In this episode, Bharata guides us through the journey of how he transformed rejection into opportunity, turned laziness and harnessed it into unwavering determination, ultimately paving the way for him to become the high achiever he is today.

Timestamps:
01:04  | Bharata’s Journey
02:32 | A Day in the Life of Richard Bharata
04:18 | The Land of Opportunity
05:52 | Fearless and Independent
07:53 | From Laziness to Determination
09:10 | Gaining Perspective
10:43 | Bharata’s Quest in a Tough Market
13:20 | From Unpaid to Unexpected Sydney Interview
15:51 | Turning Rejection into Opportunity
18:57 | Independence Forged from Family
19:55 | Building a Foundation in his Career
22:51 | From Construction to Procurement
26:00 | Pandemic Ignition
 
Resources and Links:

[00:14:18] Basically, all the small businesses [were] closing. Just to find a job, I had to knock on the doors in the office industrial area [and] just drop my resumes.

This is Property Investory where we talk to successful property investors to find out more about their stories, mindset and strategies. 

I’m Tyrone Shum, and in this episode, we’re speaking with Richard Bharata, who by day is a project manager, and by night, he is a savvy buyers agent. He shares his journey from Indonesia to Australia and reveals how he built a property portfolio in just two short years. Get ready for Bharata’s captivating stories of resilience, and unwavering determination for success. 

From being a young boy in Indonesia to becoming a successful man living in Sydney, Australia, Bharata describes his multifaceted journey with gusto and shares how he pursued his passion. 

[00:01:06] I'm Indonesian but grew up in Perth, [and] I’m currently [living] in Sydney. When people ask me what I do, I like to tell them I'm a buyer's agent. But by trade, I'm actually an engineer and [in] project management. But ultimately, my passion is in property and I want to be a buyer's agent full-time. 

[00:01:41] I came to Perth when I was about 11- [or] 12-years-old. So that was [when] you are starting Year 7. [I] came to Australia, [and] lived with my older brothers and my uncle. 

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:01:55] Yeah. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:01:56] Yeah, so that was a long time ago. I did high school over there and finish[ed] Year 12. I [did] University at Curtin University [and] graduated. But [I] couldn't find a job in Perth because I graduated during a time when [the] mining [industry] was not doing really well. 

[00:02:16] It's funny [because] when I was at university [during my] second [or] third year, everyone was saying, 'Oh, it's going to be easy to find a job here and there', but that wasn't the case. So I couldn't find a job in Perth [and] ended up finding a job in Sydney, and that's how I relocated here. 

[00:02:33] Wonderful.  

[00:02:34] [That was] about six, seven, [or] eight years ago.

While most people work a typical 9-to-5 job, Bharata diverges from the norm by dedicating his evenings to pursuing his passion for property as a buyer’s agent. 

[00:02:49] I wake up around 7:00 [a.m.] or 7:30 a.m. because I [go to] sleep pretty late. [A] typical day-to-day [for me] will look like [this]. [I] wake up, take a cold shower, get ready to go to [the] site—if I'm working on-site—and [then] drive for about 45 minutes or 1 hour. And then listen to podcasts like yours or every other mindset or property podcast. 

[00:03:17] And then I'll basically do my project management job. I take many breaks in between just [to] do all what I need to do [to] sort out my buyer's agent business on the side. And then [I] normally leave [the] site at around 5:00 [p.m.] to 5:30 [p.m.] ish. And again, drive back home; about 45 minutes, [and] listen to another podcast. 

[00:03:40] Back home, I have dinner with my wife and have my coffee; because that's when to me, that's when the real day starts. Because I take half an hour to an hour break, watch YouTube here and there, take my coffee and then from about 7 o'clock to 10 [p.m.] – 11 [p.m.], sometimes [as late as] 12:00 p.m. at night, that's when I do my research, do calls with clients and repeat. 

[00:04:09] Wow. So you're literally running two full-time jobs, more or less?

Richard Bharata:  

[00:04:15] Yeah, [although] the second one doesn't feel like a job, to be completely honest. It gives me a lot of energy. I'm sure you, running a really good podcast, can relate. 

