'We wanted to do things our way': How Michael Clarke started an agency with the love of his life

Michael Clarke can really cut a rug, along with his business partner and wife, Cherie Humel. They are in the process of learning to tango, after previously winning the Australasian Ceroc Dance Championships.

Michael grew up in Orange and was once an encyclopaedia salesman. Last year Clarke & Humel sold almost $700 million worth of property. The couple live in Freshwater with their three children, a dog, a guinea pig and a rabbit.

Was it tough in Orange?

I come from a family of seven. There was lots of love, lots of kids, but not a lot of money. Dad was a teacher and mum a librarian. I studied communications-advertising at CSU Bathurst. Mum and dad couldn’t afford to put me through university, so I studied by day, and at night I sold encyclopaedias.

Orange wasn’t a foodie or wine destination back then …

No, it became much more gentrified after I left, some would say,  because I left.

What did you do then?

I moved to Sydney to go into advertising. I also decided to take up kung fu, so I wandered over to the Pyrmont Community Centre to do a lesson, got the times muddled up and walked into a salsa dance class instead. Cherie was there. I took one look at her and thought, I can either get kicked around by massive blokes, or dance with her.

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How did you get into real estate?

Cherie thought I would do better in sales. She gave me a book by John McGrath on real estate and I read it primarily to humour her, but then I thought, ‘This looks awesome.’ I threw in advertising and got a job with McGrath at Manly in 2005.

Which living person do you most admire?

Cherie. When she met me, I was a country kid with big dreams, but no ideas. When I met her, I was living in a rented sunroom on a fold-out bed.

No offence, but you don’t sound like you were much of a catch.

Mate, I was not a great catch. For the first four years of our relationship, I was hanging on to her like a possum on a blind. I was indefatigable.

Did you go straight from McGrath to owning your own agency?

Yes, we left and established Clarke & Humel in 2012. We wanted to do things our way. We opened the doors on a wing and prayer, working out of a sunroom in our house. The first year we budgeted to sell $25 million worth of property and we sold $117 million. Last year, we did almost $700 million. Now we have 45 staff. Thank God we’re no longer in the sunroom.

What was your most memorable sale, and why?

That would be 67 Bower Street, Manly. That represented everything Cherie and I had worked for, for 14 years. Bower Street is the marque street in Manly, and it requires specialised knowledge to sell there because it’s leasehold and owned by the Catholic Church.

We thought it would sell somewhere in the vicinity of $7 million. Cherie and I worked together right through the whole process. When she clicked with one buyer, I clicked with another. We ended up selling the house for $9.71 million. Literally, $2 million above reserve.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement (outside of property)?

Getting Cherie to marry me. And learning to tango. That’s what we are currently doing.