It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week.
They're right.
Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading on today's episode with Fraser Luck from Melbourne Listings, which has already dropped its first episode on Channel nine. I've always loved these kind of shows because I think they're quite aspirational and the type of personalities that they seem to always get rub each other the wrong way, you know, to bring a bit of spice. I think Fraser is sort of cast to stir things up and it'll be interesting to see
how the dynamics change over the first season. Fraser will talk about his time on Australian Survivor and how that prepared him for Melbourne Listings. We will talk about how the editing can make people different and if he thinks that he is always the same when in front of the camera. I will discuss the conflict of the show and if you need that kind of conflict to make these real estate shows pop. You will get everything from
what he thinks of the rest of the cast. If he watches other shows for inspiration, especially these sort of reality shows, probably even get some comparisons of this show to LUTs Listing Sydney. There's actually so much to talk about, with so many inside revelations. So guys sit back and relax as we unpack the wonderful world of Melbourne Listing. How are you, Afraser? You well, I'm good. I am.
I'm incredibly bored.
I need the mental freedom, which is why Alex said, Hey, Ben wants to chat.
I said, absolutely, I love a chat with you. But I asked a speak you. I could have talked to any of the others, but I chose you after watching a couple of the episodes. But because I went back and looked at und Looks of Survivor and chatted for Survivor and it was a good one. It I got ratings, so I was like, fraise, it's good for me.
Good. I love that.
Yeah, I want to give you good ratings. It feels like a million years ago, but it wasn't that long ago. It was beginning of last year, right, it would have been February.
What was that? Like, what's the recovery?
Right?
Because you know I always talk to people as soon as that the show's sort of done. Does that one of those shows where because I're kind of leading into what we're talking about today with this show, but curious about what that show did to you, like long term.
Look, I was I was pretty fortunate.
I had let's say, a follower base prior to Survivor, so it didn't really change anything. It wasn't like an overnight difference in terms of how people treat you or getting noticed or you know, people seeing you out in the street and whatever it might be.
So that didn't really change.
I think probably more the hangover of the show, to be fair, was more the kind of almost psychological part of it in terms of going from such an extreme environment back into reality, Like it doesn't seem like it's a big deal, and I was only a way for you know, just under a month, but that was a huge shock to the system.
I remember doing competition based reality and then I'd go to parties like the months that followed, any I kept thinking, I'm going to nominate you. Four points penetrated my psychic.
Yeah, it's really just the psychology of how to fix you, because when you're on the island and Survivor, you become incredibly paranoid. You have to be you know, you're scheming everything and you're always kind of in this fight or flight mode, and that's probably the hard thing to kind of drop again trust people, Right, It's really hard to explain because you think everyone's out to get you and you kind of need to drop that realize no one's out to get you in the real world.
Well maybe they are and this show, on this show, they are and they are. Like this is where I'm going with this because we are talking about this news show few and I was thinking about it's made by different people, so maybe people with different creatives behind the scenes can show you differently. Are we seeing a similar storyline? Like do you feel like these are two characters that we've seen on a show that have sort of been created in an edited afterwards? Or can you see yourself
in both of these? Is this the same person.
As far as myself?
Yeah? Like, what's your watching both of these? Because I'm assuming, well, I haven't.
I haven't seen Listing Melbourne. Oh I haven't. I haven't.
You know, I'm not as privy to, you know, watching the episodes as you, but I was part of it. It's very different to Survivor, right, where there's so many different characters and things happening that you don't know about that when you actually watch it back.
There's a lot that you find out first time.
In this being one of five, you're very present and you're very aware of the Even if there is something said behind your back, you've got a pretty good read on it, on what the situation is and what the play is. And at the end of the day, I've got to be able to read the play otherwise I'm not good at my job. So I think there's I'm not going to be shocked by anything that said or
anything that happens. I think I'm really up to date on, you know, on the comings and goings of the show, and you know in any drama that that will play out because I was I was there in the field.
But you're kind of the one that sets the cat amongst the pigeons, like as in so I don't know.
What do you mean? Tell me more?
Well, like in episode one, you all go into this podcast, So this is very surreal. This might be very triggering some pts tell me, But like you're kind of the one that sort of stirs things up a little bit. So I mean, I'm with you, and I've only seen the first two episodes. I haven't seen the rest of them know how it turns out, but I do feel like you're a bit of the antagonist in a way, and I was curious.
But potentially I think maybe that's more. I'm just direct and I'm just honest. You know, I'm not going to, let's say, just go with the flow for the sake of it or to make other people feel comfortable. I'm going to speak my mind. I'm going to be confident about it. That's how I've always been. And you know that may ruffle feathers, that may put some people aside, but I think, you know, with the people that don't really connect with that, do really love that you connect
so much more deeply. And I've built some really amazing friendships off the back of this show.
And that you know that that pod we.
Recorded was the first moment for a lot of us to actually meet. You know, there was a pre prior relationship between Andrew and Nicole, but other than that, I didn't know any of these other guys whatsoever.
Do you try and do some research on what you're going up against, like as in.
How not not really, there's not there's not a lot there.
