstein has built a reputation as one of the busiest men in Australian real estate – a man with an insatiable appetite for success.
From selling the country’s finest luxury residences via his agency, The Rubinstein Group, to starring in Amazon Prime’s surprise TV hit Luxe Listings Sydney, Rubinstein has developed a broad following and confident reputation.
Still, the recently installed H&R Block Property Ambassador works hard for his dollars and is acutely focused on his career – happily wolfing down lunch in his car to make various client meetings.
We caught up with the 34-year-old ahead of today’s second season launch – to talk swagger, suits, selling and more.
What’s a day in the life of Gavin Rubinstein like?
It’s very structured — I’m a man of routine. Alarm goes at 5am every day of the week, I’m in the gym by 6am and then some time to myself before the whirlwind of work really kicks in.
Between the hours of 6am-10pm my phone is consistently buzzing whilst I jet between meetings and some of the most luxurious properties in Sydney.
I suit up too, no matter the occasion, because I truly believe if you look good, you feel good, you do good. However, the supposed glamour of real estate isn’t all that, you’ll find me eating lunch at my desk or in the car when I can find a spare minute.
What makes a good agent?
Persistence and work ethic is key — very few people realise how demanding this industry can be before they get their foot in the door. You have to be willing to throw away a lot of leisure time to be one of the industry’s best.
Secondly, always, always deliver on your promises and do what you say you will – because building genuine client relationships is only going to project you forward.
Lastly, a solid level of service and communication is key. Go above and beyond to provide that wow factor because buying and investing in property is no small feat.
You operate predominantly in Sydney’s east, what makes it such a coveted – and expensive – area?
The harbourside lifestyle is definitely appealing, so too is its convenience – you’re never more than a 5-10 minute drive to some of Australia’s best beaches. Similarly, it’s a relatively short commute to the CBD for work commitments whether travelling by car, bus, train or ferry. Above all, I think it’s the stunning views – you can’t get much more iconic than the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Opera House.
Why do you believe Luxe Listings holds such a strong allure for viewers?
For Sydney viewers it is obviously located in their backyard, so people are intrigued and excited by the stardom of locations that are known to them. The way in which they showcase our city is on another level, the types of property on display are very aspirational and that has a lasting effect. Call me biased, but I think the cast of the show definitely complement each other in wicked ways, providing some good entertainment and drama. From a production point of view, the cinematography is epic, really putting on a show of property and views.
Where do you think the ANZ prestige market is heading in the next 12 months?
Given the continued demand for prestige homes and minimal buying opportunities, I believe we’re only going to see this sector grow from strength to strength. We’re seeing a huge ‘return-to-home’ phenomenon from expats, many of whom are returning with large amounts of wealth which they have accumulated over many years working in places like London, Hong Kong, New York and Singapore. This is only fuelling the demand for hot property nationwide.
What advice would you give to people looking to buy in Sydney?
As always, for anyone looking to enter the market irrespective of your experience with property, I highly recommend you seek advice from a tax professional in the know. As Australia’s leading property taxation experts, H&R Block are on top of every single tax concession related to home ownership and property investment.
Obviously, you’re something of a divisive character, what would you say to someone who wants professional success but also wants to please everyone?
Be true to yourself, remain authentic, and never put on a show. Intelligent people see straight through any fake facade and that will only inhibit your opportunities in the industry. In regard to a ‘people pleasing’ mentality — you also have to learn to value your time and know when certain activities might not be a productive use of your precious working hours.
Of your ‘competition’ on the show and in market – namely agents D’leanne Lewis and Monika Tu — how do they influence your work? Do you think you’d be as driven without their presence?
Competition is a good thing and I love to compete. I’ve always possessed this natural drive and tend to run my own race no matter the task at hand, but every agent has, or will, build their own style and value proposition. I know what I bring to the table and it’s not going to be for everyone — I’m cool with that. Some people will connect better with my competitors and that’s always going to be the case.
What’s next for Gavin Rubinstein?
Plenty! We’re in the midst of opening a new office in Rose Bay, very much expanding the TRG team and family. In addition, I’ve partnered with H&R Block to help educate and upskill property investors and prospective owners about the changing deductions and tax implications… I’m a stickler for progression; next year has to be better than last and today better than yesterday. Stay tuned people.
Luxe Listings Sydney season two streams on Amazon Prime from April 1; therubinsteingroup.com
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Kit Braden, an executive at French beauty empire L’Occitane, has spent every winter for the past 13 years at the stone vacation home.
2 min
A historic Barbados estate with a 300-year-old villa and 11 acres overlooking the Caribbean Sea is now for sale with a guide price of $22.5 million.
The seller is Kit Braden, chairman of the U.K. branch of French beauty empire L’Occitane Group, whose family has spent every winter for the last 13 years at the island property, known as Fustic Estate.
“It’s very much a family house,” Braden said. “We love having a lot of people there. It’s a collection point to keep everyone together.”
The main villa dates to 1712, though it’s been reimagined and expanded substantially over the years.
It spans 13,000 square feet and features seven en suite bedrooms across three wings, as well as expansive verandas, stone courtyards and rows of louvered doors in gay Caribbean pastels.
In the 1970s, when the home was owned by Charles Graves—brother of British poet Robert Graves—it was reimagined by stage designer Oliver Messel, one of the foremost theater designers of the last century. Messel expanded the home, added a lagoon pool with a natural waterfall and other theatrical features, according to Braden.
“The whole place is a little bit magical,” he said.
The home sits about 350 feet above the water, and surrounded by lush gardens that slope towards the water.
“We look down through our garden—which is about 12 acres of tropical gardens and palm trees and wonderful old mahogany trees—onto the Caribbean,” Braden said.
He and his wife first saw the property on New Year’s Eve 2013, during a quick trip from where they were staying in Grenada.
The couple spent an hour walking the perimeter, some of it still untouched jungle, in the pouring rain.
“By the time we got back, I had fallen in love with it,” Braden said.
His wife, however, wasn’t so sure. But in Braden’s telling, a second visit in sunnier weather with two of their children brought her around.
“She had to be talked into that it was a jolly good idea; now she absolutely loves it,” he said.
When they bought the property, the edge that runs along the waterfront was a jungle, so they cleared the ridge and transformed it into gardens.
They also bought an additional sea-level parcel with two beach cottages, giving the property direct access to the water and the town below via a five-minute walk.
The property also has a 15-person staff, a reflecting pond, an outdoor pavilion suitable for yoga and a commercial grade kitchen that can serve more than 100 guests, according to a brochure from Knight Frank, which posted the listing in March. They did not provide further comment.
For Braden, the property is special because of its natural beauty, its proximity to the town of Saint Lucy and its history—which dates way way back to when the island of Barbados was first formed via tectonic activity.
“It was basically tectonic plates that collided about a million years ago so the seabed is the top of the hill,” Braden said. “We’re on coral rock.”
As a result, Fustic Estate includes an extensive network of caves that were likely used by the Arawaks, a Venezuelan fishing tribe that followed the fish to these islands about a thousand years ago.
“If the fish were good they’d camp here,” Braden said. “There’s evidence that they stayed there in those caves, they lived there in good winters.”
Now it’s someone else’s turn to live on the land shared by Arawaks, the plantation owners of 1712, Charles Graves and the Braden brood.
