Moving goal posts: How 2 NRL stars led this agent down a new career path

Buyer’s agent Thomas Tamine sat down with REB for an exclusive interview to discuss the perks and challenges of working with some of the biggest names in the NRL.

For many, the 2021 NRL grand final signified an enthralling clash between two titans of rugby leagues, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who’ve been part of the competition since it’s foundation, and the Penrith Panthers, the new kids on the block dominating the sport.

Unbeknownst to Mr Tamine at the time, it was also a contest between two future clients — South’s five-eighth Cody Walker and his opposite number, Jarome Luai — who facilitated a significant shift in his real estate business.

Having recently matched the pair of halves with their homes, Mr Tamine, who has run his own agency, The Gallery Real Estate, since early 2020, admits his very recent pivot into the buyer’s agency sphere was “very, very random”.

It was initially born from a side hustle revolving around sponsorship negotiating, which put him into contact with several NRL agents; the end result has been the facilitation of home purchases for the pair, including Walker’s $2.3 million duplex in Sans Souci.

Given the high-profile nature of the two stars, one of whom will represent his state in tonight’s (31 May) fiery State of Origin clash, Mr Tamine acknowledged there are a number of idiosyncrasies involved when dealing with talented footballing clients.

While agents typically expect client communication to occur predominantly through email, Mr Tamine explained the rugby league stars’ preference is to be contacted by text or phone call, except on game day, when communication is ill-advised.

Given both rugby league and real estate are careers where action is more likely to occur on weekends, Mr Tamine has, at times, represented his clients at auctions while they’re off interstate. He explained this requires not only high levels of organisation, but also a trusting relationship.

He revealed building this relationship is different to other clients “because in the NRL, there’s a lot of sharks and people are really just trying to take advantage [of them]”.

As a result, he’s required to strike a balance between a personal relationship and a professional one.

“I think the benefit they see in me working with them is that I don’t have a background in the NRL and the way I treat them is like anyone else. So, it’s just about being genuine and really guiding them through the process,” he said.

“These guys, they’re not looking at property every day. So, you want to educate and build trust with them,” he said, stressing education on the ins and outs of the property market has been vital in establishing a positive rapport.

And while the perception may be that his clients’ high profiles and publicly available salaries could open the door for vendor exploitation for a few extra thousand dollars in a transaction, Mr Tamine noted his role is to ensure this doesn’t occur.

His recent success with his star clients has offered a quick career switch for Mr Tamine, who is now fully pivoting to the buyer’s side of property transactions.

It feels like a natural progression for the agent, who admits he was “forcing” himself “to be a sales agent”.

“I was always intrigued by being a buyer’s agent because it actually tied into how I am naturally as well,” he said, outlining that his transition into a side of the industry with a “nicer approach” and “different expectations” has been a natural push rather than a forceful change.

Mr Tamine believes the secrets to becoming an effective and successful buyer’s agent include being “genuine in your approach and honest with yourself,” as well as acting with the clients’ best interests in mind.

With the last 12 months presenting a raft of challenges to all operators within the Australian real estate sector, including rising rates and plummeting headwinds, Mr Tamine said his biggest challenge as a buyer’s agent is ensuring his understanding of Sydney real estate is geographically spread.

“The biggest challenge is buying a place in Penrith and then buying another one in Sans Souci. And then the next one I’m now looking at [is in] Mosman,” he said.

“I feel like that’s more challenging than the actual market itself. Because you can look at Sydney as a whole [where] there are more people bidding at auction, clearance rates are going up, but every subject is different in its own way.”

As he continues to build out his business in the buyer’s advocacy space, Mr Tamine’s recent NRL success means his preference (and his point of difference) is to stick with the sporting world.

From his perspective, there’s “a massive gap” within the space, one in which he already has the connections to conquer.