“If I can be honest, childhood was not the best. I grew up in Quetta, Pakistan. When I was little, I faced a lot of hardship and I have been through a lot of displacement. It was not a good feeling. I lived with my mum, dad, three brothers and two sisters. When I was 12 years old, I had an interest in Information Technology. At around 16 or 17 years old, I was teaching younger kids computer skills; the kids who did not go to school.
“My dad moved to Australia in 2009, working hard so he could afford a VISA for my family to live here. March 11, 2015 was the first day I stepped foot on Australian soil.”
Ali Bandari, 20, is a Permanent Resident living and working in the @3214 faces and places postcode. Ali is a Sales Agent for Ray White Real Estate, primarily working in the northern suburbs of Geelong.
“After Year 12, I wanted to study at university, but unfortunately, I am not eligible for HECS, the government study loan scheme, so I would have had to pay full price which I could not do. I have always wanted to study at university, but in my country, it was too dangerous for my ethnic community to go to university and it was challenging to study further after high school. I decided to study at The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) and acquired my license in less than a year.
“What I believe is that location does not define a person, but rather the actions of that person is what defines them. I call Geelong my home. I moved here so I want to work in Geelong. I love living here, it is quiet, and the community is inclusive.”
Ray White enthusiastically tells us “Ali is a new-generation sales consultant, deploying new technologies, social media and cutting-edge strategies to stay at the forefront of industry trends and extract every advantage out of the market.”
“I am so happy working with the team at Ray White, with 29 employees working in the Corio and Lara offices. I have learned lots from my colleague Madison Boothroyd who has had 9 years of deep learning experiences in Real Estate, so I look up to her and appreciate her.
“I am very proud to be a part of this journey. For the future, I want to continue to support my family to be successful and to ensure they are happy. I am so proud that I am building my first home in Bell Post Hill at 21, something I never dreamed of as a little boy in Pakistan.”
Story: Brandon Dellow. Photo supplied by Geelong Realestate Photography
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