Jim Ronis celebrates 50th anniversary of his agency

About 120 family, friends and clients gathered at Bankstown Sports on December 6 to celebrate Ronis Real Estate’s 50th anniversary and congratulate Jim and his son, George, who has worked alongside his father for the past 15 years.
Recently setting up office in the club’s new Flinders Centre, George said it was significant that his father had returned to the area of Bankstown where it all began, just ahead of his 50th milestone.
Also father to Peter and Joanne, Jim has seen many changes over the last five decades, with house prices then costing $1,000-$2,000 where as now, they’re $1m-$2m.
George said: “The old fibro home on a quarter-acre block has been replaced with a double brick duplex as more developers enter the market and re-build to meet buyers’ low maintenance needs of today.
“Unit blocks were all about three storeys high and now, they’re multi-level. People are so busy these days and with both partners working just to pay the bills, no one’s got the time to take care of those big, old-style homes.”
With some worried the market is not at rock-bottom yet, George says their fears are unfounded.
“We’ve had very strong inquiries over the last month; there’s lots of buyers out there and a shortage of stock so if you were holding off listing your property, now is the time to put it on the market,” he said.
Migrating with his parents in 1954 when he was 12, with all the family fluent in Greek, Jim still returns to Greece about three months a year to catch up with family and friends but Australia will always be home.
“Dad has no plans to retire either; it’s amazing how well known and popular he is as founder of one of the three oldest agencies (alongside Neweys and Chambers Fleming) in Canterbury Bankstown,” George added.
“Experience is essential in this industry and Dad’s got that in bucketloads.”