Uluru

I've just spent a week with my family in Uluru (and when I say "family" I mean extended family, yes everyone, 13 of us, my wife and kids, sisters, mum, cousins, every man and his dog from my gene pool in the last 7 decades).

But you know who wasn't there. My dad, Dave O'Gorman, the namesake of this business, OG Partners and the reason why I'm in real estate today.

If you've been hanging around O'Gorman & Partners for a while, you'll know Dave, or at least have heard stories about him, some of them are folklore in these parts...or if you have a dog and you frequent Sirius Cove, Clifton Gardens or Rawson Oval, you'll have heard him at the very least.

Once an integral figure in real estate on the streets of Mosman (long before real estate was a "thing"), unfortunately, Dad, like many of his generation, has fallen prey to the insidious disease that is dementia. For better or for worse, he doesn't travel much out of Mosman anymore.  Firstly, because he's not allowed to, he has a restricted license now.  But in all honesty, why would he want to?  "Mosman is the greatest place on earth," is something dad's been saying since he started this business back in September 1982.

I digress.  So, we're in Uluru (which, by the way, I would 150% recommend as an incredible family holiday destination to anyone who hasn't been - it was truly amazing!) but in addition to being a bucket list destination and stunningly beautiful, it's a very spiritual place. Hundreds of thousands of kilometres of vast open spaces, red desert, billions of stars and plenty of silence.

 So, even if you're like me and you find it difficult to sit still for 30 seconds, it's almost impossible not to take a moment to absorb the wonder of an awe-inspiring place like the red centre and a giant rock that's estimated to be about 500 million years old.

It really forces you to sit still for a second and reflect. 

So I've been reflecting, coincidentally, as we celebrate 41 years in real estate in Mosman.  Yep - it's our 41st birthday this year, we're the second longest serving agents in Mosman after our friends at PJ Leahy's just up Avenue Road.

 Much has changed in Mosman over the last 4 decades. But in an industry like ours where many agencies and many agents come and go, we're still here, and we're still as passionate about real estate as Dad was when he started all those decades ago.

In a loving nod to Dad and his legacy as we launch into our 5th decade in business, we're bringing back Dave's beloved fortnightly newsletter, HomeFocus and this is my first crack at it!

It won't be your average boring EDM about listings, interest rates and house prices but an unconventional mix of my take on everything real estate, Mosman, the market and what winds me up.  Sprinkled with some self-deprecating sarcasm and a little humour to spice up your week.

I look forward to kick-starting an old conversation with you all with brand new content and getting your feedback on what you think.

I have no doubt you'll all be very honest with me...so don't be shy - as a long-time real estate agent I need all the constructive criticism I can get.