Key Points
- Dick Slider is an Instagram character created by Richard Carwin that satirises the real estate industry through short video sketches.
- Mr Carwin says real estate agents constitute Dick Slider’s main fan base.
- According to the 2023 Ethics Index, real estate agents are the least trusted professionals in Australia.
Richard Carwin is a Sydney-based real estate agent. But to many in the city’s eastern suburbs he is better known as his alter-ego, Dick Slider.
Mr Carwin created the character about five years ago. He had been working in the real estate business for several years, when he decided to bring countless humorous stories he’d come across in his job to the screen — or, rather, to Instagram feeds.
“Dick Slider is an oddly familiar persona that is both a tongue-in-cheek homage to the real estate world and an exploration of larger-than-life, flawed individuals,” Mr Carwin explains to SBS Russian.
"In essence, he's the embodiment of the highs, lows, comedy and drama that I've experienced in my professional life.
"Dick Slider is the guy you call when you want to sell a haunted house as a 'vintage living experience'.
“He believes in the fantasy he's selling. He's a salesman to his core, but also a human being with highs and lows, just trying to find his version of the Australian Dream.”
‘Industry’s own inside joke’
Dick Slider loves being the centre of attention, Mr Carwin says, and he fakes an American accent in order to stand out from the rest of the real estate crowd.
Dick Slider slows down when he sees an ambulance parked next to a wealthy older lady’s house. He passes over his business card to a married couple fighting in a restaurant.
“In my career, I follow the rule of three Ds — death, divorce and debt,” Dick Slider explains in one of his videos.
Mr Carwin says the industry originally received Dick Slider with mixed feelings, and he admits the character even cost him a job a couple of times.
While many appreciated the comedic take on a field that can be intense, others felt it was perhaps too close to home.Richard Carwin, co-creator of Dick Slider
“Being Dick Slider may have cost me a job or two in the past, but it's been more than worth it for the character and the stories he's inspired,” he says.
But eventually Dick Slider has become an unofficial influencer for Australia’s real estate agents: of his 14,000 followers, the vast majority are real estate agents.
Mr Carwin believes that real estate agents love Dick Slider for exactly what he is — an exaggerated reflection of their industry.
“He pokes fun at the job but in a way that's endearing and recognisable,” Mr Carwin explains.
Dick Slider is like the industry's own inside joke.
“Plus, I think there's a sense of relief that however intense their own day was, at least they are not Dick Slider. He's a comic relief, a mirror and a cautionary tale all rolled into one.”
Mr and Mrs Carwin
According to the , real estate agents are the least trusted professionals in the country, with Australians perceiving their behaviour as ‘somewhat unethical’.
At the same time, real estate reality shows are among the most popular in Australia, suggests Victoria Carwin, producer and co-creator of Dick Slider.
“In the UK, a common ice-breaker topic is weather. In Australia, it’s real estate,” Mrs Carwin says.
“The AACTA or Logie Awards nominations would always feature several home renovation or real estate shows.”
However, what is missing is the comedic and satirical look at the real estate industry, she believes.
Mrs Carwin manages Scenario Productions, a Sydney-based production company and talent agency, representing actors from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Having moved from Russia, Mrs Carwin didn’t initially believe that as a migrant woman she would have a chance in the entertainment industry in Australia. She credits her husband for his support and inspiration throughout the way.
“I have always dreamed (about making) my own James Bond movie,” Mrs Carwin says.
I believe that Dick Slider is my James Bond.Victoria Carwin, producer and Dick Slider co-creator
The couple have now set a new goal for Dick Slider and are currently working on a TV series about the character.
In the meantime, Mr Carwin explains, Dick Slider has taken on a life of his own and is frequently recognised by Bondi locals.
“He's become a 'homemade celebrity'. Whether I'm catching a wave or picking up groceries, I find myself being recognised as the man himself,” he says.
