We sat down with Guy Stafford, Associate Director at McGees Property, to talk about how he got his start in commercial real estate, what sets his firm apart, and the deal that has stayed with him most.
You’ve been in the industry for around 14 years now. How did it all begin?
It actually started off the back of the GFC. I was young, had just finished a year doing real estate in London, came back to Brisbane and had to figure it out pretty quickly. What I learned early on was that there’s no such thing as bad news in this business. No news is bad news. So I just stayed enthusiastic, kept calling, kept showing up.
That mindset has never really left me. Even now, without a GFC driving urgency, people still need to make informed decisions. They want to feel comfortable, and that comfort comes through information. What you know, what you’ve learned, what you’re hearing in the market. That’s what clients are constantly seeking, and it’s something I take seriously every day.
Tell us about McGees as a business. What does the firm actually do?
We are genuinely all-encompassing. Sales and leasing, capital transactions, valuations, property management, facilities management. All of it under one roof.
What that means in practice is that each division makes the others sharper. The valuations team, for example, will review a lease structure or a sale campaign before it goes to market. They’ll pressure-test it. So by the time something is in front of a client or buyer, it’s already been through a thorough internal process.
The same applies with asset management. The trial and tribulation has already happened. The mistakes have already been made somewhere along the way, and we’ve learned from them. So when a client comes to us, whether it’s their first acquisition or their tenth, they don’t have to make those mistakes themselves. They get the benefit of a team that has already been through it.
That’s the real value of having all those divisions working together. Wherever a client comes in, they’re plugged into the full picture.
Is there a particular transaction that captures that collaborative approach well?
Picking a favourite deal is like picking a favourite child. You really can’t. But if I had to choose one that has stayed with me, it would be the lease I completed at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
I have young kids myself, so it was personally meaningful from the start. The client was the Queensland Government, which meant the process was highly structured and involved significant compliance requirements. It wasn’t a simple deal by any stretch.
But then seeing the new operators move in and watching the energy of that hospital completely change, the offering they brought in was exceptional. Knowing that Brisbane families are now accessing something better because of work we did, that gives me a real sense of pride. That one was a highlight, no question.
What would you say to someone looking to invest in commercial property for the first time?
Get around a team that has seen it all. Not just someone who can transact, but people who understand the full lifecycle of a property. Leasing, valuation, management. Because the best investment decisions aren’t made in isolation. They’re made with the full picture in view.
That’s what we try to provide at McGees, and it’s what I’ve tried to build my career around from day one.
Want to connect with Guy Stafford directly? Reach him at gstafford@bne.mcgees.com.au or 0430 501 732. For all other enquiries, contact The Brokerage at enquiries@thebrokerage.au or 0451 973 662.