When asked to describe himself, Andrew Kyriacou doesn’t lead with his job title or his success in the property market. He starts with something more personal, humble and human.
“I’m a father and a husband.”
That simple phrase sets the tone for everything that follows. While he is also the founder of Xsell Property, a boutique real estate agency in Adelaide’s Mile End, Kyriacou’s story is less about houses and more about people.
There’s something different about how he listens, how he serves, and how his Greek-Cypriot upbringing shaped the way he does both.
Born and raised in Adelaide with deep ties to Cyprus, Kyriacou carries his culture not just in name but in philosophy.
“We’re raised to take care of others,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
“Those values come with me to work, and they guide every part of this journey.”
An unexpected career
Real estate wasn’t part of some grand plan. At 20, freshly out of school, Kyriacou took a job in the industry simply because he needed work.
“I figured real estate might be easy. Talk to people, sell some houses, move on,” he says with a laugh. But what he found instead was a cutthroat world filled with pressure and transactional attitudes.
Disillusioned, he stepped away, moved to the UK and landed a job at Harrods. Of all things, it was selling coffee machines that shifted something in him.
“I realised selling isn’t about convincing people. It’s about listening. It’s about helping.”
That insight brought him home, and back into real estate, this time with a new outlook.
By 2011, he had returned to Adelaide, ready to work not just for a sale, but for people. After a painful failed partnership, he opened his own agency in 2015, a decision he now calls his “dream factory.”
Keeping things small, and real
Kyriacou’s business is deliberately small, just seven people who believe in the same approach.
“I didn’t want to rush from one client to the next. I wanted to be present,” he explains. “We don’t sell the most. We sell for the most.”
It’s a model that works. The bulk of his clients come from word-of-mouth and verified reviews, many of which appear on a rating site.
“When clients recommend me to their friends and family, it’s the highest form of recognition,” he says.
Rather than flashy promotions, Kyriacou focuses on being a calm, consistent presence during what is often one of the most emotionally charged moments in people’s lives.
“I help people move through change,” he says.
“That change just happens to involve property. The real story is always personal… births, marriages, separations, retirement. Real estate is just the setting. The emotion is what really matters.”
And yet, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Kyriacou has become known in the community for his tongue-in-cheek real estate videos that are uniquely humorous, self-aware, and totally unlike the typical property pitch.
His videos have earned him attention from local media, but it’s the face-to-face connections that mean the most to him.
“I might not remember every house,” he says, “but I remember the people. The thank-yous. The relief when it all works out. That’s what stays with me.”
Community and giving back at the core
His move to Henley Beach Road, a hub of Greek life in Adelaide, felt like a homecoming. “There are so many Greeks here, it feels like home,” he says.
It’s not uncommon for him to speak in Greek with older clients, offering them a level of comfort and cultural understanding that goes beyond the contract.
Kyriacou is also a visible figure in the Greek community. He proudly sponsors the annual Blessing of the Waters Festival and regularly attends other major cultural events.
“These festivals aren’t just events. They’re part of who we are,” he says, adding that he loves bringing his daughter along to connect her with their heritage.
He also volunteers as a Justice of the Peace, cooks meals for families at Ronald McDonald House, and helps with clean-up efforts in South Australia’s national parks. He also donates to a number of charities and multicultural organisations.
“Giving back is something we do together,” he says, speaking of his team. “It keeps us grounded and united.”
Passing it on
In recent years, Kyriacou returned to his former school, St George College, to speak at Career Day. It was a chance to reflect on the journey.
Rewinding every experience, from a young man who just wanted a job to a father, a leader, and a quietly impactful voice in Adelaide’s real estate scene, when asked what success means to him now, the answer is simple.
“If someone finishes the process feeling more confident, more understood or just a little less overwhelmed, that’s success,” he says.
“If they say, ‘That was easier than I expected,’ I know I’ve done my job.”
