Keith Johnson
Keith Johnson on Johnson Property Groups survival during the GFC, its strong family culture, and the path ahead.
As one of the largest private developers of residential land in New South Wales, Johnson Property Group has created vibrant and sustainable master-planned communities for thousands of Australian families. With the company controlling approximately 7,000 lots across the state, strong, strategic partnerships with suppliers, subcontractors, and government are vital.
The CEO Magazine spoke to Johnson Property Groups founder and leader Keith Johnson about the companys survival during the GFC, its strong family culture, and the path ahead.
From the time I was 14, I wanted to get into property. I was told by a doctor I would be a vegetable and Id never be able to make a living, so, at 14, I was determined that Id be successful. Even the schoolteachers had written me off; I couldnt read or write until I was in grade 10.
I got to Sydney when I was 21 and continuously door-knocked, but I couldnt get a job. I persisted all those years, and I finally got a job in real estate when I was 24. In my first 12 months in the role, I was the top salesman for not only that office but across the whole group.
I opened up my own office in 1990 after I got my licence. In life, I try to make something good out of the bad. I started very small and built it up to where we are today states Keith.