Meet Peter Kudelka, the Malvern agent with his heart on his sleeve

Accidental real estate agent Peter Kudelka might have fallen into the profession almost four decades ago, but the director at Kay & Burton South Yarra regrets nothing. When he’s not helping people achieve their dreams, he’s likely to be found hanging out by the pool at home in Malvern with his wife, Cathy, and their four children.

So, you didn’t set out to be a real estate agent?

I did a couple of years at Monash University, studying science with a physiology major, but the weather was too good and the golf courses were too close. I’d get in the car with a mate to go to uni and we’d go, “Nah, it’s too nice a day.” A fellow I knew had an agency in Blackburn and he said I should come in and try it. I just fell in love with it.

What do you like about the real estate game?

You’re your own boss to a certain extent and what you get out of it is directly proportional to what you put into it, in terms of hours and enthusiasm. You’re not stuck in an office all day, you’re out and about talking to people. I get as much satisfaction out of selling a one-bedroom flat to a first-home buyer as I do selling a $5 million house. I still get emotional for them. You’re dealing with someone’s biggest asset. They meet you for a few hours, hand you the keys and say, “Please look after me”. Their life is in your hands to a certain extent. You’ve got to give that the trust and respect it deserves.

Tell us about your first property purchase …

It was a one-bedroom apartment on Toorak Road West I bought 27 years ago when I was between open for inspections and parked just down the road. They had been asking $94,000 but I ended up paying $96,000 and I was really angry with myself, but like a typical real estate agent you hate to lose. I still own it.

Your most memorable sale?

They’re all memorable, not just a number, to me. But, I had a husband and wife who unfortunately had to sell, and I managed to negotiate a long enough settlement so their daughter could get married in the church across the road. The wife still sends me a Christmas card every year and that was more than 20 years ago.

Why Malvern?

Malvern is a good family area and it’s close to everything. The Tooronga train station is at the bottom of the street. It’s one stop to Scotch where my boy went and two stops to the girls’ school St Catherine’s. Coco is 14, Hope is 17, Jack is 20 and Carrie is 24. They’re all still at home … they won’t leave.

Your wife obviously understands the job …

Cathy used to be in property management. We met at the Botanical Hotel. The joke is that I met her there, I wooed her there and I proposed to her there – but not on the same night. She was smart enough to understand that proposals at 4am in the back of taxis don’t count.

You seem to be a family man at heart …

We just love hanging out together. The kids and their friends can usually be found around the swimming pool, which is a real focal point for our house. There are people constantly coming and going and we’re great believers in having the door always open. Sunday is our downtime because I work Saturdays. Cathy and I still have date nights, too. It’s the only way we get some time together.