Editorials
Meet Andrew Harlock, the Abercromby’s director who went from selling cars to selling houses
9 July 2019
by Kate Nancarrow
The bright lights of Melbourne lured Abercromby’s director Andrew Harlock – then a promising footballer – from the country in the 1970s. Initially, cars were his calling, but soon property paired up with that passion for motoring.
What brought you to Melbourne after you finished school in Geelong?
I got an offer to come up to Melbourne to train with the Fitzroy Football Club. People who played football then had to have a job as well. I saw that Lanes Motors was looking for sales trainees, so I applied for that role. There were 250 applications and I got the job.
Did you continue with football?
When I got the job, I didn’t finish work early enough to go to training. As it turned out, I loved my footy, but I wasn’t passionate enough about it to give up a career.
Describe your path from cars to property.
When it came to cars, the training program then was really about getting to know the product, so I learnt the length and width of every car, everything about engine capacity. After three years as a trainee, I went into sales and I sold for seven years. I had 10 years at Lanes and then I left and went to real estate agency Bennison Mackinnon.