🎙️ Real Estate Revamp | Dean O’Brien – Founder of O’Brien Real Estate

In this episode of Real Estate Revamp, Rex and Chanell sit down with Dean O’Brien, Founder and Co-Director of O’Brien Real Estate.

Dean shares his journey from entering real estate in 2001 to co-founding O’Brien Real Estate in 2010, growing it from a single office into one of Victoria’s most respected real estate networks, now spanning more than 40 offices across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

He dives into what it takes to build a strong culture at scale — covering leadership, recruiting and retaining top talent, training and mentoring teams, and staying true to core values while growing a high-performing brand.

Dean also opens up about his personal values, how he approaches tough decisions, the importance of long-term thinking, and why personal development and community involvement are central to his leadership style.

Whether you’re in real estate, business, or leadership, this episode offers practical insights and real-world lessons from one of Australia’s leading real estate founders.

🎧 Tune in to this episode of Real Estate Revamp.

Our special guest on this week’s Real Estate Renovators is Pat McConnachie, Managing Director of Ray White Ferntree Gully.

Pat has some great insights to share about how he’s developed the Ferntree Gully office to be the number one Ray White agency in Victoria for going on nine years.

He outlines how he approaches recruiting and retention, training and mentoring, and even how he helps his new team members with their personal budgeting!

He also tells Rex and Chanell about his own journey, his key values, how he makes tough decisions, and how he’s prioritised personal and professional growth.

You’ll soon appreciate what has made Pat not only a successful business owner but a respected and admired leader in the industry when you click Play on this episode of Real Estate Renovators.

Our special guest on this week’s Real Estate Renovators is mortgage broker Bernard Desmond, the founder, director and CEO of Blank Financial. He recently took home the Community Champion award at the 2025 Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) State Excellence Awards for Victoria and Tasmania. Bernard tells us how he found his passion in mortgage broking, why he sees broking as a still-undervalued service, and what he sees as the secrets to his success. He also explains how he builds relationships with agents, his unique approach to marketing himself and his service, and why he considers his role as one of finding solutions for people. Bernard’s enthusiasm and positivity is evident throughout this episode of Real Estate Renovators, so click Play right now to enjoy his chat with Rex and Chanell.

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