A lot has changed in the local real estate game in 100 years, reflects Dee Why’s Upstate…
I had always thought of Upstate as one of the new kids on the block in the ever-astonishing Sydney real estate market. With its highly polished offices above the trendy food joints in Dee Why, it’s a much sleeker offering than your average house hawker, so too its marketing style and, somehow, even their staff seem shinier than most.
Pitching itself as more of a lifestyle service than a run of the mill real estate agency, Upstate runs with the mantra “find yourself in a better place”, investing as much in attracting the staff they want as clientele, with shmick videos and real estate services with all the trimmings.
Photo: Supplied by Upstate
Photo: Supplied by Upstate
I was surprised, then, to learn it is celebrating a century of business on the Northern Beaches this month. Its lineage stretches back to 1922 when it first began as Weight and Co.
It was founded by local Oscar Weight, who moved to a property in Oaks Avenue in Dee Why just after World War 1 to try and make a go of it in the big smoke with his wife and six children.
A trawl through the local papers of the day reveals the success of the company’s key agent Woodrow Weight, the founder’s son. His skills, were talk of the town at a time when selling for a whopping $9,000 would bring gasps of shock and awe from the neighbours.
Woodrow sold a record 130 properties one year in the 1940s in the Manly and Warringah area, more than doubling the average of 50 sales for the area.
Grandson Bob Weight took the helm of the Manly Warringah division in the 1970s and beyond with brother John in Frenchs Forest.
“A few decades on and Weight and Co became known as the leading agency in the home unit, industrial and commercial building boom in 1960s, which opened new opportunities for local tourism and businesses to thrive,” explains Upstate CEO Peter Mosedale.
“This quickly established the agency as an employer of choice with its record of having happy and long-serving team members. Weight and Co was even recognised internationally, not just as a prominent Australian real estate agency, but also as a great contributor to the development of the local community.
“Today, we are proud to say that our dedication has not wavered and it’s a major focus of Upstate in 2022. We work on the motto of helping thousands of Australians find themselves in a better place, be it our clients, their buyers, our community or our own staff,” he reiterated.
As they celebrate 100 years in the Sydney property market, Upstate now has over 118,000 prospective buyers and tenants on their database, a 35% market share in the commercial real estate sector and achieves on average 25% above the sale guide price. With a single, central office and 80+ dedicated staff go the extra mile every single day to deliver the Upstate promise we’re known for.
When Upstate launched as a more modern brand they took the legacy features of trust and experience from their predecessors but worked to grow something a little different, a little “extra”.
“We adapted our services to meet the evolving market – it’s not just about buying and selling or renting houses anymore, there are so many other important elements to the property world in Sydney.
“As well as the staple services there’s also commercial asset management, project marketing for new developments and even the introduction of complimentary property concierge services so busy people can have peace of mind and have everything taken care of with our help. We also offer financial advice and mortgage brokering and have our own digital marketing and creative specialists,” Mr Mosedale said.
Mr Mosedale and fellow co-owner and childhood friend Lachlan Yeates began their real estate careers together at an agency in Freshwater. They joined forces with commercial property expert, Vincent West and subsequently started their own agencies in Dee Why and Collaroy. In 2019 they merged the agencies, including one with direct lineage to the Weight family, and Upstate was born.
Mr Mosedale continues: “While Weight and Co worked with traditional selling methods, we have built upon this, now adopting a digital-first approach to meet and assist clients across different platforms at their own convenience. From Facebook and Google Advertising, YouTube, Signboards, Digital Property Reports, Chatbots, Email Marketing, Print and first to market vendor Apps – Upstate is consistently bringing people closer to their dream properties.
“Even though these processes and technologies have evolved from where they once were, our professionalism, service approach and community spirit remain as high as ever.”
To follow the next 100 years of success visit https://www.upstate.com.au or follow them on social media.
Thank you to Upstate for sponsoring this article to share in their birthday celebrations and support local news. As a bit of a fun bonus, enjoy (or weep) over this newspaper article showing some property prices in 1982….
