No Permission Needed: Peter Schravemade on Building Business Empires.

When Peter Schravemade took the stage at our last Mastermind with Sherrie session for 2025, he didn’t give us a glossy highlight reel of achievements. Instead, he gave us the truth - raw, funny, sometimes confronting, and deeply human. And in that honesty, he handed us a blueprint for what it really takes to build an empire. 

From Chaos to Clarity 

Peter opened by taking us back to Rockhampton, where he grew up the third of six kids in a family defined by dysfunction and hardship. His mum spent much of his childhood in hospital, his dad was absent with work and church commitments, and siblings often raised siblings. 

It wasn’t an easy story. He told us plainly that if there was a time of life he could do without, it was birth to eighteen. But out of that chaos, he walked away with something many people never find: clarity. 

He called it his North Star. 

“I’ve met so many adults in their fifties, sixties, seventies, who still don’t know what they believe in, what they’ll compromise on, and what they won’t,” he said. “That North Star sets you up for success.” 

For Peter, it meant accountability. It meant being honest with himself and with others, even when it cost him. And it meant never waiting for someone else to give him permission to move forward. 

Building Without Permission 

Peter’s first step into real estate was almost accidental. At the time, he was a musician - playing keyboards with Marcia Hines, even performing at the Vatican - and a senior lecturer at university. His brother roped him into sitting at some open homes one weekend, and by the end of it, Peter had sold five properties without even really knowing the ropes. 

From there, he was hooked. But he never played by the usual rules. 

“Entrepreneurship is building without permission,” he told us. “In every job, people told me, ‘this is how you should do it.’ And I just thought, no — I’m going to build in a way that suits me, without your permission.” 

That mindset became a thread through his entire career. It’s what allowed him to jump industries, disrupt practices, and see opportunities others missed.

Integrity Over Income 

Of course, building without permission doesn’t mean cutting corners. One of the most powerful moments in Peter’s keynote was when he spoke about a deal that would have earned him $550,000 in commission. 

The contract was days away from settlement when a friend in town planning told him about a change that meant the site could no longer be used as intended. Peter could have kept quiet, taken the money, and moved on. Instead, he went to his client and told him to walk away. 

“I know so many agents who wouldn’t have done that,” he said. “But you’ve got to walk with integrity.” 

That decision cost him a short-term payday but earned him something far more valuable: a lifelong ally who gave him hundreds of listings in the years that followed. 

The lesson was clear: empires aren’t built on shortcuts. They’re built on trust. 

Growth Is in the Problems 

Another theme Peter shared was that growth doesn’t come from the easy wins. It comes from the problems no one else wants to deal with. 

In one role, his team constantly battled with property managers who resisted taking on new handovers. Most people would’ve just kept fighting the same battle. Peter built an entirely new property management division to solve it. 

That mindset carried through to his work today. With REACH, he has expanded the program across New Zealand and is now leading into India, because he sees the friction points in the PropTech ecosystem as opportunities, not obstacles. 

“Don’t sidestep the hard stuff,” he told us. “That’s where the growth is.” 

Scaling Smarter 

Peter also reminded us that building an empire isn’t just about doing more — it’s about doing it smarter. 

Back in the early 2000s, long before CRMs and data tools were standard, he was running his own systems on an Apple computer. Using optical character recognition, he scanned newspapers, tracked listings, monitored time on market, and profiled buyers. That innovation gave him a competitive edge that others simply couldn’t match. 

Scaling, he explained, isn’t about burning yourself out. It’s about creating systems that let you grow bigger without breaking. 

Legacy Over Ego 

For Peter, the final piece of the puzzle is legacy. 

“I’ve had a semi-charmed life,” he joked, “I love a beer and I don’t take myself too seriously.” But when it comes to leadership, he’s deadly serious. 

Empires built on ego don’t last. The real test of success is whether you leave something stronger than when you found it. That’s what drives his work with PropTech founders, his mentoring, and his focus on building organisations that will outlive him. 

My Takeaways

Peter’s session was the perfect finale to our Mastermind with Sherrie year. It wasn’t about glamorous titles or chasing wealth. It was about building something that lasts - with courage, clarity, and character. 

Here’s what I want you to take with you: 

• Find your North Star. Decide what you stand for and what you’ll never compromise on. 

• Build without permission. Stop waiting for the green light. Start moving. 

• Choose integrity over income. Trust will take you further than any shortcut. 

• Solve the problems no one else will touch. That’s where growth lives. 

• Scale smarter, not just harder. Create systems that free you to expand. 

• Focus on legacy. Build something that outlasts you. 

Because at the end of the day, empires aren’t given.

They’re made.

And as Peter showed us, they’re made when you dare to break the rules, but never compromise on your values. 

If you’re ready to step up as a Principal and start leading your business with more freedom, profitability, and clarity, you can get access to my course, The Real Estate Principals Ministry, here.

And if you’re ready to build the self-belief and structure to take your business to the next level, let’s chat about how 1:1 coaching can help you get there!