29th March 2019 / Beth Oleyar: Celebrating 100 Years | An Interview with Graeme Jack

To help celebrate our Centenary, Executive Chairman, Rob Fletcher and his two sons, Mark and Nick Fletcher, caught up with long-time client and friend of the family, Graeme Jack.

First introduced to Fletchers more than 50 years ago, Graeme reflects on his time with the brand, recounting memorable moments and treasured tales.

Here is his story.

How did you come to meet Rob Fletcher?

I first met Rob through his older brother, Tim, over 50 years ago. I started my first job on the 16th January 1966, which is where I met Tim. Not many people know that Tim worked for 12 months outside of the real estate industry.

How did you come to choose Fletchers to conduct the sales of your properties?

We came to choose Fletchers because we wanted to purchase in the North Balwyn and Doncaster area. Having driven past their office on many occasions, I distinctly remember seeing the 'Established 1919' on the front of the building and I figured, they must know a thing or two about real estate!

What was your experience of the sales campaign process?

My wife, Sue and I have always felt very comfortable with the sales campaign process because our input was always encouraged. Whether it be deciding how many column inches we'd devote to an ad in The Age Property Guide – gosh that's going back a while isn't it, or how many cows we'd include in the video for the sale of our property at Merricks North.

Did you experience any challenges along the way?

I don't recall too many real challenges. Although, if you ask Rob, I'm sure he would say the time when my wife, Sue, told him (when we were selling a property in Balwyn, which we suspected would have a lot of people at open for inspection), that she only wanted private inspections. Rob naturally, readily agreed and little did he think at the time that he would end up having 112 private inspections!

The good news is, we had a very successful result. [laughs]

What were the suburbs that you sold in?

We've sold with Fletchers in North Balwyn, Doncaster, Balwyn, Merricks North on the Mornington Peninsula and my sons have sold in Mont Albert and Malvern.

What has been your most memorable moment in selling your property with Fletchers?

The most memorable moment would have to be for the sale of one of our North Balwyn properties, which was actually the first live telecast of an auction in Victoria.

Tell us about your experience in working with generations of members of the Fletcher family.

My experience in dealing with Fletchers dates back to the early 1980's, where I have very vivid memories in doing business with Rob's father, John and his uncle, David. Their strong business ethics had a profound influence in shaping the business we know today.

I remember John speaking to Tim and telling him of the responsibilities that they as a firm have in dealing with the Community and presenting the sort of the image which was expected of them.

Now, in more recent times, we've moved through Rob and onto Mark and Nick, who are Rob's sons.

How have you come to know Mark and Nick Fletcher?

I first met Mark and Nick in the nursery at the hospital. As childhood friends of my son, I was able to watch Mark and Nick grow into what we could truly say are fine adults today.

Do you have any friends or family members who have also sold through Fletchers?

One story that comes to mind is many years ago, when my son, Stuart, sold his apartment in Malvern with Mark. I remember Mark's youthful energy in conducting the campaign and performing one of his first auctions. He was great.

How does Fletchers level of service reflect their dedication towards longstanding relationships within the Community?

I don't think it matters if you're talking about real estate or any other industry the relationships you can build in the Community, like Fletchers have, over such a long period of time goes a long way in giving confidence to the consumer.

How many real estate agents can point to a 100-year family heritage within the Community? What a great foundation on which to build and promote your business. I suspect that repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals would form a huge part of their business today.

Would you recommend Fletchers to family and friends?

Absolutely, I would recommend Fletchers to others. I have never, for one moment, thought that Tim, Rob or the boys would let me down in their dealings with our friends. The qualities of trust, knowledge and community spirit have always been evident in my interactions with them. In short, they are very good people to do business with.