Almost a century ago, in 1922, a young John G. Crowder got his first job in real estate in Suffolk, England. He was 17 years old and paid five shillings a week in the first year of his apprenticeship, often riding his bike through snow, collecting rents until all hours of the night. For many years he retold the story: “If you dared complain, you were sacked on the spot”. It was the beginning of a legacy representing sheer hard work which would continue for many generations to come.
After a few years working in London and completing his exams, Mr Crowder opened his own office in Ipswich, specialising in country houses and holding weekly antique auctions. He ran a successful business for many years until 1948 when, like many other post war families of their time, Mr Crowder and his wife decided to bring their six children to Australia.
Upon arrival they took up farming on a 50-acre property in Baxter on the Mornington Peninsula. Quickly discovering there was no money to be made farming dairy on such small acreage, Mr Crowder revisited his early career in real estate and joined the Trustees Executors and Agency Company in Melbourne as a Property Officer.
“Right is right and wrong is wrong. There is a right way and a wrong way - and if you don’t mind, I prefer the right way.” – One of the most renowned quotes of Mr John. G. Crowder, recalled by his family to this day.
After three years of travelling to and from Melbourne without seeing daylight or much of his family, Mr Crowder decided to start his own real estate agency with his son Ian. At the time, he approached all the local real estate agents to secure a lease on some office space, but seemingly the threat of competition saw his requests declined. He then convinced Victoria Railways to allow him a ground lease of a site in Frankston. Driving his tractor in each day from the farm in Baxter, Mr Crowder cleared the site, then helped to build the office.
And so, in 1952, John G. Crowder & Sons Real Estate was born.
Mr Crowder made his mark quickly being the first agent of his era to use auction as the preferred method of selling real estate. In turn, the business made its mark on the industry, with a significant footprint in the Frankston CBD. In fact, Crowders sold the whole of Wells Street, then linked Young Street to Nepean Highway. From Balmoral Centre, Chatsworth House, London House, Totfield House, McEwans, Brockwood House and Terminus House, Crowders then put together the whole of the Myer/Bayside Shopping Centre. And as Frankston grew, so did Crowders.
By 1958 when Geoffrey Crowder joined, Crowders was three times its original size. In 1965 Geoffrey opened the Mount Eliza office, and Crowders soon became the largest, most successful real estate agencies of its time.
At its height, Crowders employed 16 auctioneers. Geoffrey Crowder himself was regarded as one of the state’s best Auctioneers, having once been a finalist in the Australasian Senior Auctioneers Competition.
Representing the third generation, Geoffrey’s sons Michael, Sam and Tom later joined the business along with their cousins, Ian’s sons James and Phillip. By the mid 1990’s, Crowders employed 65 staff across eight family owned and operated offices on the Peninsula.
Upon the unfortunate passing of Ian Crowder in 1993, Geoffrey took over as Managing Director. John G. Crowder continued working in the business well into his eighties, standing beside Geoffrey at his auctions and taking bids.
For 54 years Crowders specialised in the sale, lease and management of residential commercial, industrial and retail properties. Always maintaining its founding philosophy of “Family Tradition You Can Trust”, Crowders has been credited with setting the benchmark for real estate and strongly influencing development on the Mornington Peninsula.
The late John G. Crowder was quoted on numerous occasions instilling the message into his sons and grandchildren “Never expect to be liked by your competitors, but always be respected by them for your ability”.
John. G Crowder & Sons was eventually sold to a private company in 2006.
After the sale, all of the Crowders went on to enjoy successful independent careers in their own capacity, and some went on to choose career paths aimed at different ways of helping people; neither of which is a surprise given they belong to a family which has changed the course and progress of a community. As a family they have always remembered the values passed onto them via their fathers and grandfather: “Stand up for your principles and always be prepared to say what you think, whether it is good for business or not, and whether it makes you popular or not”. Now, almost a century later, the words of John G. Crowder resound clearly amongst his family who have continued in the industry.
Finally, the generational focus of this story - Sam Crowder has gone on to live and work on the Southern Peninsula forging his own path and building on his considerable family network. With the stars aligning and his vision clear, he is proud to pay homage to his family’s legacy by establishing a new generation of Crowders Real Estate on the Southern Peninsula.