Why real estate is ‘much bigger than bricks and mortar’ for Sam Thompson

Real estate isn’t just a career for Samuel Thompson; it’s his family legacy, the world he’s known all his life, and a craft he’s naturally attuned to.

Long before Thompson, of LJ Hooker Manuka, made his first sale, he understood the critical role agents play at a crucial junction in people’s lives.

Thompson is a fifth-generation Canberran. His father, Stephen Thompson, is a respected real estate agent and is at the helm of their family business, LJ Hooker Manuka.

“It felt normal to be at open homes on weekends, watching my father talk to clients every day in the car during school pickup, seeing how much he cared and how much effort and energy was put into every sale,” Thompson says.

Admiring his father’s approach demonstrated to Thompson that property “is so much bigger than bricks and mortar”.

“Looking back, it really taught me that real estate is more about people, and especially so in Canberra,” he says. “It’s not a big city, like Sydney and Melbourne. It’s a tightly held community, so you treat every seller and buyer like family, and it really does create long-term relationships.

“Dad leads by example, and I’ve learned from that.”

He was immersed in the mechanics of the business from an early age. “I filled the gaps on school holidays, helping with rental open homes and on reception,” Thompson says. “The pace, the conversations, the problem solving – every day was so different, and I genuinely loved it.”

Thompson studied a business and commerce degree at Canberra University, and for a time, that option beckoned. However, property exerted a natural, “steady pull”.

Gaining his license at 18, Thompson was working as a commission-only agent during his tertiary studies. His first listing in Belconnen taught him a valuable lesson he still recalls vividly.

“I was nervous and determined,” Thompson says of the auction, “and it was just me standing there on the day”. The prospective buyers went cold on him in a challenging market, and Thompson says it reinforced the importance of “follow up, follow back and follow through”.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” he says. “I didn’t know that it was a tough market because at the time, it was all that I knew – that, and finding a seller, getting the listing, and then getting the buyer and seller to show up together.”

Since then, Thompson’s consistent, elite performance has placed him in the top 7 per cent of the entire LJ Hooker network.

Of the many successes, a sale that stands out was when vendors in their 80s handed the keys to their long-time home to a young family, ready to build a life of their own.

” It was a generational home, and the owners had it listed previously with another agent,” Thompson says. “We rebuilt the campaign and focused on giving the support that was needed and the clarity they wanted but didn’t have before.

“On the settlement date, seeing it go from one family to another was a highlight. Those handovers are quite special.”

Thompson’s negotiation skills have been shaped by his belief that a good ear is among an agent’s greatest assets.

“I’ve always believed the best agents aren’t the best talkers – they’re the best listeners,” he says. “The negotiation begins as early as the open home, when you come to understand the buyer, as well as your seller, knowing exactly what each side needs from the deal.

“At the end of the day, we’re here to help people.”

LJ Hooker Manuka celebrated 30 years this year. Thompson and his team have seen the Canberra market flourish and evolve, and he believes the conditions are conducive to a robust 12 months ahead.

“The momentum is the exciting part,” he says. “Over the past few years, we have built a strong foundation. The federal election and COVID are in the past, and we might see some interest rate adjustments next year. Based on that, what we’re building is a really good platform for growth.

“Canberra is stable and reliable, and people feel confident buying here. Our clearance rates are strong, and we’re proud of the consistency.”