BY KIRSTEN CRAZE
Almost three decades ago when Ewan Morton started his real estate business in Sydney, if he knew what he knows now, he would have done everything differently.
While hindsight is a wonderful thing, the path he paved throughout his property career so far has led Ewan to be named the REINSW Woodrow Weight Award winner for 2024, the industry’s most prestigious accolade.
On the 12th September, at The Star Entertainment Centre in Sydney, the Joint Managing Director of Morton was awarded the gong at a spectacular gala dinner celebrating the best in the business.
Each year, the coveted honour is handed to an REINSW member who has made an outstanding contribution to real estate agency practice throughout the years. Given Ewan’s unwavering dedication to his team of 85 staff across eight offices and his significant contributions to the broader industry, he was truly a deserving recipient.
“When Leanne [Pilkington] started reading out the introduction to the award, I heard that the person had worked at IBM. I remember looking around the room thinking, what a coincidence – I worked at IBM too! I never thought it would be me,” he said.
To be the winner of such an esteemed prize would have been an even bigger surprise for the then 27-year-old Ewan who launched his own agency in the mid-1990s.
“I started my real estate career overseas, then I came back and established the business. But I hadn't actually been a real estate salesperson in Sydney before; it was a pretty naive way to start,” he explained.
“The first five years was like an apprenticeship, but a very painful one, because I made all the mistakes - and every mistake cost me money. I just had a naive hope the business would be an overnight sensation, which turned out not to be the case. When I think about those first five years, I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy.”
A healthy dose of stubbornness and an epiphany at the five-year mark made Ewan, soldier on in the business.
“I got to five years, and I reframed my success. I decided I had actually succeeded because I'd survived. When you look at small business statistics, they're pretty gruesome but I was still going. Also, I didn't feel that I could give up, because if I did that I was admitting failure,” he said.
“I remember consciously thinking, ‘I’ve made a decision - for better or for worse - to be a real estate principal. I'm here now, and I have to commit to it.’ I took full responsibility for the decision that I'd made. I also had my dad in the business as well, so I couldn't give up. I reckon I was motivated by fear.”
After enduring the hard yards, Ewan was determined to have the business turn a corner but realised the recipe to success was not to face every hurdle alone.
“I went to my first conference back in the early 2000s, and just couldn't believe it. I realised I'd been operating in a complete void and needed to catch up. From that moment on, I basically went to everything I could get to, I met people, and I became friends with them,” he explained.
“I learned that people who are successful are very happy to share their experiences because often they've struggled to get to where they are. They're actually generous of spirit, which has made them truly successful.”
Attending conferences turned into speaking at conferences, and decades later, it is Ewan who is known for his generosity.
“You have people out there who might try and hide what they’ve learned or want to keep their tactics to themselves, but why not share? I can tell you that if you do it right, then you get a whole lot more back than what you put out there. Now, when I speak, I always make a point of trying to be as honest as I possibly can and take the time for others, because it helps people. That’s what helped me get to where I am today.”