John Shadbolt might be new to the real estate game, but the seasoned farmer knows the eastern Wheatbelt like the back of his hand.
He is taking a break from a lifetime spent in the paddock to take up a position with Elders Real Estate based at Merredin, where there is a strong team of rural, residential and commercial agents.
Born and raised in Mukinbudin, Mr Shadbolt took up a property in Nungarin, which is now share farmed.
"I have farmed at Nungarin for my whole life, but recently decided a change of career would be a good thing and am making my first foray into real estate," Mr Shadbolt said.
"It has been something I have wanted to do for a while.
"I have had a lot to do with property transactions over the years and it is something I enjoy.
"I also love getting out and about and talking to people, and I have good local knowledge when it comes to appraising farmland in the eastern Wheatbelt."
Mr Shadbolt admitted it was late in his career to be having such a big change, but the main attraction was that he would still be working in the region he loved and specialising in rural real estate for Elders.
"I know a lot of people in the district and I look forward to helping them in whatever way I can," he said.
Mr Shadbolt said he brought to Elders an intimate knowledge of the climate and geography of the eastern Wheatbelt and everything that made the district work.
He said he had personal experience of going through tough and good seasons and could relate to what other farmers were going through.
"Having been here all my life, I know how this country works," Mr Shadbolt said.
Mr Shadbolt said 2024 was shaping up to be a good winter cropping season in the eastern Wheatbelt on the back of recent rain across much of the region.
"This bodes well for a good start to seeding," he said.
Mr Shadbolt said, like the rest of Western Australia, demand for farmland in the region was still outstripping supply.
"Sales are being made, but there are not a huge amount of properties on the market right now," he said.
Mr Shadbolt said there was a good mix of family and corporate farms in the eastern Wheatbelt region, but there remained an appetite for smaller farms to get bigger and bigger farms to continue expanding.
In his spare time, Mr Shadbolt is a board member of Country Football WA and enjoys watching the 'young people' running around the oval locally each week.
He also plays the occasional game of bowls.
