28 Jan 2026
Words Alex Cook Informer

Mentor. Mensch. Maestro.

I don’t suppose any agent has the easiest of starts. But that was me, back in 2011 when I first joined ResortBrokers.

Carla and I had just returned from the UK and were scratching around as to what to make of ourselves. I’ll be forever grateful to Ian — Carla’s father and my father-in-law — who suggested we join the agency he started in 1985. I knew nothing about management rights, but Ian had faith in me and gave me my start as a broker servicing the Gold Coast. He saw something in me that made him think I’d be able to make a go of it.

So did Glenn. I had a horrible first year. I was floundering for much of it as there was little to sell in a market yet to emerge from the GFC. I was ready to pack it in.

That’s when Glenn really stepped in to take me under his wing. Like Ian, he thought I had what it took to do well at management rights, and put in a lot of time and effort mentoring me at the start of my career.

The first sale he brought me in on was Salefish Cove Resort, a large permanent management rights in Mermaid Waters. The seller was Glenn’s client; he didn’t have to bring me in but did. He called me from the Sunshine Coast. “I’ve got this listing, do you want to work with me on it?”

I was absolutely thrilled. It was by far the largest listing I’d worked on by then. It was a $4 million sale of a business netting $600,000, which was huge for the time. I learned so much from Glenn on that deal, and we developed a great working relationship and personal friendship.

Whenever he had a listing on the Gold Coast, Glenn would bring me in and vice versa. One deal that stands out is Soul Surfers Paradise (now branded Peppers), a receivership sale for PwC. Glenn, Carla and I worked on our proposal all weekend to get it in by the Monday morning deadline. It got PwC’s attention, and we landed a meeting. We ended up jagging that listing in a crowded field that included JLL, CBRE and Ray White. We appraised the asset at $19 million and achieved $25.7 million at sale — a major career highlight for both Glenn and me.

For a young broker at the start of his career, Glenn gave me a lot of confidence and taught me to believe in myself. He took me from a fledgling agent up to a very confident agent capable of doing really big deals. He taught me the importance of having strong close personal relationships with good clients. Less is more — focus on the people you gel with, and take a long-term approach. A lot of Glenn’s regular clients I’ve taken on, and I think he’s consciously or subconsciously facilitated that. To a certain extent, I continue to walk in his footsteps.

As much as Glenn is a mensch of a man, and a maestro at what he does, no tribute to him would be complete without pointing out some of his eccentricities. Glenn’s shirts are so loud you can hear them screaming miles away. His socks, too. Some of his jokes would make fathers cringe. He not only loves a great deal when it comes to management rights, but for steaks as well. Loves a budget lunch. And, says Carla, fancies himself as a graphic designer.

Gentle ribbing aside, Glenn would be the first to acknowledge the support of his wife, Maggie — a kinder person you’ll never met. In this line of work, not only does the broker take on the job but their partner and family does too. Maggie has been quietly behind Glenn every step of the way, and made his success possible.

I’m sure I speak for everyone at ResortBrokers in wishing both Glenn and Maggie all the very best for this next chapter in their lives. You’ll both be missed, but it’s au revoir not goodbye. END