You know, everything is so polished, everything's so bold in terms of how each of these individuals presents their brand that you're not too sure about what you're seeing online is actually the real them. So I just went in open, open minded, and willing to make a new friend, you know, and off the back of that, Yeah, my opinions may be very polarizing to some, but it will be loved by others. And I'd much rather be loved by few than be you know, mediocre or average to most.
Well, it's kind of why I like you, because you're you're the similar to me. You know, if someone comes into the room, trust as a frog, You're like, it's a.
Frog, You're yeah, yeah, exactly.
Okay, So talk to me about these people. What are you thinking? Are you getting along with them? Like what's the relationship? Like can you have a tryst on camera? Can you have the conflict and then do you put it to bed or do you find that it still plays out in your real life and you're secretly still holding some grudges?
No, I mean, look, at the end of the day, you know, like you've got to have a thick skin in our business. You can't let anything really get to you or bother you. I know who I am to a care I know the work that I put in. I feel very confident in myself and my abilities as an agent and outside of work, you know. So there's very little that I think anyone can really say to me that that's actually going to hurt or it's going to stick, or that I'm going to have grudges about.
You know, months later they can throw whatever they want at me and you know, try and try and cut me down. But I think you'll see through the show that I would say, my positivity and my mindset wings out.
It's kind of an inspirational aspirational show in lots of ways. So it's a beautiful with the way we showcase it. And I wanted to know about, like how you feel about their needing to be conflict? Do you think that there needs to be conflict and reality TV? I mean, would this show work if it was just an inspirational aspirational show where you walk got along look?
I think I think it would to a degree because especially property is so such a big part of the Australian dream, right, you know, and owning your own home, that idea is kind of ingrained in a lot of family, a lot of people. So I think that you know, aspirational sort of, you know, that idealistic idea around some of the most beautiful properties being displayed in Melbourne and
therefore Australia, people will always follow. But obviously that drama element, whether it's created or not, that'll keep people coming back.
Well, I think sometimes we relate to it, do you know what I mean? Like, we guess we have exactly in real life.
Without that, it's almost surreal.
But what they say about these shows, they're like on the Block, they're like, you know, you read people's comments online and they're like, oh, I'm not watching the Block anymore because there's too much conflict, you know whatever. I'm like, if there wasn't any of that conflict and you're removing a certain element of everyday life, you're kind of stripping it back, and then it's not real.
It's not as interesting, it's not real. Yeah, yeah, yeah, No, I very much agree with you, Ben. I mean, you've you've got a very interesting perspective considering you probably watch more TV than nine to nine percent of the population.
But yeah, I agree with you.
I watched too much television Melbourne's sort of showcased really well in this but it made me think about the comparison, because you know, if you live in Australia, if you're a Melbourneite, you know there's sort of a bit of a rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. Yeah, so I'm so curious about your take on this. Do you think Yeah, better than Sydney.
Absolutely wholeheartedly. I mean, look, you get battle to the ends of the earth, competing opinions where very different cities.
There's no the place in Australia that I'd rather live. I am. I'm incredibly passionate about Melbourne.
This is where I was born, this is where I've grown up, and you know this, this is I always have a really special place in my heart for Melbourne. Whether I live here permanently, you know, forever, you know, time will tell. But I think I think Melbourne's really special and I think it's irreplaceable.
And we may not have.
The dollar figures or some of the sort of record price has achieved such as Sydney, but I think it's a it's a beautiful place to live. And we often joke throughout the show that you know, Melbourne really is the sixth cast member.
I always think that in shows, though, I always hope the friend's apartment as a character of itself. Yeah, I think if New York is an apartment, new York is a character of sex and city, you know what I mean? Like it's so, isn't it interesting how the space around you has its character almost just as predominantly as the feature characters, you know exactly. But I was going to say market wise, So you think Sydney is different probably because of the pricing. Do you think that it's sort of.
Pricing is not the only difference. I mean, Sydney's Sydney's a different geographically too, you know, I think I think Melbourne, from what I understand, is a lot more condensed in terms of you know, you just sort of areas. Sydney's a lot more spread out. And it's interesting too. Obviously their culture and their environment is all surrounded by the water and beaches, etc. Melbourne doesn't have that to the same extent. Sydney is considered an icon on the map globally.
You know, when people think of Australia, they probably think of Sydney first and foremost, and that brings a lot of it brings a lot of global attention, and I think off the back of that and that the history of Sydney as you know, as a city means that it does have these incredible price tags attached to a lot of its property, which is un incomparable.
To the rest of Australia.
You know, looking at what certain properties set can achieve there is insane, but just makes me believe even more that Melbourne provides so much better value for more livable city.
I don't know if i'm you know, people accused me of it a lot, but I guess I spend a lot of time in different states. I'm in Queensland right now. People will be like, you're very protective of Melbourne. I just find that I enjoy the seasons of Melbourne. I like, I like to be able to go to the beach to our fiction and then I like the winter to put on a winter code and go and see a theater show. Do you more European than it does?
Yeah?
Where I like the seasons. Did you watch any of like lux Listing Sydney or any it DIDs you did?
Absolutely?
