Agents make own mark

Long-term Landmark agents Craig Schubert and Trent Boers have joined forces with independent agent Pat Kindellan to form Boers, Kindellan, Schubert Livestock and Property Agents.

The newly formed company began operation this week, opening Tuesday’s sale at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange. BKS sold 180 head of cattle in its first sale.

It is believed about 50 of Mr Schubert’s and Mr Boers’ previous clients have joined them at the new business.

“I think with big companies they seem to think that the clients are theirs but clients deal with the person and not the company,” Mr Boers said.

“They’ve been dealing with us for 10 years and Craig for 15 so you build up a relationship and you want to keep up that relationship.

“It doesn’t matter what colour shirt you’re wearing.”

He said clients had been behind them 100 per cent.

“There might be one or two that might stay with company loyalties going back 40 or 50 years but 95 to 100 per cent are coming plus a few that we haven’t dealt with before who like seeing us have a go.”

He said a couple of other Landmark clients that had previously been serviced by other agents would also be calling on their services.

Landmark Albury branch manager Peter Ryan declined to comment on the move when approached by Country Mail.

Mr Boers said the timing of the start-up had coincided with the end of their contracting rebate arrangement with Landmark.

“We had a contract for three years and it expired in January and we decided to make the career change and work for ourselves,” he said.

Mr Boers said it wasn’t a decision that was made lightly.

“There’s been a lot of sleepless nights and there’ll be a few more,” he said.

He said it was especially the case because he’d been at Landmark for so long and had built up a relationship with other agents.

“But we’re moving ahead and hope to offer our clients a better service than what they were getting where they were.”

Mr Schubert said it was a natural progression for the agents to form their own business and that the timing was right. He said the company wanted to provide balanced service and expand on what they were already doing.

“We’ll grow a bit more over the next month or two and expand into other areas,” he said.

He said they could offer what bigger agencies do in livestock, cattle, sheep and lambs, as well as real estate and clearing sales.

“We have combined experience of 67 years locally,” he said.

Mr Boers grew up in the Upper Murray, Mr Schubert grew up at Talgarno and Mr Kindellan was born and raised in Gippsland.

“We’re offering traditional services with some new edges involved,” Mr Schubert said.

He said they’d be taking a new direction with technology, including online sales and advertising.

Their office will be located in Smollett Street, Albury.

Phone (02) 6023 4577.