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    At just 15 years old, Robert left his life and family in Melbourne behind and moved to the UK to play for Bristol City.

    “It was a long way from the northern suburbs of Melbourne, and a real education,” he said.

    “I had to adapt fast: new culture, new people, a completely different way of life.

    “From there I was transferred to Panathinaikos, one of the two biggest clubs in Greece, where I had to learn a totally new language, before eventually coming home to play in the A-League with Sydney FC.”

    Robert said his time playing professional football was a dream come true.

    “Honestly, the whole journey was the highlight: leaving home at 15, living in Europe, seeing the world, and experiencing things most kids from the northern suburbs of Melbourne only dream about. That alone shaped me,” he said.

    “But a few moments stand out like being an A-League finalist.

    “Running out against Chelsea and Tottenham in front of 90,000 people is a surreal feeling you never forget.

    “And scoring in the AFC Champions League against Guangzhou Evergrande, one of the biggest clubs in Asia.”

    But despite the highlights, Robert said the journey wasn’t without some real challenges.

    “Being away from home from such a young age wasn't always easy,” he said.

    This was before WhatsApp or FaceTime, so I just got through it on my own. Times like that make you grow up fast.

    “Then there's the football side of it. Constantly having to perform and still being overlooked. Knowing deep down you're better than the player ahead of you, but your fate is in someone else's hands, a coach's decision on whether you play.

    “Being released by a club and having to pick yourself up, find a new team, and start all over again somewhere new was also hard.

    “They were hard lessons, but they built resilience.”

    Robert said these lessons helped him build a thick skin that helped him excel in the real estate industry.

    “You learn to back yourself, keep performing regardless of the setbacks, and never let someone else's decision define you,” he said.

    “Real estate has its own version of that. You're constantly dealing with rejection, an owner choosing another agent, missing out on a listing.

    “People look at you very differently as the local real estate agent than they did as a professional footballer.”

    Robert said those who knew him were surprised when he chose real estate as his next career, but he was attracted to the competition of real estate.

    “During my playing days I was actually pretty shy, so the idea of door-knocking or cold-calling was my worst nightmare,” he said.

    “But I wanted something that still had that competitive edge I'd lived and breathed my whole life: targets, performance, results you can measure, while building something lasting.

    “Real estate ticked every box. It's people-driven, it rewards hustle, and there's a scoreboard.”

    He said while some people spend their time scrolling on social media, he is checking his ranking on realestate.com in his core area, or logging into Pulse to see where he’s at on calls, appraisals and listings against agents across the state.

    “And then you get the reality check: you look up and see the numbers the top performers across the Ray White network are putting up, and it keeps you hungry,” Robert said.

    “There's always another level.”

    Robert, who now ranks in the top 3 per cent of Ray White agents, said his drive and work ethic translated well to real estate.

    “I've had the highs of living out my childhood dream, playing professional football, but I can tell you there's nothing more humbling than letterbox dropping and door-knocking. And yet it's something I still do, and genuinely enjoy,” he said.

    “The thrill I used to get scoring goals in front of a crowd I've channelled into this.

    “Now the rush comes from winning a listing, from delivering a great result for my vendors, and yeah, I'll admit, there's a bit of vanity in me too: seeing my name in the paper, my ‘SOLD’ stickers going up on signboards. That never gets old.”

    Robert has always believed training harder, working harder and doing more than the next person puts you in the best position to succeed.

    “That was true in football, and those exact traits couldn't translate more perfectly to real estate.

    “My work ethic, and honestly, an inability to ever switch off, is what's made me an elite agent and number one in my core area. And I'm still striving to be better every single day.”

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