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Real Estate Business landed a surprise cameo by the world champion surfer on a recent episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents.
REB editor Grace Ormsby was interviewing Properti founder and chief executive Craig Deveson – a victim of the recent floods on the Tweed Coast himself – when Mick Fanning popped up on the zoom call.
Mr Deveson had been recounting his own experience of being rescued by a jetski ridden by members of Mr Fanning’s entourage when the three-time world champion joined the conversation.
“Originally, Craig was supposed to be joining us in Sydney for REB’s REInnovate conference a week prior – but clearly had other, far more pressing, issues at hand. The story of his rescue was already doing rounds at the conference, so we were excited to get the opportunity to chat with him and unpack exactly what transpired!” shared REB editor Grace Ormsby.
“And then – Mick Fanning showed up! We’d joked about Craig using his new network connection but knew we’d be hard-pressed to have him on the show when he’d been out volunteering in the community all week.
“Five minutes notice was all we had – and even then, we weren’t sure how long we’d have him for!”
It kicked off a conversation all about the importance of community among the trio. Mr Fanning was hesitant to take any praise for his actions, considering “there’s so many civilians that are actually out there and doing so much good”.
“It’s a huge collective Australian thing – and the Australian spirit really came out over the last week and a half. People need to be recognised and people need to know they have done the best they possibly could and just look after each other,” he said.
“It’s not about ego or anything like that. It’s just about making sure people are healthy and safe. That’s why if Craig rings me any day from this time forward, I’m going to answer – because that’s what you do for your neighbour.”
For Ms Ormsby, the impression made by the guest appearance won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
“Not only was Mick extremely generous of his time, but his beliefs around the importance of community surely serve as a timely reminder of the assistance we can all provide – in one way or another – when times get tough,” she said.
For Mr Deveson, who’s now commenced the clean-up of his residence, alongside thousands of other affected individuals and families, Mr Fanning’s offer of continuous support offers “so many great lessons” to the real estate industry.
“That’s a true professional,” the CEO reflected.
Acknowledging the importance of referrals, Mr Deveson said that being seen to be “doing the right thing” could offer immense opportunities to the oft-criticised image of real estate professionals.
“The industry’s had a very successful last 12 months, there’s been in a lot of money generated, and I’d like to make a call out to the industry to look at ways that how both suppliers, technology platforms and suppliers like ourselves or agents can contribute,” he said.
Since the podcast went live, Mr Deveson has kicked off a GoFundMe page in a bid to “lift the investment in resilience and preparedness in the future”. Donations can be made here.
Listen to the full conversation with Mick Fanning and Craig Deveson here.
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