Workdays and Weekends: Gary Robertson

We caught up with Gary Robertson, the area director at Clyde Property in Perth, for a chat about how he fills his busy workdays and weekends. From wearing a suit and making million pound deals at work, to putting on his favourite joggy bottoms to chill out at home with a glass of wine- he strikes a good balance! We also get all the juicy gossip about his wild night out partying with St Johnstone after their Scottish Cup victory!

Gary is a top guy and we hope you can all take a slice of his positive outlook on life and be inspired by how important it is to believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams.

1. What does a typical day at work look like for you?

I try to be the first in the door and then sit down to plan my day and week ahead and follow up on previous appointments. It may sound like a cliché but no two days are the same at Clyde and it's what makes it interesting and so enjoyable. I check in with the team and my colleague Tara, who I work very closely with at the branch and then set off on my travels to valuations or new properties coming to the market. Because we cover the whole of the Perthshire area it keeps the days varied.

2. What signals the start of your weekend / days off?

It can be one of two ways really. It's either a catch up and some drinks with some friends after finishing on a Friday or heading straight home for dinner with my family and a quiet, comfy night in.

3. What makes for a perfect night in?

A nice home cooked meal and some Rioja followed by a movie (and a whisky) in the lounge with my wife, son and our puppy.

4. What makes for a memorable day or night out?

We love getting outdoors and enjoying the countryside so usually try and jump in the car, get away for the day and tie it in with dinner or a late lunch somewhere. I also enjoy going out for dinner in Perth with friends, we're fortunate to have a lot of great places on our doorstep.

5. Tell us about the weekend you’d love to live again?

My family and I had a superb holiday in Skye in April last year which was amazing. The weather was fantastic even on the drive there. It was piercing blue sky all the way and just some of the most incredible scenery I had ever seen. We travel to the west coast quite a lot but we were genuinely gobsmacked at the scenery

As a St. Johnstone fan, I also have to say the weekend of 17^th and 18^th May 2014. I went to the game on the Saturday with my father and other members of the family and it was so special. We were all crying and hugging at the final whistle and it was great to share that moment with them in particular. On the Sunday, some friends and I attended the player of the year awards at McDiarmid Park and we got an early chance to get our hands on the cup and meet the jubilant players and management team. Some of whom hadn't even slept or been home! We then partied with the players in the bar and went into town. I even ended up in the DJ booth in the Loft with Chris Millar.

6. And now your best ever day at work?

There's been a lot to be honest. If I could pick one recent one it would be in December 2015 when I negotiated a deal on the highest value sale in my career. A totally unique house just under £1m outside Blairgowrie. It wasn't just about the fact it was the highest value sale or reaching that milestone, I had put so much effort and work into winning the instruction in the beginning, keeping in touch with the clients and then weeks of negotiating the sale. I even had to do a bit of filming with Channel 4 when it was featured on one of their TV shows. It was very rewarding to then agree the sale for clients who I loved working for so much and to help them move on with their plans. They showed great faith in me at the start and I was delighted to repay them. I was actually sitting in a layby on the mobile when it was all officially agreed and I won't deny that some people passing me might have seen a strange man punching the air with joy while sitting in his car.

7. Any workday or weekend rituals?

I always make sure I say hello and good morning to every member of the team and try to be the first one in and last one out. Small things but the team spirit we have is our biggest asset. My wife would also say that I have a preferred choice of tracksuit bottoms, hooded top and favourite socks that I have a habit of wearing when I'm in chill out mode and looking to just zone out after a hard days work. It seems to work so I'm sticking to it!

8. What’s in the perfect day off breakfast?

Eggs benedict. 100%.

9. Any words of wisdom for us?

When I first got into estate agency over ten years ago, I remember being on a night out with some others working in the property industry. I was very much the newbie and very wet behind the ears but eager to do the best I could and work my way up. An older, more experienced gent asked some questions on my background and promptly told me that I wouldn't go too far in estate agency because I hadn't studied at University, I grew up on a council estate and didn't mix in the right circles. Hearing something like that from someone who was apparently so experienced and in a senior position was difficult to take when I was young and new to the industry, but it also made me more determined to succeed and prove that there is no substitute for a positive attitude, determination and sheer hard work to get where you want to be, no matter what your background is or where your come from. I'd like to think I've done ok in my chosen career now, so I guess I probably do owe him a little bit of thanks for that put down back in the day. 

I also found the following quote somewhere recently and have it on the board in the office for the team to see and I think it can be easily applied to both work and life in general:

“The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply”

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Gary is the Area Director at Clyde Property in Perth. MORE >>>