The family tree’s roots: Growing up as a Peer and a Kingston

We’ve heard Gary Peer and Phillip Kingston’s stories before. So, the two of them building a family-oriented business together comes as no surprise.

‘Phillip and I have always been very stable in our family situations,’ Gary shares. ‘And because we’ve always been so connected to our own families, those values have filtered down by osmosis – not necessarily by design.’

Phillip and Gary learned many life lessons from their families that play a big part in their leadership: generosity, compassion, empathy, the list goes on. But did they gain any business insights from them?

‘Not at all,’ Phillip laughs. ‘Only one of our parents was keenly interested in business – Gary’s mother and uncle had their own clothing factory in the 1960s.

‘And while she imparted great knowledge to Gary, everything we’ve done in the Gary Peer workplace has been through trial and error. But more importantly, it’s just been what we thought was right.’

And when it comes to the right thing, Phillip and Gary have always been on the same page.

‘Our lives have been very different,’ admits Gary. ‘But our personal and professional values have always been aligned.’

 

 

Building a better business: The foundation of Gary Peer & Associates

While many aspects of our agency were developed through trial and error, one key component was set in stone from the start.

‘This business is built on being a decent person,’ Phillip says. ‘So everything we’ve ever done has always been about being good parents, good spouses, good family members, good friends – and good people.’

Because our team aren’t just working under a Gary Peer banner. They’re working under a family.

‘We have amazing retention,’ Gary shares. ‘And I don’t think people stay only for job stability, but also because there is a genuine sense of belonging here.

‘They feel like they belong. We feel like they belong. And to us, that’s a very familial thing. Because when people are in a stable, happy family – they don’t want to leave.’

 

Making it work: How our business runs today

It’s one thing to say your organisation puts families first. It’s another thing to actually do it.

‘Traditionally, real estate agencies have weekly sales meetings at 8am,’ Phillip says. ‘Ours is at 9:15am, because we want our agents to enjoy breakfast with their loved ones and drive their children to school.

‘That’s still our number one thing. We run our business around our families, rather than our families around our business.’

But it doesn’t hurt when your loved ones are sitting at the desk opposite you, either.

‘Today, we have as many as 10 families working here together, which we take as the ultimate compliment,’ Gary says. ‘Because if you turn to someone you love – be it a spouse, a sibling or a child – and say, this is an incredible place to work, you really mean it.’

And with so many family relationships in the business, has it ever caused any problems?

‘Never,’ Phillip and Gary agree. ‘It just feels natural.

‘We never had this grand plan of employing our family members. But if the people we know and trust put forward someone they know and trust as a potentially great team member, we believe them.’

 

 

The family financial trade-off: How does it work?

In a classic case of ‘the chicken or the egg?’, one question seems to reign supreme when it comes to working with family: If you make money, will you be happy working together? Or do you make money because you’re happy working together?

For Phillip and Gary, the answer is simple.

‘I think it’s a beautiful, fortuitous loop,’ Phillip says. ‘The more you know someone, the better you work together. And the better you work together, the closer you are to a successful outcome.’

Gary agrees.

‘While some may say working with family and creating a happy, stable work environment are mutually exclusive, we say no. They’re actually the perfect combination.

‘Because if everybody has each other’s backs, then ultimately, everyone will be supported – and we’ll find success.’

 

Deeper than blood: The friends who become family

Phillip and Gary, lifelong best friends, are no strangers to the concept of family being deeper than blood.

‘We’re very lucky to have each other – we’ve been friends since we were 12!’ Phillip reminisces. ‘When I pause to think about this incredible journey we’ve shared, I get a bit teary. So does Gary. We’ve always just got each other.’

And that feeling trickles down to every other aspect of our business.

‘This is our second family,’ Gary shares. ‘That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to retire or walk away yet. It’s too much fun to watch everyone else grow and develop.’

‘Nothing compares to that feeling,’ Phillip nods. ‘And here, we get to experience it all the time.’

 

 

The next generation: The future of the Gary Peer family

Moving forward, we’re anticipating the number of families working together at Gary Peer to keep growing. Because that’s simply the nature of our business.

‘The coffee van, in particular, has been great for that,’ Gary shares. ‘It’s employed many children of our team members, clients, friends – and friends of friends!’

‘In fact, I introduced myself to one of our hospitality workers at a recent vendor information evening,’ Phillip remembers. ‘And she said, “Yes, I know you; you were the MC at my parents’ wedding.”

‘I didn’t even know she had a job with us!’ Phillip laughs. ‘But that just shows how much of a family we are. Our team have enough respect for us as a business that they’re saying to their kids, “You should get a job at Gary Peer.”’

Because when you put down roots in the community, often, the community will give back.

 

 

In their own backyard: Working with Daniel and Jacob

Yes, Gary and Phillip consider the team here at Gary Peer their second family. But their first families are here, too. And they always have been.

‘My wife, Hana, worked in this business for almost 20 years,’ Gary shares. ‘My kids, Daniel and Nina, were here from the pram. Then, as soon as they got older, they were folding papers and packages for us.

‘Now, Daniel is a Partner and Licensed Estate Agent.’

And it’s the same for the Kingstons.

‘Irene, my wife, still washes the tea towels for the coffee van from time to time,’ Phillip smiles. ‘Both my sons, Jacob and Ben, grew up here in the office. Today, Jacob is a Licensed Estate Agent in our New Projects division.’

 So, how do Gary and Phillip find having their sons in the business?

‘We couldn’t be prouder… of each other’s families, as well,’ Gary smiles. ‘Of course, we talk a lot of shop with Daniel and Jacob. But we always know when it’s time to leave work at work and focus on connecting with each other in the present.’

Because, at the end of the day, family is always what matters most.

 

 

Words from the wise: Other members of our Gary Peer family

It’s clear to see how proud our Co-founders are of Gary Peer’s family feel, but what do other members of our team think about working with family?

We caught up with a few of them to find out:

Jeremy Rosens, Director: It makes me so proud to see how many generations we have working with the company. When I think back to the team over 20 years ago, we were all so young and eager. And now the next generation have come along and want to be part of the brand we built. For me, my son, Ryder, and my wife, Michy, work at the company. I love being able to have them with me at home and at work – and I love any chance I can get to show them off!

Darren Krongold, Director: My 2 older daughters, Britney and Rikki, both work in the Gary Peer hospitality crew. Being able to see them serving coffees to the public with a smile on their faces at auctions or open for inspections makes me immensely proud. My nephew, Liam, has also just joined my sales team. He has so much potential, and I love having a front-row seat to watch his growth.

Leor Samuel, Director: My younger brother, Aviv, is a Partner at Gary Peer, and I have always loved working with him. We have the same foundational values, have always been close – and we just get along! We’re so lucky to be part of such an inclusive, safe and fun agency environment. But the ultimate reward is seeing the people closest to you grow and succeed.

But Gary, Phillip, Jeremy, Darren and Leor aren’t the only ones working with family at our company. At Gary Peer, you’ll also find parents and son, Lucy, Matthew and Lachlan Morley; siblings, Charlotte and Ned Hellier; mother and daughter, Tracey Frestone and Jasmine Furber; father and daughter, Mark and Romy Kirkham; and mother and daughter, Georgia and Samantha Milenkovski.

But theirs are all stories for another day!

 

 

Want to get to know more members of the Gary Peer family? Read some of their stories on The Peer Blog.