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Sold
Money. Lust. Real estate.
Sold takes a fly-on-the-wall look at Melbourne’s property industry. Set in the leafy, prosperous inner suburbs, it follows the fortunes and misfortunes of three agents as they jostle, thrive and try to survive.
It reveals the routines, the agents’ listing tricks and the subtle intimidation used to motivate staff and prospective vendors at Prender and Prender Real Estate.
Failed AFL footballer, Will Pittman, now a junior agent, is looking for redemption. Former Auckland car dealer Harry ‘The Fox’ Osbourne just wants to pay the kids’ school fees.
And Dally Love, the smiling assassin, wants it money, the girl, and the warm glow that comes from being seen as a good bloke.
Then there’s Gerard. Mentally disabled, homeless, possibly dangerous. He’s like a scud missile with a busted radar. And he’s squatting in an old convent that’s about to be turned into luxury apartments...
Sold takes a fly-on-the-wall look at Melbourne’s property industry. Set in the leafy, prosperous inner suburbs, it follows the fortunes and misfortunes of three agents as they jostle, thrive and try to survive.
It reveals the routines, the agents’ listing tricks and the subtle intimidation used to motivate staff and prospective vendors at Prender and Prender Real Estate.
Failed AFL footballer, Will Pittman, now a junior agent, is looking for redemption. Former Auckland car dealer Harry ‘The Fox’ Osbourne just wants to pay the kids’ school fees.
And Dally Love, the smiling assassin, wants it money, the girl, and the warm glow that comes from being seen as a good bloke.
Then there’s Gerard. Mentally disabled, homeless, possibly dangerous. He’s like a scud missile with a busted radar. And he’s squatting in an old convent that’s about to be turned into luxury apartments...
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First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 23, 2012
What's the equvivalnt of chick-lit for guys? Dick-lit? Whatever, this was a good example of the latter, written in the style that I have also previously seen in Australian literature. Although very light and sometimes even a bit gross in style, it did provide a nice glimpse into the Melbournian real estate market. And to its benefit, the end was somewhat unexpected and even wicked, and saved a lot.
September 21, 2020
Insightful (assuming this is really how real estate in Australia works) look into the industry and the wacky cast of characters
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June 4, 2009In his launch speech for Sold, author Brendan Gullifer says his book is about “where we get to when outcomes are pursued in complete disregard of consequences or ethics. And people are rewarded accordingly. It’s the Australian Wheat Board. It’s Enron. It’s Barings Bank. It’s Lehman Brothers. It’s George Bush. It’s John Howard. In the long term, it’s completely unsustainable.” Sold is a funny and fast paced novel that explores this unsustainable industry from the inside out. Will Pittman is the main protagonist, a failed Sydney Swans footballer, who has just joined the ranks at Prender & Prender Realty. He’s young, fresh faced, and eager to make his new career work. But it’s a cut-throat world he’s in and others know how to play the game much better than he.
Although Pittman knowingly gets himself into some rather touchy and unethical situations, including pretending to have Testicular Cancer, and covering up a theft, he remains likeable to the reader as he tries to find a way to both earn a living and remain on the right side of ethics. Gullifer has a keen sense of irony, and the supporting characters are equally rich and plausible, even the ghastly comic bad guy Dally Love - the super seller, whose overt sense of righteous self-control almost makes sense at times.
Dally’s Tony Robbins-styled smoothness, even when he falls on his face, coupled with a mean streak, makes you want to hate him, and it's hard not to cheer on his nemesis Freddy Bradman and her mentally disabled brother Gerard, as they progress their ill-thought through plan to unseat the king of real estate. But then there’s Harry Osborne, or The Fox as he’s aptly called. He’s less clichéd than Dally, more sympathetic as he struggles to deal with rising debts and a failing marriage, and more dangerous when he becomes increasingly desperate and willing to do anything to make that increasingly elusive sale.
The plot plays out in a straightforward tale that is driven by Will’s slightly naïve perspective and awakening, coupled with Dally’s drive, the Fox’s plans, and Freddy’s revenge. That there are plenty of loose guns (including Terry Henderson or Hendo, the seemingly friendly sales manager who hired Will) and misfires in this likeable and absolutely believable story, only adds to the enjoyment. Both Dally Love and The Fox undergo their own transformation, but neither of them get quite the comeuppance that one might like. That said, there are plenty of laughs in the ultimate company that Dally forms, with its acronym of LIAR, not to mention the irony in the fellow’s name itself.
