I always knew I would eventually become “Old Shih”

It is also a convenient joke for someone with my surname. In Chinese, Lao Shih (老師) means “teacher”; but written as 老施, it means “Old Shih”. The pronunciation is exactly the same, so the wordplay was always there waiting for me.

It is a name that has followed me for so long that, whether I am in a classroom, at an event, on Facebook, or halfway through a meal when a former student calls out across the room, I usually know they mean me.

Many people first met me in class.

They may have attended one of my real estate licence courses, a CPD session, or a practical course on management rights, property management, sales, investment, or the realities of working in the industry.

But if you think of me only as a real estate trainer, you are missing a fair bit of the story.

I entered the Australian real estate industry in 2004.

Over the years, I have worked with property sales, investment, management rights, property management, body corporate matters and the everyday questions that do not fit neatly into a textbook.

In 2010, I began teaching at PRET Australia. What started as teaching real estate courses gradually became something much bigger: helping people understand an industry, build confidence, prepare for a career change, and avoid expensive mistakes before they make them.

Today, I am the CEO and Chief Trainer of PRET Australia.

I still enjoy teaching, perhaps because a good class is never only about the slides. It is about seeing the moment when a student finally understands what they are buying, signing, managing or stepping into.

To me, property is never only about prices, yields and headlines.

It is about the first home buyer trying to work out whether they still have a chance. It is the landlord wondering what changed in the rental market. It is the management rights buyer who is about to invest millions in a business they may not fully understand yet.

It is also about government policy, tax, planning, housing supply, migration, inflation and the many decisions made far away from an ordinary household’s kitchen table.

That is why I write about property in plain language. I enjoy taking a complicated issue apart, looking at what is really happening underneath it, and explaining it without pretending there is always one simple answer.

Sometimes that makes me sound like a trainer.

Sometimes it makes me sound like someone who has been around the industry long enough to ask inconvenient questions.

Outside work, I have spent much of my life involved in community organisations, charity work, Taiwanese Australian community activities and events that bring people together.

I have learned that the most meaningful community work is rarely done by one person. Behind every fundraiser, dinner, concert, student activity or charity drive is usually a group of people giving money, time, ideas, contacts, transport, venues and a great deal of patience.

I have been fortunate to work with many of those people over the years.

Whether it is through Knowledge Bank Australia, community events or charity fundraising, I believe that goodwill should be practical. It should become something people can actually see, use or benefit from.

If you have followed me on Facebook, you may already know that I do not always appear as the same version of myself.

Angel Teacher Shih

The side of me that believes in giving back, community and doing something useful for others.

Meet Angel Teacher Shih →

Devil Old Shih

The side that is less patient with lazy policy, empty slogans and things that simply do not make sense.

Meet Devil Old Shih →

AI Paul

The glasses-wearing version of me who loves exploring how AI can help people research, write, learn and build.

Meet AI Paul →

Foodie Paul

The side that plans trips around meals, remembers a good restaurant for years, and takes food far more seriously than may be necessary.

Meet Foodie Paul →

They are not really separate people.

They are simply different sides of the same person: trainer, property professional, community volunteer, commentator, curious AI user and enthusiastic eater.

This is not meant to be a polished corporate brochure.

It is a place to collect the things I care about and the things I have learned along the way: property, policy, education, charity, community, AI, food and travel.

Some articles are practical. Some are personal. Some are serious. Some are written because I saw a headline, got annoyed, and felt that someone needed to explain what it actually meant.

If you are here because you are a student, a client, a friend, a fellow community member, a property professional, or simply someone who has stumbled across one of my long Facebook posts, welcome.

Have a look around.

And if you ever see someone waving from a distance and calling out, “Teacher Shih!” — there is a very good chance it is me they are looking for.