Lachie Sewell grew up around the real estate industry. His grandfather and his father both started real estate businesses in Armidale, and he has just done the same.
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Although neither of his ancestors did so in the middle of a pandemic. But that might not matter.
The local real estate market has improved on where it was late last year, Mr Sewell said.
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"It's actually interesting. There's more transactions happening now in Armidale than there was in the drought months of October, November and December," he said.
"At this stage, drought had a bigger effect on our community than COVID-19 has."
Mr Sewell's grandfather, Max Sewell, started Hutchinson, Sewell & Associates in the 1950s. Then his father and uncle, John and Rob, opened First National real estate in the 1980s.
"I suppose it was just bred into me, listening to conversations (about real estate) every day in the car with John," he said.
"I think it's a fantastic career. The harder you work the more you are rewarded."
About a month ago the agent left his job with The Professionals in Armidale to open his own business, and Mr Sewell said it was the current coronavirus pandemic which forced him to make the move.
"I was planning to do it a little bit later in the year, however, out of respect - if sales did drop quite significantly - I brought the start date forward," he said.
"I would not want to just be taking a wage off The Professionals."
Now he, like many, is working from home as he begins the business, which is part of the Laing+Simmons brand.
Mr Sewell said the real estate firm was quite prominent in Sydney, and only recently started to branch out into regional areas.
His business is one of the first in the state outside Sydney, after one in the Manning Valley region on the Mid North Coast opened about 12 months ago, followed by one in Newcastle about six months later.
He said not having an office yet was no problem.
"As a real estate agent, we meet in people's houses anyway, so I start a little bit earlier and make those calls and connections to people."
And while the limit on gatherings has impacted on auctions, especially in the metropolitan market where they are more common, Mr Sewell said the bush had been luckier.
"Armidale is not a huge auction area, so that hasn't been affected."
He also said inspections at homes on the market were continuing.
"A good property here will attract eight to 10 people, so it's been quite manageable. We haven't been affected as much as metropolitan areas," he said.
