The Canberra property duo breaking records and bringing the Googong community together

For Gavin Van Zyl, a passion for real estate started at a young age in his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa. Now with more than 10 years of industry experience under his belt, he’s made a name for himself synonymous with record sales including the Googong township record of $1.075 million.

Starting his own real estate business was a dream that became a reality in 2012 when White Rhino Property was born – a boutique agency with a second office slated to open in Googong this month.

Of course, behind every successful man is a great woman and it’s clear from meeting this powerhouse duo that they’re incredibly in-sync and Gavin couldn’t do life (and work) without the support of his wife Chelsea, who’s been a part of the business since its inception.

Let’s go back to the beginning, how did the two of you meet?

Chelsea: We met in London in 2004. My twin sister Belinda, who also works in the business, and I decided to do a gap year and moved into a share house where Gavin and his friend lived. I married Gavin and my sister ended up married to his friend!

What sparked the idea to open White Rhino?

C: I was on maternity leave and wanted to start a home business. Gavin had worked in real estate and always wanted to open up his own agency. We decided to manage a few properties to start with and then it just grew and grew.

The agency has become known to specialise in the Googong area and you’re also “Googonians” yourselves, what do you love about the suburb?

Gavin: Googong is so unique to anywhere we have lived. It definitely has this small country town feel with an amazing sense of community, however still offers modern homes and high-end facilities. As soon as we drive in to Googong we just feel happy. It offers so much to its residents with festivals throughout the year, playgrounds, barbecue facilities and dog parks. Every new Googonian is given a welcome picnic pack and put on the database to hear about all the events.

What’s it like living and working together?

C: Well, if we said it’s been easy then we would be lying! At the beginning it was tough. We decided to split the business into two departments, Gavin focused on the sales side and I focused on property management. Then things came together and really worked well for us. We both have our strengths and weaknesses which mirror each other very well. Gavin is the gun at sales and has a great sense of business and managing the finances. I am the people side of the business and manage the team, administration duties and, of course, our two beautiful children, Zac (7) and Cruz (6).

What is family life like at home?

G: We love to spend as much time with the kids as we can, but in this line of work I only have one day off a week. We always make sure that Sunday is “family day” and we enjoy activities together such as snowboarding, jet skiing, travelling and eating in new restaurants.

Chelsea, can you tell us a bit about the Googong mothers’ club you’ve organised and its impact on the community?

C: I started the club over two years ago as a result of hearing from so many women about how lonely they felt, not knowing anyone, having just moved from interstate for their husband’s job. We now have almost 400 members and hold a wine and cheese night once a month at our local cafe, and White Rhino sponsors the food. So many amazing friendships have been made from this group and we all have a great laugh.

Gavin, what’s your most memorable sale to date?

G: I have many memorable sales however the one that sticks out the most is 73 Aprasia Avenue in Googong. We sold this property via private treaty for $1.075 million, which broke the suburb record for the Googong township by $105,000. The property was a beautiful Hamptons-inspired home with modern fittings and marble accents in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Another was when a buyer that came through an open inspection was looking for a luxury three-beddy and, in particular, loved the penthouses at the Landmark Apartments in Barton. Although there were none for sale at the time, I went out that night and started ringing the doorbells and met a lovely retired couple willing to sell. The buyer offered $1.05 million to my vendors’ delight, however, I advised we should be asking for a minimum of $1.15 million. The buyer couldn’t meet the price so we put the home on the market and sold it in two weeks. We have also been managing the property for the client for the past couple of years.