Honesty policy
AFTER ABOUT THREE DECADES IN CAIRNS’ BUSTLING AND OFTEN CHALLENGING COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MARKET, DANNY BETROS COMMANDS RESPECT, WRITES HAYDEN SMITH
Danny Betros (right) has no qualms about calling a spade a spade. With over 30 years in Cairns’ commercial property scene he has learned that honesty is invaluable. “I’ve always called it how it is. People relax around me if I do that,” he said.
DANNY Betros has no qualms about calling a spade a spade.
Over 30 years in Cairns’ commercial property scene he has learned that honesty is invaluable.
“I’ve always called it how it is. People relax around me if I do that,” he said.
“Be upfront with people and you’ll gain their respect quickly.”
In September Mr Betros will mark 20 years at the helm of CBRE Cairns.
It is a long way from his hometown of Toowoomba, on the Darling Downs, where the Betros family runs an iconic grocery business. The youngest of six boys, he spent his childhood weekends and school holidays unloading trucks and stacking shelves.
He completed a Bachelor of Business/Marketing at the University of Southern Queensland before moving to Brisbane.
In 1984 Mr Betros started a management cadetship with James Hardie Packaging, after which he joined petroleum giant Shell.
He was soon transferred to Cairns as the company’s North Queensland area manager, a role which he did not enjoy.
“I got a much better understanding of small business … and how hard people have to work to make decent money,” Mr Betros said.
“But it just didn’t gel with me and they were asking me to do stuff I didn’t feel comfortable with.
“It’s all changed. Nowadays they can’t get away with any- where near what they did then.”
He left the company and, after a stint running a service station, was approached by Ian Beattie about joining Quaid Real Estate.
“I have enormous respect for Ian, he gave me a start,” Mr Betros said.
After two years at Quaid he joined Richard Ellis (which was bought by CB Commercial in 1998).
It was the late 1980s and Cairns, like the rest of Australia, was enjoying economic prosperity.
“The town was going nuts development-wise. You had the Hilton, (Pullman) Cairns International and Holiday Inn all being built at once,” Mr Betros said.
“Back in those days everyone was from somewhere else.
“We formed a marauding pack of friends including everyone from nurses to teachers and bank people.
“It was a fantastic social time. The best ever.”
In 1990 he married his partner Angelina, a local who grew up on a cane farm.
Over the years Mr Betros has become used to dealing with the ebbs and flows of
IN SEPTEMBER DANNY BETROS WILL MARK 20 YEARS AT THE HELM OF CBRE CAIRNS