Knowing that Australia could offer great opportunities, Bharata’s parents devised a means to enable their sons to reside in Australia, and when the right time came, they strongly encouraged him to make the move. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:09:52] I think this is me really appreciat[ing] my parents. They knew Australia is a land of opportunity. So they're already businessmen, business people, both mum and dad. They run a contracting business in Indonesia, but they knew they want[ed] their kids to be in Australia. 

[00:10:14] So what they did is they bought a property back in the '90s to get the debt, you know, through the visa requirements back then. And it's basically because my parents told me to, and Perth is the closest city in Australia to Indonesia. So that's why I was there.

[00:10:33] Wonderful. So, coming to Australia, did you come with a whole family, or was it just yourself that came here to study?

[00:10:40]  Initially, my three older brothers were here first, and then I joined them. Because I was doing really bad back in Indonesia like I almost, I don't know how to say it, but basically, I almost failed Year 7. That might sound weird, but it's a thing in Asian countries, you can actually fail Year 6 [or] Year 7, like, you know, and then my parents thought, let's just bring him to Australia, you know. Yeah, so that's, that's what happened. So my brothers first lived with my uncle, and then I joined them.

Making this bold move at a young age to a foreign country and without the presence of his parents, Bharata surprisingly didn’t feel fear. His parents were frequently caught up in their demanding work schedules, leaving him to navigate life independently. 

[00:11:29] We traveled like to China to Hong Kong, but not much, to America as well. But that was my first time like actually moving to Australia and being far away from my parents. 

[00:11:46] It didn't feel too weird, to be honest, because my parents are both very busy; they're both working. And I never really, yeah, they're working too late, and they're really hard workers. So when I was by myself in Jakarta, because my brothers were all already in Australia, and when I came to Australia, it felt the same. You know, like, you know, just live. 

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:12:09] So [it] sounds like you had more time with your brothers than your parents at this point in time.

[00:12:13] Yeah, my third brother especially because we went to the same high school. He's three-years older. 

[00:12:20] Interesting. And which part of Perth were you living in, during that time?

[00:12:24] Many places. So when I first landed, I was in Winthrop Melville, so a suburb of Winthrop, which is next to Melville. [I] went to Melville Senior High School. And then, we moved to Jindalee up north because that's where my mom bought the land back in [the] '90s. So they had a house there. And then moved down to Canning Vale [to] my brother's house. So he bought that house there in 2008 or 2009. And then to Canning Vale again. So my parents bought another house there in Canning Vale. 

[00:13:04] It's amazing because I've been to Perth about a few months ago, and it was just amazing how beautiful it is. It's sort of like the hidden gem of Australia. A lot of people don't realize it, but you're so close to the ocean that everywhere you drive is pretty much water. And the fuse is running.

Richard Bharata:  

[00:13:20] And very affordable. 

At the start of his journey at Melville Senior High School, Bharata’s performance lagged behind that of his peers; nevertheless, through great resilience and determination, he managed to bring about a substantial transformation. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:06:04] I was really lazy back then, you know. I'm one of the laziest people. But then I normally bounce back really quickly—like when I realized I stuffed up so much, I really bounced back. So that's exactly what happened with me. I was really lazy [in] Year 8 [and] Year 9 until the end of Year 10, where I didn't know what to do, and I did see my peers. Like they are doing really well at high school taking all the, you know, the science subjects physics, chemistry, all double math, you know, here and there. And I couldn't even take anything. 

[00:06:38] And then I sort of, it's like a slap on the face at that time. I still remember, and I sort of told my teacher, 'Look, I promise I'll do well in Year 11'. And I did, I studied really hard, easily five [to] six hours in Year 11 every day. And I became the, you know, like not the top one, I wish but top two in my in at the end of Year 12. 

[00:07:02] Congrats. 

[00:07:02] For the whole year. 12. So yeah, that pattern seems to be repeating in my life throughout uni. 

Residing in both Indonesia and Australia has enabled Bharata to observe differences in the lifestyles offered in these countries and thus develop an appreciation for the opportunities granted to him in Australia.  