Sold is not only rich in character, but also in setting. Gullifer writes about Melbourne with the close perspective of someone who has sold property there. The tree-lined suburbs, and even its old boys clubs are all featured, as the competition for listings takes place. There are also little stories behind the book, such as the real life struggle to save the Abbotsford Convent from a high density conversion into 289 units - the kind of cramped, unsustainable housing that The Fox rightly calls 'superstition driven' on the first page of the novel. Gullifer places Dally Love squarely in the midst of that struggle, in the unpopular role of developer. It’s quite possible to read the novel without knowing about that seven year struggle between sustainable low density living and an arts-based community, and the corporate world of takeovers and profit driven housing, but knowing the history adds another layer of veracity and meaning to an already rich book.
Underneath the fun, there is a serious message about the whole seedy undercurrent beneath the dream that drives, not only real estate, but much of the corporate world. It’s about the ‘deal’ and what it takes to make it and what making it does to your sense of self. Not all of the agents are cutthroat, though most of them are, and not all of them are at the edge of a precipice, though most are moving that way. Though the villains are suitably bad and the good guys reasonably decent, there are some lovely twists along the way that throw the whole notion of truth into chaos and leave the reader, like Will, questioning every motive. Sold is a sparkling debut novel that combines ironic, sardonic humour with a hefty dose of eye-opening reality. Buying (or selling) a house will never feel the same again. The book can be found at http://www.sleeperspublishing.com/new...
Although Pittman knowingly gets himself into some rather touchy and unethical situations, including pretending to have Testicular Cancer, and covering up a theft, he remains likeable to the reader as he tries to find a way to both earn a living and remain on the right side of ethics. Gullifer has a keen sense of irony, and the supporting characters are equally rich and plausible, even the ghastly comic bad guy Dally Love - the super seller, whose overt sense of righteous self-control almost makes sense at times.
Dally’s Tony Robbins-styled smoothness, even when he falls on his face, coupled with a mean streak, makes you want to hate him, and it's hard not to cheer on his nemesis Freddy Bradman and her mentally disabled brother Gerard, as they progress their ill-thought through plan to unseat the king of real estate. But then there’s Harry Osborne, or The Fox as he’s aptly called. He’s less clichéd than Dally, more sympathetic as he struggles to deal with rising debts and a failing marriage, and more dangerous when he becomes increasingly desperate and willing to do anything to make that increasingly elusive sale.
The plot plays out in a straightforward tale that is driven by Will’s slightly naïve perspective and awakening, coupled with Dally’s drive, the Fox’s plans, and Freddy’s revenge. That there are plenty of loose guns (including Terry Henderson or Hendo, the seemingly friendly sales manager who hired Will) and misfires in this likeable and absolutely believable story, only adds to the enjoyment. Both Dally Love and The Fox undergo their own transformation, but neither of them get quite the comeuppance that one might like. That said, there are plenty of laughs in the ultimate company that Dally forms, with its acronym of LIAR, not to mention the irony in the fellow’s name itself.
Sold is not only rich in character, but also in setting. Gullifer writes about Melbourne with the close perspective of someone who has sold property there. The tree-lined suburbs, and even its old boys clubs are all featured, as the competition for listings takes place. There are also little stories behind the book, such as the real life struggle to save the Abbotsford Convent from a high density conversion into 289 units - the kind of cramped, unsustainable housing that The Fox rightly calls 'superstition driven' on the first page of the novel. Gullifer places Dally Love squarely in the midst of that struggle, in the unpopular role of developer. It’s quite possible to read the novel without knowing about that seven year struggle between sustainable low density living and an arts-based community, and the corporate world of takeovers and profit driven housing, but knowing the history adds another layer of veracity and meaning to an already rich book.
