Power of two: Barry and Mark Goldman, the brotherly duo navigating Sydney's high-end property scene

Mark Goldman blazed a trail from South Africa to Australia in the 1990s to work in fashion, helping his brother Barry follow in his footsteps. Later, Barry taught Mark the ropes of selling luxury homes in the eastern suburbs.

Now sales associates at Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, the brothers play to each other’s strengths at work and play.

You’re colleagues at Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty. Where did you grow up?

Mark Goldman: In Cape Town. Our father had his own adventure retail business and mum was at home with four kids.

Was there much rivalry between you as children?

M: I’m six years older than Barry. We got a lot closer as we got older.

Barry Goldman: I don’t know much about rivalry. Our older brother used to beat us up and give us a hard time, but he’s turned into a real softie now.

How did you end up in Australia?

M: I worked in retail for about 12 years but social conditions in South Africa were not ideal to raise a family. In the 1990s, my wife and I moved to Melbourne to work for Sportsgirl. We moved to Sydney about six months later.

B: Mark had been here for about 12 months. He said he had a job opportunity for me in Sydney. I climbed on the plane and had an interview. In reality, I was completely underqualified. Within six months, I was out of work. I did everything after that, from working in a computer company to selling door-to-door.

That’s a tough gig. What was your opening line?

B: I was very small and extremely young, so I wasn’t threatening. I managed to get doors opened.

How did you get into real estate?

B: I started dating a prominent real estate agent’s daughter. I shadowed them for a day and thought, “Wow, I could do this”. We were going through beautiful properties‚ I didn’t see the behind-the-scenes hard yakka. Mark and I always wanted to work together. Eventually, things lined up and he came to work for us.

“Our skills complement each other, so the power of two gives us a strategic advantage.”

What are your biggest strengths?

M: Barry and I are similar people but our skills complement each other, so the power of two gives us a strategic advantage. Barry is very well liked and respected. He is a top-notch operator and knows how to get the most out of people. As a people person, sales is in my blood. I’m very calm, calculated and strategic.

B: Mark is a very logical thinker and problem solver. Nothing overwhelms him and he will always tackle issues head-on, so that nothing sits in the too hard basket. I am very good at reading a situation and people. I know how to negotiate a deal keeping everyone happy.

Do you spend a lot of time together when you’re not at work?

B: We run together three times a week. My big passion is paragliding. People think it’s an adrenaline sport but it’s very much a mental game.

M: I box at least twice a week. And we do pilates together once a week. We’re also founding partners of Kids Giving Back, a charity teaching kids to give back in very practical ways‚ not just writing a cheque.

One of our fundraisers is the Goldman Brothers Adventure Run, a two-day off-road marathon with glamping in between. It’s happening this year in early April.