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From high school dropout to leading buyer’s agent, Australian Property Scout founder Samuel Gordon has made waves in the Glitter Strip’s entrepreneurial scene by clinching the coveted title of 2024 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
The competition at the awards was fierce, with notable finalists such as Send Payments co-founder Alexandra Rofe, Gemelli Group co-founders James, Alec and Paul Carney and Macro Mike founder Mike Kellett vying for the top accolade. However, Gordon's unique approach to property investment - targeting lower-income earners and guiding them through strategic portfolio planning - set him apart from the competitive cohort.
Gordon founded Australian Property Scout in 2019, but his path to success was paved with challenges. After being burnt by a buyer's agent in his mid-twenties, where he lost significant capital and received poor service, he became determined to offer a better experience to other Australians.
“That experience was a wake-up call for me. I realised there was a need for a service that truly prioritised clients over profit,” Gordon says.
“Instead of allowing the loss to define me, I used it to mould me in a positive way and push me to succeed. Within two years of that decision, I had replaced my income through strategic property investing and decided I would make it my mission to help others in their journey to property success - specifically lower-income earners like I had been.
"My first year was a steep learning curve. I was close to giving up, but a turning point happened. I found my niche and started to generate some success. Every year since then we have seen substantial growth.”
In the past year, Gordon expanded his team from 18 to 41, launched School of Property - an education platform detailing how he built his 70-plus property folio by age 34 – and hosted his first Australian Property Scout summit, attracting almost 500 investors on the Gold Coast.
“We don't conform to traditional investing methods; instead, we invest counterintuitively, going against common trends in Australian property advice,” Gordon says.
“We achieve this via different investing strategies and targeting areas prior to achieving strong growth, allowing our investors to benefit in the market upcycles and achieve big gains through their investments. This has allowed many of our investors to achieve massive property success in a very small window of time.
“Passing on my knowledge to our community and creating a space for networking with like-minded people is important to me, as I would have benefited from this during my investing journey.”
Australian Property Scout aims to help 500 investors retire by 2030, with many clients already on track to meet this goal. Gordon's achievements are further highlighted by his recognition as Australian Buyers Agent of the Year 2024 and his two appearances on AFR’s Fast 100 list.
In addition to his ongoing initiatives, Gordon plans to expand into commercial property and construction services, addressing further client needs and diversifying his offerings. His podcast, The Scouting Australia Podcast, has gained traction, becoming one of the highest-rated property podcasts in Australia.
Judges praised him for not only achieving impressive business growth but also for his commitment to educating clients on property investment, which helped him stand out in a competitive field that included Send Payments co-founder and Trailblazer Award winner Alexandra Rofe.
“Samuel’s journey is an exceptional story of entrepreneurial success with an authentic desire to have a serious impact for the customers and investors that Australian Property Scout support,” says 2024 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur judge Dr. Glen Richards.
“Doing the right thing, the right way and for the right reasons has delivered an exceptional business in a crowded marketplace.”
For Gordon, the journey to get here has been well worth the wait.
"This award is a testament to the hard work and innovation I've poured into Australian Property Scout,” he says.
“My mission is to empower others and I believe that success is best when shared."
Samuel Gordon was just one example of the impressive finalists on display at the 2024 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards, which took place at The Star Gold Coast and was supported by corporate partners City of Gold Coast, MGI, Coraggio, EO Queensland and iVvy.
See below for all winners from the night, and we thank all participants for sharing their stories with Business News Australia.
All winners at the 2024 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur Awards
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Samuel Gordon (Australian Property Scout & School of Property)
- Trailblazer – Alexandra Rofe (Send Payments)
- Digital Disruptor – Jeremy Lynch & Marc Everest (Dealer Studio)
- Finance - Alexandra Rofe (Send Payments)
- Food & Beverage – Mike Kellett (Macro Mike, Macro King)
- Health & Medicine – Amelia Read (Amelia Read Psychology & The Neurodiverse Network)
- Hospitality & Tourism – James Carney, Alec Carney & Paul Carney (Gemelli Group, Bar Tano, Gemellini, Roys By Gemeli & Papa Rollys)
- Manufacturing, Wholesale & Distribution – Adam Janczyk (Mobile Power Trailers, Pure Nation Solar & The Mobile Power Platform)
- Marketing, PR, Media & Events – Jacob Ritchie (Two Birds Social, Poly Studios)
- Professional Services – Sky Kolade (Association of Professional Builders)
- Property & Construction – Samuel Gordon (Australian Property Scout & School of Property)
- Specialist Services – Jared Ooi (Maco Electrics)
- Startup – Sterling Sheddan, Dillon Adams & Abdul Muqtadir (Fastway Enterprises)
- Sustainability & Social Responsibility – Joel Prokic, Matthew Nikolai & Jason Smit (G1 Asset Management & Tech to Country)
- Technology – Joel Prokic, Matthew Nikolai & Jason Smit (G1 Asset Management & Tech to Country)
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