For today’s Getting to Know blog, we’re sitting down with James Priestly, Managing Director of MGP Property. We talk about how James is working to transform the real estate experience by always putting service above sales and relationships above deals. Being a lifelong City of Melville resident, James also tells us about his favourite local places to visit when he gets to enjoy some downtime.
Hi, James. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and what you love about the Melville area?
I was born and bred in Applecross, I lived in the suburb of Melville for the past 5 years, and I’ve just moved to Mount Pleasant so, as a lifelong local, I feel that living in the Melville area gives you a perfectly balanced lifestyle. A home here gives you a taste of nature where you can find peace or adventure nearby, easy access to the action of the city, and then also the culture of Fremantle. Being right on the river also means an endless opportunity for your water activities. Whether it’s jet skiing with the family at Port Walter or catching a few crabs for dinner, we’ve got it all right here. You can’t beat it!
At the weekend, you’ll often find me at either Cheeky Boy or Blend Café for breakfast. I enjoy a run along the river at Tompkins park, and then might head to the beach for a surf before capping off a day with a few drinks at the Quarter Acre or Bad Apples.
What drew you to real estate?
I’ve had a passion for helping people find or build their dream home from early on. You could say it runs in my blood, with my father’s and uncle’s involvement in real estate, property development and architecture over the years.
I really wanted to set a goal early on to open my own development and real estate company and correct the general sense of mistrust I’ve seen in in the industry over the years by setting a new standard for local real estate agents.
With experience, I’ve learned what really works and how to provide the kind of genuine service that people are looking for and deserve. It’s really all about listening to people and having an understanding of why they want what they want… it’s as simple as that sometimes.
How do you see MGP Property doing things differently?
Living in the Melville area for so long, I feel I’ve been able to form a unique understanding of the community and the local property market. This deep-rooted knowledge of the area is what sets MGP Property apart from other agencies, and our biggest priority is building real connections with the local community and our clients.
It’s about relationships over deals for us. We all hate it when dealing with an agent feels like a continuous, unrelenting sales pitch right? You might feel your unique goals aren’t always the priority as they should be. Or you might feel you start to become just another sale target to get up on the board. Well, this is the exact opposite of the experience you’ll have with us at MGP. We spare people the sales song and dance. It’s old and no one wants to hear it. Working with MGP is supposed to be like working with your mate up the road.
So, what’s next for MGP Property?
It’s exciting times for us as we’ve moved into a new office near the corner of Riseley St and Canning Highway so feel free to pop in and say ‘hi’. We’re looking forward to building our team to provide the best possible experience for our clients, and we’re looking to ramp up our community involvement in 2022.
To learn more about their services, please do not hesitate to give James a call on 0447 120 125 or email him at james@mgpproperty.com.au. Don’t forget to mention Melville Mums!
If you loved this post, check out our Getting to Know… blog series and meet other local business owners.