[00:07:35] Jakarta is very different. I think it's a city with a population of almost 20 million. 

[00:07:44] That's the equivalent of Australia itself. 

[00:07:46] You think Sydney is crowded, wait before you go to a country like that, like a city like that. So people everywhere; a lot of motorcycles. And this is just what's on top of my head right away. A lot of pollution, and most people spend their time inside a giant shopping center. 

[00:08:07] You don't have the lifestyle like you have in Australia where you can just well you do, but the weather is much better here in Australia. Down there it's humid and all that stuff. So just what I remember, yeah, and it's [a] very hot, tropical country. So yeah, growing up that's how I feel. 

[00:08:27] And there's a lot of people on the streets, it really changed your perspective, because I think I heard from other podcasts [that] if you live in Australia, you're already top 1% [of the] most wealthiest people in the world compared to like other countries and, and I can truly agree with that. Because from what I see in like a city like Jakarta, like so many people probably earn $2 a day, you know, but they're smiling. They're happy. And you know, so that's yeah, that's a big difference.

Despite his brother working in the same career field with numerous job opportunities to choose from, Bharata found his job search experience exceedingly challenging. 

[00:13:29] My background [is] a civil and construction engineer. My brother did this; he's seven years older than me, and it was really easy for him to find a job. So I did four years of engineering degree, [and] that's how long it took back then, now [it takes] five years [to complete the course]. But basically, in his second year or third year, mining companies, like Rio Tinto, [were] looking for undergraduates, you know, [as they were] actually hungry for professionals right during the mining boom. 

[00:14:16] But it was the total opposite during my time. Basically, all the small businesses [were] closing [down]. Just to find a job, I had to knock on the doors, like in the office industrial area [and] just drop my resumes. Everything was closing like, all chained up, [and] that was only in 2015, so not long ago.

[00:14:39] Isn't that sort of the time [they] staffed the sort of the mining boom and also was it 2014 because I think that was the peak of the boom or just before that the boom sort of just slowed down during the residential market. So, therefore, that's why a lot of people were moving out.

[00:14:56] I am one example, you know. I moved to Sydney, and then just three, four or five months later, my girlfriend back then followed me and then like 10 other friends that I knew followed me. Like just a lot of migration.

Coming up after the break, Bharata discusses the drastic measures he undertook to secure more job interviews … 

[00:15:59] I used my friend's address when I applied for the job because I kept getting rejected. 

His crazy story of working a demanding 23-hour shift … 

[00:23:01] It was crazy. Like 23 hours, you know, you get some pizza and kebabs in a way, but basically non-stop until like 4:00 a.m. [to] 4:30 a.m. [ which was] when I got home.

He unveils the surprising moment that influenced him to join the property game.

[00:29:46] And then you start researching online, and [then I] came across a lot of YouTubers, [some] good ones and bad ones.

And that’s next. I’m Tyrone Shum and you’re listening to Property Investory.

After completing university, Bharata secured an unpaid position at a Perth-based company. However, driven by his eagerness for job opportunities, he persistently applied for positions elsewhere, ultimately leading to an unexpected and surprising interview in Sydney. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:15:20] I was hungry for jobs. So I did find a job in Perth, unpaid basically, and nothing to do anyway. So I just sit there, you know, talk to people. People were getting redundancy, slowly. It was basically an Australian company bought by a Chinese company. And it's a dying company. So that moved there. But what I did in Perth was [that] I was applying for jobs everywhere. That's what I did. 

[00:15:51] And yeah, long story short, I ended up getting an interview in Sydney. And it's funny how I got it. Basically, I used my friend's address when I applied for the job because I kept getting rejected. I think [the] Sydney companies probably thought, oh he's based in Perth, like, yeah, go away. And then one of my friends told me [to] just use, you know, your other friend's address, they're already in Sydney anyway. And I did, and bam, like in one or two days, I got interviewed, like, they called me for an interview, right? 

[00:16:23] Yep. 

[00:16:23] And what's funny is, at that time, I didn't know that it was for a job in Sydney. And then they are saying, can you come tomorrow for an interview in the suburb called Kings Park, which is in Black Town. I don't know if you know. But at that time, I was like Kings Park because there's a big botanical garden in Perth called Kings Park. 

[00:16:48] Oh.

[00:16:49] I don't know if you visited that. It's like it's the biggest botanical garden in the world actually called Kings Park. 

[00:16:55] Was it in the main part of Perth?

[00:16:57] Yes, yes in the city.  

[00:16:59] Oh, then probably did. Yeah, because I did go and visit the Botanical Gardens.

[00:17:02] Yes, then I was like, having an interview there that sounds weird. But because I was so desperate, I said yes right away. And in no magic on Google Maps, the actual address [was] 42 hours to drive to the office. So I was like, oh, no. And then I realized it was for Sydney. But you know, when you really want something really badly, you will make it happen. Obviously, I didn't drive, but I quickly booked a flight the next night and flew there with, you know, a few clothes here and there. And yeah, so that's, that's the beginning of my story.

Despite being rejected for that job position, Bharata didn’t let this event crumble his spirits. Instead, he took this as an opportunity to continue to seek employment, and this was beneficial. 

[00:17:40] I still remember back then. Every morning, I was checking my phone because. So basically I didn't get the job, which I was interviewing for. So what I did was, and I'm sharing this because I think people can learn from it. What I did was I went to the interview anyway, and brought my resumes—like 20 of them. 

[00:18:02] Yes. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:18:03] And then while I was in the area, I dropped my resumes anyway to these other companies. And then last minute, I did see a banner, like a company banner, there is a building with the banner. And then it says the company basically, and then I thought, yeah, maybe I'll send a text message because there's a phone number in that company. And then I'm saying I am a graduate, I'm looking for [a] job, you know, I'm hard working, blah, blah, blah. 

[00:18:28] And then, funny story, I got another interview with that company. And you know, and this is after like two–three hours dropping resumes everywhere. And that's where I ended up getting the job, you know, like with that company, actually. 

[00:18:40] Because it goes to show, you know, you got to hustle sometimes, like some people might have just gone there and just taken pretty-much that interview and headed home going, Oh, well, that's it. But you actually took that extra action step to actually go, okay, I'm going to take more initiative too, you know, since I'm here, I might as well make the most out of it. I think that's a great entrepreneurial spirit that you've got there, which I think is really, really beneficial. Especially not just only for what you did for interviewing for a job, but for businesses, for property [or] for anything.

[00:19:12] Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a good example of [the] synergy between luck and hard work that you always ask. Right? So I was lucky that [the] banner was there; it has been 15 years [since] that banner they just didn't want to put it down. And then I worked hard and I sent a text message and I got the job. Yeah.

Being able to embark on this new journey in Sydney, Bharata left his old life behind and hasn’t looked back.  

Richard Bharata:  

[00:19:41] My girlfriend back then, you know, she obviously [was] really good. And she brought some of my stuff. She followed me [to] Sydney because she was already working at HSBC. So, you know, global company, you can be anywhere, so yeah, I haven't been back since. I did go back once, but only for like two days for a friend's wedding. But that's it. It's been eight years.

[00:20:05] So basically, from that time when you flew from Perth to Sydney, you just basically stayed there from that point. Is that what happened? 

[00:20:11] Yeah, yeah. 

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:20:11] Wow, that's great.

[00:20:13] I didn't even say goodbye to anyone, like, I was gone the next day. 

[00:20:16] I thought you were just there for the day. So basically, you landed in Sydney, and then that was it. 

[00:20:22] Yeah. 

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:20:22] Did you go find accommodation? Did you start, you know, getting yourself set up? Did you have any family, even in Sydney or friends?

[00:20:29] No family, but yes, for friends. So my best friend [lived there] so he let me stay in his place in Chippendale. Really nice area, like wow. Have you been there, too? 

[00:20:38] Yes, I know Chippendale very well. 

[00:20:40] I was really impressed. Yeah, I stayed there for a good five–six days when I got the good news that I got a job. That's when I started looking for accommodation for the first time ever, never rented before. 

Due to the busy lives that his parents had, Bharata had to experience some important moments without their presence—consequently shaping him into a highly independent individual. 

[00:21:13] I can't speak for others. But I do think I am [a] very independent person, even from [a] very young age from Year 7 [and] Year 8.

[00:21:22] Yeah, I can totally relate to you because that's what happened in my growing up as well, too. And my parents were very busy always working. They probably [would] only pick me up from school, drop me home, then back to work again. So [I] end[ed] up finding all sorts of different things to do, either good or bad.

[00:21:38] Yeah, tell you they didn't even come to my high school graduation. 

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:21:42] Oh, no. I am sorry to hear that. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:21:43] I didn't feel sad at all. And you know, I was like, I told you [I was one of] the top two in the whole high school. I didn't feel sad at all because that's how I grew up. My older brother did come. 

[00:21:56] Yeah, it seems like, as we all grew up, we'll probably [be] closer to our siblings than our parents by the sounds of it. 

[00:22:02] Yeah, definitely. 

Bharata started his career in Sydney at a challenging construction company, where he had to endure long days for modest pay, and even once had to complete a demanding 23-hour shift. 

[00:22:23] Yeah, so in Sydney, I was so happy getting my first job, you know, but it wasn't the best job. I was working 12 hours a day. You know, like, it's in [a] construction company. You know, no, overtime. Very low pay. 

[00:22:41] But it was a good start. 

[00:22:41] It's a good start. You always start somewhere, right? And then [the] pay was really low, like 50 [thousand] I think 50 [thousand] including super. So like 45 thousand or something like that. Yeah, for the hours you work six [days], Monday to Saturday, the longest time was 23 hours nonstop. 

[00:22:59] Wow. That's a lot. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:23:01] It was crazy. Like 23 hours, you know, you get some pizza and kebabs in a way, but basically non-stop until like 4:00 a.m. [to] 4:30 a.m. [ which was] when I got home. Then I had to be back again by 8:00 a.m. in the morning because it was a big deadline. But anyway, I did that job for a good one year I think, [and] got a promotion. 

[00:23:23] And then I told them I'm leaving here, and then they tried to counter offer, you know, like increase the pay. But then I thought it wasn't healthy [to stay]. So I decided to take another job. Yeah, and then did procurement, so slight change in career and yeah all the way until now basically. 

After leaving this job, Bharata continued to work in construction where he worked on small projects in outer areas of Sydney where the housing market was booming due to affordability.  

[00:23:54] So construction, basically when I first started there were small projects—like building NRMA and house and land developers, like you know, in Riverstone. [Do] you know that area?

Tyrone Shum:  

[00:24:08] Yes, I do. 

[00:24:09] So house and land; so lots of small sites. 

[00:24:13] Well, Riverstone is sort of more out towards Schofields or is next to Schofields, and that had a lot of big parcels of land out there. I mean now it's getting developed, same as Marsden Park, same as Box Hill, all that area has been developed. So you're saying that they purchased the big blocks of acres of hectares of land and then subdivided it out?

[00:24:32] Yeah, they did. So 80 houses in total in Riverstone. I used to work in Bella Vista back then. So it was like a shopping center for houses and land there when in that area in Box Hill like all men and their dogs [were] basically trying to sell houses and land over there. Hundreds, hundreds of new houses.

[00:24:55] Yeah, I mean, it's done really well. Like out there, it's nice to see so many new housing. Especially it's affordable out that way compared to buying a brand-new one in the middle or closer towards Sydney. So that's probably why a lot of people were able to buy this. But prices have gone up drastically out that way. 

[00:25:11] It has, yeah. 

After working in construction, Bharata eventually transitioned into procurement for hospitals and achieved rapid career growth through competence and networking. This has allowed him to become a project manager for the largest stadium in NSW, where some of the biggest artists and sports events occur. 

[00:25:21] Procurement [was] more like for hospitals, so in the construction [I was] working on behalf of the government, this time around. [It was a] big massive change from [working] 12 hours a day until, like, not much to do,  in some days, not all the time. And that just gave me a different view of the world and [the] professional world. 

[00:25:43] But nothing interesting, basically, just doing my best, doing work for one to two years, and then [I] moved to another department. You know, a big jump in career because, again, when you know people in the organization, and they like you and they know you're very competent, then you just get a massive promotion at once. And then [I] moved again; now I'm with venues. So again [a] really good environment and very challenging. So now, more like project management or construction. So for the stadium now, [I] look after the ANZ Stadium, no, Accor, it's called Accor Stadium.

[00:26:23] Accor? I thought it was called the Qudos [Bank Arena]? Or is that that's a different one, isn't it? 

[00:26:29] Qudos [Bank Arena] is the smaller one; the indoor one. This is the big one.  

[00:26:32] Oh, this is a big one. Wow. How big can the Accor [Stadium] one actually fit? How many people can actually sit in that one?

[00:26:39] For like games about 80 [thousand]. But for [a] concert, I think 100 [thousand]. Yeah, basically [it's] the biggest in New South Wales.

[00:26:46] Yeah, it's huge because it's funny because I've got an Airbnb at the moment here. And I had people booking from overseas coming next year for the Taylor Swift concert, and they kept saying that they are going to Accor [Stadium] to see Taya [Taylor Swift]. Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that she was coming in and performing at the Accor stadium. But that must be huge, then 100,000 people [are] probably going to flock into Sydney to watch her perform. 

[00:27:13] She has five days at Accord [Stadium], so half a million people. 

[00:27:18] It's going to be a lot. Wow. Well, I think I'll be overseas anyway, so I don't mind. 

[00:27:22] You are not going to watch Taylor Swift?

[00:27:24] No, I am not a Taylor Swift fan. Sorry guys I can't say that I am. No offense to anyone, but yeah, I'm a little bit too old for this. 

[00:27:35] That sounds really interesting. So that's basically what you're doing right now, as a project manager, you're working for, you know, helping out with Accor Stadium. What are you doing there at this point in time in terms of management?

[00:27:44] With management, yeah, so last year, it was really busy [with] big spenders trying to renew [Accord Stadium] because the stadium is more than 20 years old. Right. So [it] needs a lot of love and refurbishment. And yeah, it's a very iconic building. So I love working there. Very good team. My senior is really good as well, he always creates opportunities for me. So a lot of learning. Yeah, so that's pretty much it. 

[00:28:13] Fantastic. 

Richard Bharata:  

[00:28:14] And continue to look after the stadium.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bharata’s interest in investing ignited and as he delved into research he came across influence YouTubers who inspired him to begin his own journey of property investing. 

[00:29:26] Probably only for the last few years, so maybe in 2018 [or] 2019. So this is one of the things that came through COVID. So all of a sudden [I] got interested in investing in shares. And then you start researching online, and [then I] came across a lot of YouTubers, [some] good ones and bad ones. But there was one that stood out. Graham Stefan; I don't know if you've heard [of him], he is American base. But basically, he shared how he turned [himself] into [a] millionaire when he was 26 [years old]. [An] American millionaire, not Australian, through properties, through building [a] property portfolio. And so I understand the concept of how it works, but I never really know how to get there, but I knew back then, you know, so. Yeah, so only for the last few years to be honest, maybe 2020 [or] 2019.

Richard Bharata’s story continues in the next episode of Property Investory in which he discusses the process of purchasing his first property and some of the challenges he had with that…  

 

[00:02:52] It was very stressful [the] first time buying. We don't know how the legal [process] worked. We had a solicitor or conveyancer [that] was really slow in responding

 

He opens up about a very personal story about a gambling issue that he faced during his mid-20s… 

[00:09:29] I was trapped in this online game. It's a pay-to-win game on your mobile phone, and I easily spent almost maybe even $50,000 in two years.

He gives us an inside look into that one piece of advice he would offer to individuals looking to begin their journey in property investing.

[00:21:26] Probably start early, like start when you can; don't procrastinate

 

And that’s next time on Property Investory.