Underneath the fun, there is a serious message about the whole seedy undercurrent beneath the dream that drives, not only real estate, but much of the corporate world. It’s about the ‘deal’ and what it takes to make it and what making it does to your sense of self. Not all of the agents are cutthroat, though most of them are, and not all of them are at the edge of a precipice, though most are moving that way. Though the villains are suitably bad and the good guys reasonably decent, there are some lovely twists along the way that throw the whole notion of truth into chaos and leave the reader, like Will, questioning every motive. Sold is a sparkling debut novel that combines ironic, sardonic humour with a hefty dose of eye-opening reality. Buying (or selling) a house will never feel the same again. The book can be found at http://www.sleeperspublishing.com/new...
August 5, 2009
To anyone who had an experience with the real estate in Melbourne this book would be very familiar. Here is the industry that based on the concept of greed and profit. The main character is the ex-footballer who represents the generation that tries to make the career in real estate without any clear understanding what they are up to. This generation that does not have a solid education and proper skills but expect to achieve a quick success after a short training. On the other hand there are the big sharks who know how to manipulate the system and how to prey on public for their own benefits. It was not a pleasant book to read.
July 25, 2011
This started off so well - it is very Ben Elton - that whole 'fly on the wall' scenario. The book is very entertaining and easy reading - I read it in two days. The problem is it completely falls down at the end - it is like the author just got bored and decided to do a quick finish, it just stops! I did enjoy it for the most part though.
Maybe I am just cynical but I was not even remotely surprised at the antics of the real estate agents in this book - it all sounds quite believable in fact!
This is an entertaining read - had it been a bit longer and had the many different stories been finished off it would have been better.
Maybe I am just cynical but I was not even remotely surprised at the antics of the real estate agents in this book - it all sounds quite believable in fact!
This is an entertaining read - had it been a bit longer and had the many different stories been finished off it would have been better.
July 4, 2010
Hilarious, funny, surprising and wonderfully written, this book was a real eye-opener. Although set in Australia, I would highly recommend it to anyone who will deal with the real estate industry. I live in New York, and the narrative and characters were oh so familiar.
I heard from a buddy that the book has cult status in the real estate industry Down Under, and I'm not surprised. Sex in vendors' homes, raiding vendors' fridges during opens... lots of tricks and even more treats.
I heard the book is under contract for a film, and I can't wait. Should be great fun.
I heard from a buddy that the book has cult status in the real estate industry Down Under, and I'm not surprised. Sex in vendors' homes, raiding vendors' fridges during opens... lots of tricks and even more treats.
I heard the book is under contract for a film, and I can't wait. Should be great fun.
January 1, 2011
Amusing story, but I found it a bit unsatisfying in some ways. It is as if the author knew where he wanted to go, but wasn't quite sure how to get there. Everything is set up (in a meandering fashion), and then a "6-months-later" is tacked on, but some of the outcomes seemed inconsistent with the set-up, and needed more explanation. It seems like the author just skipped over details he couldn't really figure out himself, and left the reader to try and come up with the story.
December 9, 2009
This is better than a two, but not really a three. It's fun reading about the city you live in, but it might have been a two if not for that - it was somewhat unfocused, and wandered around lost a fair bit.
March 6, 2011
3.5/5
All the characters are unlikeable and we see every cliche going that has ever been associated with real estate agents.
Putting the characters aside, the writing was quite good. Not sure that satire is really for me though.
All the characters are unlikeable and we see every cliche going that has ever been associated with real estate agents.
Putting the characters aside, the writing was quite good. Not sure that satire is really for me though.
June 16, 2009
Gave a real insight into the Real Estate business and was very entertaining & well written.
July 5, 2010
I didn't think this book would be my thing but it was great. Laugh out loud funny and very well researched, very real. And I couldn't put it down. I was up until 2am to finish it.
September 5, 2011
A very amusing story!
March 5, 2012
Fun, easy read. Too easy a target, though, real estate agents. A bit like lawyers jokes.
June 3, 2013
Intriguing story, characters a bit shallow (or cliche?) entertaining though. Funny insights into real estate industry, probably all true!
August 1, 2013
A Bookclub choice, couldn't finish this, I have more worthy books on my bedside table to read than this dribble.
February 5, 2014
This is a fun, entertaining read but very light and a little silly. The male version of chick-lit I guess.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews