From growing up in poverty in Russia to building a six-figure buyers agency in Australia, Marina Shatalova’s journey is one of grit, reinvention, and purpose.

In this episode, Marina opens up about her early years selling vodka across Russia, the moment a monastery changed her view of success, and how she arrived in Australia with no English, no network, and no safety net. After years of struggle as a single mum, she rebuilt her life through sheer determination—door-knocking her way into real estate, starting her own business, and eventually joining the Buyers Agent Institute.

Today, Marina runs Marble St Buyer Advocacy, helping clients find homes across the Mornington Peninsula. Her story is a raw look at what it takes to turn adversity into autonomy, and why true fulfilment comes from persistence, not perfection.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Marina’s background & life in Russia

05:00 – Lessons from the monastery: redefining happiness

10:00 – Moving to Australia & starting from scratch

15:00 – Door-knocking days and learning resilience

20:00 – From real estate to buyers advocacy

25:00 – Building Marble St Buyer Advocacy

35:00 – Lessons in business, mindset & humility

Marina Shatalova, Buyers Agent Institute, Mornington Peninsula buyers agent, real estate journey, immigrant success story, women in real estate, Australian property, Ben Handler, buyers agency success.

🌐 Website: https://www.marblest.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

After seven years in finance and a costly detour running a bubble tea franchise, Alex realised the power of focusing fully on one thing. In 2024, he left his stable corporate job, got licensed, and started his buyers agency - with no clients, no leads, and no social media presence.

What followed was a journey of consistency, discipline, and trust. From cold-calling brokers and posting his first videos online to averaging two to three clients a month, Alex’s story is proof that success in this industry comes down to showing up, especially when no one’s watching.

In this episode, Alex sits down with host James Rankin to discuss:

Leaving behind a stable finance career to go all in on property

Lessons from running (and exiting) a failed franchise

How he built momentum after starting with zero clients

The importance of data, trust, and integrity in every deal

Why consistency matters more than motivation

Website: https://seedproperty.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Join our FREE property group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/630201924257307

Check out our reviews @ https://www.facebook.com/buyersagentinstitute/reviews

James Rankin tackles the most common questions about entering the buyers agent industry in this comprehensive FAQ episode. Covering everything from income timelines to startup costs, this solo session cuts through the confusion for anyone considering this career change.

Questions Answered:

What does a buyers agent actually do?

Can you do this part-time while keeping your current job?

Do you need a real estate background?

How long to replace your current income?

What qualifications and licenses are required?

How much does it cost to start a buyers agency?

Is the market saturated?

And more!

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Join our FREE property group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/630201924257307

Check out our reviews @ https://www.facebook.com/buyersagentinstitute/reviews

Amol Khuntale from ASK Financials breaks down what actually works (and what doesn't) when buyers agents try to partner with investment-focused mortgage brokers. Having purchased 4 of his 10 properties through buyers agents before becoming a broker himself, Amol delivers unfiltered insights on building real partnerships in the property investment space.

Key Discussion Points:

Why 98% of buyers agent LinkedIn outreach fails

The "data language" buyers agents must learn to work with investment brokers

How one buyers agent stands out by sharing stories instead of DMing for leads

The shift from 105% lending to today's restricted borrowing environment

Trust structures vs personal name purchases for portfolio scaling

Why relationship-building beats lead-sharing requests

🌐 Website: https://askfinancials.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Matt Skehan abandoned a decade of medical training and a profitable physiotherapy practice to become a buyers agent. By 32, he had built a six-property portfolio while working 60-80 deals annually at a major buyers agency. In 2022, during one of the toughest market cycles, he launched Azure Buyers Agents.

In this episode:

Why Matt walked away from a successful physio practice he owned Building six investment properties before age 32 on a physio salary Working 60-80 deals annually at a large buyers agency Starting Azure during the 2022 rate rise cycle Current 50/50 split between investors and owner-occupiers Six client sign-ons in May 2024 - his biggest month

🌐 Website: https://www.azurebuyersagents.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

🏠 Join our FREE property group @ / 630201924257307

🌟 Check out our reviews @ https://www.facebook.com/buyersagentinstitute/reviews

In October 2024, Haley Lim had never heard of a buyers agent. By January 2025, she was running her own buyers agency. Six months later, she's serviced 20 clients and is hiring staff.

Haley spent 20 years at BP as a senior commercial negotiator, leading billion-dollar fuel supply deals across Europe and Asia Pacific. When she decided to start her own business while buying an investment property, Ben's face kept appearing in her feeds. One click changed everything.

We dive into:

How to transition from corporate to buyers agent in months, not years

Building agent relationships when you have zero track record

Why first-time investors can be more emotional than owner-occupiers

The importance of taking action over endless planning

🌐 Website: https://firstmoveproperty.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Cameron Tyers walked 800km on the Camino de Santiago before deciding to change his life. In this episode he shares how the lessons from the Camino helped him leave nursing, start fresh in Cairns, and build a buyer’s agency from the ground up.

We cover his first year in business, what slowing down taught him about success, and why going at your own pace can be the most powerful strategy in both life and property.

🌐 Website: https://thewaypi.com/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent: 👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Have you ever felt like you've hit a ceiling in your career? What does it take to leave a 20-year profession and chase a new passion, especially with a family to support?

In this episode, we sit down with Hayden Waititi-Parata, the founder of Simple Home Buyers, who did exactly that. For over two decades, Hayden lived and breathed the construction industry, climbing the corporate ladder from a 15-year-old labourer to a commercial manager. But a "light bulb moment" in property investing revealed a new path, one with no ceiling and the potential to create true generational wealth.

Hayden shares his incredible story of transitioning from the rough-and-tumble world of construction sites to guiding families through the complexities of the Australian property market. He gets candid about the highs and lows of his journey: the self-doubt, the challenge of putting himself out there, and the four-month grind it took to sign his first client.

🌐 Website: https://simplehomebuyers.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

🏠 Join our FREE property group @ / 630201924257307

🌟 Check out our reviews @ / reviews

________________________________

Connect With Ben:

📚 Facebook: / benjaminhandler1

🔗 LinkedIn: / benhandler2012

📷 Instagram: / benjaminhandler

🎙️ Quit the 9 to 5 Podcast with Ben Handler

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...

Connect With The Buyer’s Agent Institute:

📷 Instagram: / buyersagentinstitute

📚 Facebook Page: / buyersagentinstitute

🔗 Facebook Group: / 630201924257307

Tristan spent years in the entertainment industry, working with big names like Live Nation and Falls Festival, managing nightclub marketing, and even helping artists get their music into Shazam boxes. But when the music stopped, Tristan followed a spark of curiosity… and it led him straight to the Buyers Agent Institute.

Since making the switch, Tristan has built a successful career in Melbourne’s property market, serving a broad mix of clients from everyday homebuyers to prestige investors. He’s proof that you don’t need a background in real estate, just the drive to show up, learn, and do the work.

In this episode, we cover:

Tristan’s early career in PR, music, and nightlife

The moment he realised he wanted something more

His first steps into property (including nearly ignoring the BAI ad he saw!)

How he transitioned out of his old career without burning bridges

What marketing and people skills he brought from his past into this new chapter

Advice for anyone considering a career change

Website: https://www.tomii.com.au

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au

Join our FREE property group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/630201924257307

Check out our reviews @ https://www.facebook.com/buyersagentinstitute/reviews

In this powerful episode of the BAI Show, we sit down with Oliver Jackson, a former tradie turned buyers agent, who shares his deeply personal and transformative journey into the real estate industry.

From managing $6.5 million in debt, navigating a divorce, raising two young kids, and enduring a career shift during COVID, Oliver opens up about the relentless grind behind his success. He didn’t just pivot—he re-engineered his mindset, investing heavily in coaching, books (over 300!), and personal growth to build a life and business on his own terms.

🌐 Website: https://www.livingproperty.com.au/

Achieve Financial Freedom & Transform Your Career by Becoming a Buyer’s Agent:

👉 https://buyersagentinstitute.com.au