Q&A with Simon Wall

1.Why is this community football club important to you, your family and business?

One of our main values at Simon Wall Property is to be immersed in the community and support local organisations. Sport has been a part of my life and it is still one of my favourite things to do. I feel like not only can I sponsor Merewether United Football Club, but I can be an active participant too as my son Lawson will be starting this year. Plus, we have many other friends already involved with this club.

2. Is your son excited to play?

Lawson and I play soccer regularly in the backyard and he loves anything to do with sport. He is an active 4 nearly 5 year old boy and he is very (very) excited – he is quite impatient about having to wait until April!

3. Have you played before?

I played soccer day and night when I was little and it was the first team sport I played.

4. What does it mean to sponsor your son’s team?

It is super exciting – our kids starting to play team sports and being part of new communities is a new and very exciting chapter for us.

5. Tell me a little about your business and its connection to the community.

I have been the number one agent in Merewether Heights and top three in Merewether in terms of homes sold per annum for many years now. Merewether is a wonderful place to live and an amazing place to raise our three kids – Charlotte 6, Lawson 4 and Archie 2. I have been generating my own business for years working as a contractor for McGrath. After considering another offer to start an agency franchise we considered starting our own business. After many, many discussions with our accountant, other colleagues in the industry, family and friends I decided I was ready for a new challenge and felt confident I would be able to build something we could be very proud of. I also found that I would be able to offer marketing materials at a much more affordable rate (as I wasn’t paying Franchise fees) and was able to be much more flexible in my approach to selling people’s homes, making for a much more personalised service. We aim to be part of the community as much as possible. We have committed to sponsoring sport clubs we are part of and aim to be actively involved in other voluntary parts of the community at least once a month (eg. Take 3 for the sea).

6. How long have you been helping families find their dream home?

I grew up on the mid north coast and then went to Sydney after high school to study and become and aged care nurse which I loved and enjoyed doing for a decade. When I met Lauren (my wife) and she moved to Newcastle for Uni, I decided it would be a good opportunity to have a career change so I studied real estate. I started selling homes in 2008 and immediately enjoyed the challenge. I love the responsibility and problem solving that comes with all facets of selling a family’s home. My career as a nurse has assisted me immensely because I feel that real estate is often more about people than houses.

7. What do you love about Merewether? 

The laid back, coastal lifestyle that is fast paced enough to provide opportunity and growth. I love the beach, the bush, sporting opportunities, proximity to country and city. I am originally from Woolgoolga (small coastal village on North coast) so I like that Newcastle is still small enough that I can know lots of familiar faces.

8. Anything else you would like to let the community know? 

I love the responsibility of selling one of your most important assets and I will endeavour to make the process as easy and enjoyable as possible. I thrive on the pressure that comes with selling a house and I enjoy navigating an owner through the process so that they are clear and confident about what is happening at all times. Communication is key. It is crucial that everyone has an opportunity to discuss what is happening. I have regular meetings with clients and have multiple group chats so that everyone is in the loop.