Rowan Bustin, Director, RT Edgar Glen Eira
The last decade or so has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for Rowan Bustin— both personally and professionally — and he’s loving every minute of it.
In that time the 33-year-old launched his own real estate business, then joined forces with RT Edgar, became Director of RT Edgar Glen Eira, got married, became a father, and now he’s about to celebrate a major business expansion which will see RT Edgar Glen Eira gain an even bigger foothold in the Caulfield and Elsternwick real estate market. For a man who is passionate about family, business and people, you could say he is certainly kicking goals.
As his father was a property developer, Rowan knew from an early age that he would always be involved in real estate. “I started my real estate career straight after school at a local agency and learnt the industry from the ground up." Rowan quickly established a reputation as a hard-working and committed sales agent, building up a solid list of clients.
However, Rowan was always driven to establish his own business. At the age of just 22, he formed his own real estate agency with his good friend and now partner, Anders Simon.
“I always saw the value in building long-standing relationships with clients which I believed would lead to business success. We opened Bustin Simon Real Estate in a little office in Caulfield with basically nothing but a logo and the belief that if you’ve got the hunger and determination to make something work - then it usually will.”
From humble beginnings and through sheer hard work and perseverance, Bustin Simon Real Estate grew their client base - albeit in an ultra-competitive area. “We taught ourselves property management and put a lot of time and effort into building a rent roll which became the foundation for the business we have today. In 2017, we realised that to take our business to the next level, we needed to become a household name. We hungered for the sort of brand recognition that RT Edgar presented so when an opportunity arose to meet with RT Edgar’s Jeremy Fox and Warwick Anderson for ‘a chat’ in a Toorak café, we leapt at the chance. Within three weeks we had re-branded to RT Edgar, and with their support we’ve become a much stronger agency in what is still a very competitive market. People use us because they like us, they know we are honest, hardworking and ethical. Our point of difference being that as the owner of the business I am personally there with our clients from start to finish.”
“As for our team, we look after them well. We cultivate a positive work culture and believe in authentic relationships. In all honesty, our team is an extension of our family. In support of them, we have a Friday off policy where each team member can benefit from a long weekend each month so they can ‘switch off’ and spend time on things that are important to them – be it family, fitness or other.”
However, Rowan admits that he sometimes finds it hard to practice what he preaches. “I do find it very hard to switch off. I’m always thinking about the business, how to grow it, how to best support our team and clients, and how to perform better with the use of technology.”
Rowan is excited to announce that his team at RT Edgar Glen Eira has recently doubled to a team of nearly twenty. “We have just acquired another successful local agency with a 26-year track record in Glen Eira. This is something we have been working towards for a while now.”
Rowan and Anders are thrilled to see their business go from strength to strength. “We are very close friends. We have been working together for over 11 years now, and friends for almost 15 years. Our wives are very close, we both have children of similar ages, we live in the same neighbourhood and are part of the same community.”
While Rowan is driven to grow his business, he acknowledges that “family will always be a priority.” Family for Rowan is his wife, Milana, a fashion stylist, and their baby daughter, River. “I met Milana through a mutual friend in Elwood – and without sounding cliché, it was definitely love at first sight. We share the same values, enjoy the same things and now, we’re having the best time as new parents to River.” The couple celebrated their wedding at Coombe in the Yarra Valley two years ago before welcoming River to the world, a mere ten months ago.
“River is beautiful. Alongside Milana, she has stolen my heart.” The growing family also includes two beautiful Border Collies - Harvey, 4 and Archie, 3.
Travel is also a passion shared by Rowan and Milana. “We love to travel and often frequent beach resorts in Thailand. This November we’ll be taking River to Thailand for the first time. It will be a lovely first family vacation.”
“Operating in a Jewish area, I often work Sundays and Friday is ‘family day’. We do ‘family’ personal training on Friday mornings. Our great friend Andy, who is also our personal trainer, holds River while Milana and I train. It’s quite cute!
Quick Chat: Rowan Bustin
Local Café Faves
Carter Lovett, Elsternwick - right next door to RT Edgar Glen Eira
Next of Kin, Elsternwick
Go-to Restaurants
Marion Wine Bar, Fitzroy
Il Solito Posto, Melbourne
When not working, Rowan is ...
Spending time with his family, cooking (pasta and steak king), and pursuing his passion for cars, often found scrolling through the latest listings on the Carsales App
Did you know...
Rowan played drums for over 15 years but paused for work and family. He's gearing up for a comeback soon – music is in his DNA!
Discover more aboutRowan.
