According to long standing local Real Estate agent Gary Blowes, the biggest changes he's seen in the industry during his 45 years in the Real Estate game have been in the areas of reputation and mentoring. "Back then it was a very noble profession and traditionally, the older and experienced blokes would take the younger ones under their wing to mentor and teach them. My Dad (Lance) was one of them who took great pride in making sure that those coming up through the ranks were taught right." according to Gary.

Gary is one of the 9 or 10 local Real Estate agents who advertise in our Orange Property Market Real Estate Guide and last week I put my head in his door to say G'day. That G'day turned into a lengthy and somewhat nostalgic discussion about his industry and how it's changed over the years, some of what he had to say I thought was worth sharing with our readers, so I started taking notes.

Gary shared that he is a 3rd Generation agent, his destiny probably started when he was a mere 6 years old and used to go with his Dad to the saleyards. Has father Lance Blowes, started trading as Blowes McCarron in 1950. At one time the business was a real family affair with Gary, his Mum and Dad and two sisters all working in the firm. Since then the business underwent several name and location changes, all for various reasons, right up until today where it's known simply as Blowes Real Estate and is located on the corner of Lords Place and Kite Street.

Gary has seen many changes during his 45 years in the game and during that time he's done it all. He still does, but there was a time when he wanted to be king of the mountain, when he had an ambition to be the biggest agent in Orange and with 27 staff and under the banner The Professionals - Bernard & Co, he was. Today he still works hard but chooses a more relaxed lifestyle.

I asked him to elaborate a bit more on how it was then and now.

Agents back then respected the seller of the property more than they do today

"Back then being a real estate agent was regarded as a noble profession, similar to how people viewed their local bank managers at that time, they were seen as gentlemen, wore suits and they worked together for the benefit of the seller, not against each other. Agents back then respected the seller of the property more than they do today, after all you were working and being paid by them, not the buyer." Gary said.

"Today the industry is driven by the mighty dollar, back then there were just 6 agents, today in Orange there are 25 and not just here in Orange but across the industry generally, many are thought to be in it just for the money. Back then I grew up being taught 'worry about the sale and looking after the seller, not the commission'.

"The type of values that were instilled into agents back then and the level of mentoring provided doesn't happen to the same extent today, the ethics and methods displayed by many of today's modern agents are very different to those back then. Those were the days when a man's word was his bond.

"Back then there was a lot of referral type business, it was not unusual for a seller to routinely recommend their agent to another seller and often one agent, over time, would sell a number of properties for the same family members. There was a lot of loyalty shown to agents back then," he went on.

I asked Gary what other changes came to mind?

He rattled off quite a few including that back then it was common for a number of agents to offer the same house, you didn't have exclusive agents back then. Agents were much more involved with their customers and the level of contact and service was much greater and more personal than it is in many cases today. Getting valuations was much simpler and there was none of the letterbox dropping or door knocking for prospects that goes on today. There wasn't even Open Houses back then. Other noticeable changes have been the amount of paperwork required today and that where, to sell real estate previously in a Licensed agency, you only needed a Certificate of Registration, today a real estate salesperson must be individually licensed.

To finish our time together, I asked Gary a bit of trivia. I said tell me about house prices back then and now. He said, "As an example, one 3br home I sold when I started in 1974 sold for $9,800 - that property today would sell for more like $400,000".

He also said that in all his time, a home in Orange that is looked after, on average, will go up in value 6% a year and double its value every 10 years.

I enjoyed my chat with Gary, he obviously has a wealth of experience and knowledge, but if I was asked what was the number one impression I came away with about him, I'd have to say his passion for wanting to uphold and maintain his integrity and honourable reputation, while ever he chooses to remain in the real estate industry.

How the Real Estate Industry has changed