In Residence: Emil Foller

Jellis Craig Sorrento Director, Emil Foller, swapped the slopes of Sweden with the beach when he moved to Australia at age 23. When he’s not helping people purchase their dream holiday homes on the Mornington Peninsula, Emil can be found bike riding, and spending time with his wife and two children.

What was your childhood like?

I grew up in Gothenburg, Sweden, in a small community close to the port. My parents both worked in professional roles and my brother and I went to the local primary/high school. Summer holidays were spent travelling throughout Europe and in winter we’d always go skiing. I moved to Australia when I was 23 years old.

Did you always know you wanted to work in real estate? How did you get into the industry?

I always knew I was going to sell something, but it took a few years to discover exactly what. As a young child, I had plenty of side gigs to build up the piggy bank such as, delivering hot bread in the neighbourhood, collecting and selling cans from music festivals and even running a bike repair business from my Dad’s shed. Shortly after moving to Australia, I studied for my real estate license. When the opportunity to work as an agent in Sorrento arose, my wife and I packed up our Melbourne home, moved down the coast and never looked back.

What do you love most about living in Sorrento?

The lifestyle is more relaxed compared to Melbourne. We spend more time on beaches and national parks and less time in shopping centres and traffic. I’ve been living here for 20 years and I couldn’t see myself living anywhere else.

It has been a hectic 12-months for the Sorrento office, with the pandemic causing a huge spike in sea changers, tell us about this period for you both personally and professionally?

The first lockdown was a bit scary from a personal and business perspective. No one knew what to expect and the future was uncertain. However, we realised early on that Melburnians were looking for lifestyle locations to live and holiday. As a result, both our ShortStays business and sales sector became very busy from June, with buyers and holiday makers scrambling to buy and lease southern Peninsula homes. The second lockdown intensified the desire for a sea change, and demand started to outstrip supply with prices increasing from early October.

What was your first real estate purchase, and have you made any subsequent purchases?

I bought an apartment when I was 18 years old, and I have climbed the property ladder ever since with both family homes and investments. Real estate is not only a roof over your head, but it is also a terrific asset, offering security, capital growth and it makes money while you sleep.

What is it like selling some of the most beautiful properties on the Mornington Peninsula?

It’s a great feeling to go through the journey from appraisal to settlement of a beautiful Peninsula property. Most of the homes we sell are holiday homes and they are full of memories of bygone summers; children and grandchildren growing up and times spent with family and friends. Given all this, it can be very emotional parting with the family beach house and as an agent you have to be mindful of these emotions and set the pace of the campaign accordingly. A private sale is often preferred as the seller feels more in control of the transaction.

What is your life like outside of work?

I like to spend time with family and friends, going out for dinner or just relaxing at home. I’m a keen bike rider and I ride most mornings before work on the mountain bike or road bike depending on the time of the year.

What else do you do as a family?

We have travelled extensively over the years but with COVID-19 and my children growing up and moving out, my wife and I are looking forward to the next chapter. Whatever it may be...