In just the six years since Matt Pillios decided to become a real estate agent, he has been linked with celebrities and AFL stars who want to buy or sell their properties in Melbourne – specifically in the Bayside and Port Phillip areas which he covers under the Mashall White banner. He is the agency’s director in Brighton, a lucrative role with huge returns.
Over the past two years he has twice been voted Victorian Estate Agent of the Year at the Australian Real Estate Agent Awards (2019 and 2020). At the end of this month, Mr Pillios will be speaking before 5,000 people at the Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC) at the Gold Coast, the theme of his session in the Main Room: “The Melbourne Super Growth Agent”. Other conference speakers will include Elle Macpherson, Gary Vee among others.
The fact that Mr Pillios, 42, was a Division 1 footy player for 10 years and that he was a footy commentator (and still is for the big occasions) for Fox Sports may have helped foster his connections with some of the big names in the game, it is his work ethic and being authentic and genuine keep drawing them to him.
“Like all the celebrities and players that have been clients, I work hard and think strategically. I work six out of seven days a week and I am proactive not reactive in my work,” Mr Pillios told Neos Kosmos.
READ MORE: Australian house property market surprisingly immune to COVID-19
He cites situations that demanded flexibility if he was to meet his clients’ needs such as being available to them in the evenings to show them a house. One client, he said, came for a viewing at 8.30pm, looked around the property for 45 minutes and bought the house 48 hours later.
“I have had great clients over the last two years and one of my strengths is being able to get on with different personalities and not having an ego… I am also fortunate to be working in one of the better areas of Melbourne,” said Mr Pillios.
Since he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree in marketing, Mr Pillios took on a number of roles that helped to build his life experience – another quality that he said had been important in his real estate career.
At one stage, he ran a night club in partnership with a group of AFL football players. Between 2011 and 2015, he was the key account manager for realestate.com where he looked after the estate agents.
He saw that he could do well as an estate agent himself and made the transition and joining Marsall White in 2015.
The following year, former St Kilda player and friend Steven Baker turned to Mr Pillios when he wanted to put his house on the market.
“I worked hard to get Steven a great price,” said Mr Pillios and word of his efforts spread. Clients have included Anthony Koutoufides, Aaron Hammill, Asher Keddie, Jack Riewoldt and Paul Roos.
“The secret of my success has been my wife Belinda as she has supported me through all this. My business manager, Taylor Hoovenaars has also been a great help,” said Mr Pillios who is the father of Duke, aged 12 and Stella aged 10.
Last year, COVID-19 did have an effect on his work, especially during the second lockdown when there was a ban on open houses, but business has thrived since then, he said, with people putting more money into property because they could not travel as they used to.
“Melbourne is 80 percent back to what it used to be but thanks to the experience of COVID, 20 percent have realised they want a slower pace of life.
Mr Pillios said he expected a busy remainder of May and June with a break over the school holidays but he anticipated a big selling market from August through to Christmas.
READ MORE: Real estate agents say property prices are staying steady despite estimates for 30 per cent slash
