In full swing: Meet John McManus, the north shore real estate agent who traded pro golf for property

So was yours a typical Sydney upbringing?

I was born in Vanuatu where my dad was working with the import-export business Burns Philp and where he met my mother. We spent our days fishing, shooting and were brought up by the Kanaks. I tell my kids about it and they don’t believe it.

At the end of the day it was an upbringing that taught us not to be materialistic. It was also a time when you would sit and communicate with family and friends.

And when did you come to Australia?

I was 12 when we came back and we went to live in Umina on the Central Coast. It was quite a shock. I was bullied at school quite a bit. At Umina at the time it was very much about the blond-haired surfie-type and we were called wogs and we didn’t know what that was. I used to get my food stolen and I had to fight to get it back.

How long did this go on for?

When I was in year 9 things started to change. I also took up golf at this stage because I couldn’t surf and I didn’t have any patience with the younger ones because of what had been going on at school.

With golf, when you become better, people want to play with you and so I started to get invited to play with 40 and 50-year-old members.

Was real estate your first choice?

I was in the golf industry for quite some time. I did my apprenticeship and turned pro and then had retail shops. When I was a golf pro I had a handicap of eight but it’s probably about four or five now. By the time I turned 39 I needed a bit of a change and started in real estate in 2006.

What do you think you have brought to the job coming in at a later age?

When I go and sit in front of mums and dads who want to sell their home, I can talk about life experiences, whereas young people can’t do that. Dealing with real estate can be very stressful and people have got to trust you and see you have life experience. This is not an industry to go in and make a quick buck, you’ve got to be in it for the long haul.

What is your defining characteristic?

I always get told by people that I tell it as it is. They say, “You’re honest with us, you’re not trying to sell a dream, you’re telling us the reality”.

I hear you are also meticulous about appearances?

In my office I have a drawer full of shoes: there are shoes for prospecting, shoes for listings and shoes for open homes. The ones for open homes are very schmick as I am there to represent my vendor. My car also has to be cleaned and everything has to be perfect.

It goes back to golf. If I was on the putting green and I didn’t prepare every element and then hit it perfectly, I would miss the hole. I feel if I can get every element perfect for the client then I can get the best outcome for them. It’s not something new, mum reckons I was about five when I started carrying a comb in my top pocket.