5 minutes with Jim O’Hare, Owner and Managing Director of Stratacare Australia
Jim’s journey in the property industry so far.
Why did you get into property?
I have always had a passion for property and had some connection to property management via my father’s accountancy practice where they managed the accounts for a few body corporate’s. While studying commerce at Uni in 1989, I had a part time job in a body corporate management business in Paddington. That started my interest in strata management, and after completing my degree in 1990 I found a role with a small body corporate firm on the Gold Coast. The business had lost all its records from a fire under suspicious circumstances so there began a challenging several years rebuilding the records, whilst at the same time stepping up into a management role before going on to purchase the business after the owner became ill.
If you weren’t in your current profession, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I love architecture and design. From the sidelines through our work with some amazing developers, I admire the work of some outstanding designers and architects. Alas, I can’t draw any more than an average stick man, so I followed our family tradition into accounting initially.
Like many of us, you juggle a challenging role, a family and a life! What are your tips for finding and maintaining that ‘balance’?
In my case if you have the right people behind you, you can together achieve amazing things. There is no way I could manage both without my team behind me.
Have you ever had a mentor? What role did they play in your career? Or perhaps you’ve been a mentor – why did you want to take part?
Early days I’ve worked with some big names in the industry who have now passed on. You take the bits you see work and note the parts that don’t. I work with some great younger people. The ones that succeed are the ones that realise there is no short cut to a successful career. You have to do your time in the trenches. I’ve never seen anyone that hasn’t worked hard and respect clients, not do well in our business.
If you were to leave the industry today, what’s something that you’re proud to have worked on, or been a part of?
During a break from running my own business from 2005-2010, I was lucky enough to have worked on some iconic projects in Dubai and build a huge team of talented people in asset management managing over 50,000 units. That was a once in a life-time experience I’ll always treasure.