Yeah? I mean, look, I you know it's so funny years and years ago, Like I love watching Million Dollars in New York, which is the original right with Frederick Ecklund and Ryan Sahart and you know a few other people that have sort of come through the show cycled on, Cycled Off. But I definitely definitely watch a good few seasons of Lux Listing Sydney and have a lot of respect for you know, the cast that are on there. They've built incredible businesses and you know, absolute credit to them.
Yeah, I think that that's really quite interesting when you look at those shows, because you can sometimes I watch television and sometimes I become the characters, do you know what I mean? Like, I was just curious about whether or not you're watching those sorts of shows and you find that you've become you become like the best parts of the people that you've liked across your eclectic version of vision of watching all of them, you know what I mean?
Look, you know what I think.
I think that's an interesting perspective, and yeah, I probably agree with that to a level because similar to how important your.
Environment is in shaping the person that you are. If you're watching.
Hours and hours and hours of television, right you're surrounding yourself with whilst it's fictional or whilst it's whether to movie or reality TV show, whatever, like, it has to impact your psyche and you know you're going to You're going to pick up different traits, characteristics, ways that you speak from these from these people, so it has to impact you absolutely.
Is there a hangover for this show? We talked about a hangover from Survivor when you step when you find oh did you find yourself going oh, I'm not on camera? Because I mean I did. I did a show that was twenty four hours seven, you know, reality TV. Wow, And I don't know if I would be good on one of them knows that they do reality now where the cameras are in front of you, I don't know be myself. So I mean there must be sort of a bit of a hangover. So then oh am I yeah, you.
Know, yeah, I know what you're Maane. No, no, no hangover. I think because it was such a long process, very different to the intensity of Survivor right where Survivor was like you're on and then it's just showtime until you're not here. This was a much longer process, you know, in terms of the actual timeframe filming, how long were you there for Well, look, you know we've been producing
the show over over a year. Wow, well over a year, and the whole process of even you know, sort of the very beginning of getting involved in the show was more than a year and a half ago. Well you know, so this I found out about this before me and
you even spoke, you know, way way back when. So it feels like, you know, quite a long process and something that you know has taken its time to produce something that's really I think is going to be incredibly entertaining and a lot of people are really going to love and enjoy.
Well, I'm glad you didn't win Survivor. I think that would have been weird during Yeah you know me then people.
I'm not as glad that I didn't win, but half a million dollars yep.
Yeah, yeah that five hundred would have done well.
But but no, Look, you know what, everything happens for a reason.
So well, this could be your life now, you know what I mean? Like this, I mean, we could do see season two.
We could roll through ten seasons baby, Like I'm on, let's go.
Well, let's hope we're talking about this show in ten years. Do you know what I mean, like, I think it's a very different category of reality. It's sort of doco reality, which I think is becoming more and more popular. It's a good space for you to be and I think the characters in this are quite interesting. They're quite sort of polarizing in some ways, but also still you still like them for the vulnerability that you can see as well.
And that's what we want. We want it to be.
We want it to be vulnerable, we want it to be real, we want it to be you know, show it all right, it's not just you know, if you again, if you were just capturing that, you know, the glamorous moments, you know, the fist bumps and you know the celebrations, that would be a very very small portion of what is reality.
Well, I hope people watch it. I hope people listening to this podcast are fascinated enough to go and check it out. I'm going to circle back, my friend and find out what you think about it once you've watched it, you know what I mean?
Yeah, one hundred percent. Look, I'm excited for it to air. I think it's a really special moment for Melbourne. I think Cattle nine have done incredible job and it will be a great show. And let's just say this, I am pumped and I am in if we're rolling on to a second season.
I think it'll happen. I finished the podcast every time, like, tell me with a question of something that's behind the scenes, can you give me behind the scenes secret, something that we as a viewer wouldn't not watch the show, Like was there something there's something bizarre that happened along the way, or was there a routine that you had before you before it was magic.
Time routine that I had.
I was talking to Felicity Ward about the office and she would listen to music. That was the only reason why.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like it is. It is funny.
I mean I would, I guess my routine is, you know, the days that we were filming, I would definitely I make sure every thing in terms of how I present myself and how I show up is as sharp as possible.
I mean, I've already got it down fine tuned as an art form, but you know, I make sure, especially on those days, that I'm doing everything I can to be and the most positive and the most energized mindset possible, So you know, removing a lot of distractions, making sure I have a great breakfast, haircut, grimming routine, take it slow, like really enjoy things and stop rushing, and the just be you, you know, Like I hope that that comes across through the show, that I'm just being me and
being the most authentic version of me possible.
I think a lot of what you just described then is like my friends that work in real estate, you know what I mean, Like all my friends that you know, whether they're girls or guys, you know, the hair perf, the hair is sharp there, yeah, sharp, and even in the way that they socialize.
Then I'm even sharper. That's the point why you're on a show exactly exactly.
You're there and no one else. Mate. Congratulations on this. This is very exciting. In't wait towards the rest of the show, and I can't wait frustrate to fall in love with it and then circle back when we can talk to you once you've seen it.
Absolutely amazing, great to chat. I really appreciate you reaching out