Welcome to Connor: From Café Owner to Business Broker 28

Published on September 4, 2026

Welcome to Connor

From café owner to business broker, Connor Beggs brings firsthand experience and a new generation’s approach to real estate.

At 28, Connor Beggs may be relatively new to business broking, but he is certainly not new to business ownership.

Before joining CRE Brokers, Connor spent his career working in hospitality. He and his wife later opened and operated their own café, which they successfully sold through CRE Brokers in 2025.

That experience gave Connor something many new brokers do not have: a genuine understanding of what it feels like to sell a business you have built yourself.

When you own a business, you put so much of yourself into it.

Connor says.

Selling is not just a financial decision. There is a lot of pride, hard work and emotion attached to it.

Having experienced the process as a vendor, Connor began to see business broking from a different perspective. He recognised the value a good broker can bring and became interested in helping other owners work through the same journey.

A Career Built Around People

Connor grew up in Warragul in regional Victoria and has always been drawn to roles involving people.

His years in cafés and restaurants taught him how to communicate with different personalities, remain organised under pressure and build relationships with customers.

The people were always the best part of hospitality.

He says.

You would see regular customers every day and become part of their routine. I really enjoyed building those connections.

While business broking is a different industry, many of those skills have carried across. Every business owner has a different story, and every sale comes with its own circumstances. Connor believes listening carefully and understanding what the owner hopes to achieve are essential from the beginning. 

I’m not someone who believes in hard-selling.

He says.

I would rather take the time to understand the person, their business and their goals.

Returning to CRE Brokers

Connor’s relationship with CRE Brokers began before he joined the team.

CRE Brokers Director Phil Mammolito handled the sale of Connor’s café. The experience gave Connor a close look at the level of work involved in preparing, marketing and negotiating a business sale.

Phil sold my café, so I knew CRE Brokers first as a client.

Conner explains.

The professionalism, communication and support throughout the sale really stayed with me.

When the opportunity arose to join the company, it felt like a natural next step. Connor was also attracted to the experience within the CRE Brokers team and the opportunity to learn from brokers who have worked in business and commercial property sales for many years.

Everyone has been generous with their time and knowledge.

He says.

There is always someone willing to answer a question or explain how something works.

Bringing a New Generation into Broking

Connor is part of a younger generation entering the real estate and business sales industry. Buyers now find and research businesses differently. They search online, review digital information, compare opportunities and often form an opinion well before contacting a broker.

Connor believes younger brokers can bring energy, adaptability and an understanding of technology and digital marketing to the industry. However, he is also quick to point out that technology is only one part of selling a business.

You still need experience, honest advice and strong negotiation.

He says.

The opportunity at CRE Brokers allows me to bring fresh ideas while learning from people who have decades of industry knowledge.

That combination is becoming increasingly important.

Digital marketing can help a business reach more potential buyers, but it is the broker’s understanding of the business, its financial position and the people involved that ultimately helps move a sale forward.

Having Been on the Other Side

Connor’s experience as a vendor strongly influences how he communicates with clients.  He remembers what it was like waiting for updates, receiving feedback and wondering what was happening behind the scenes. 

I would much rather someone tell me I communicated too often than not enough.

He says.

He also understands that not every conversation during a sale will be easy.

Sometimes the job involves having difficult conversations with good people. It might be about price expectations, financial information or buyer feedback. Those conversations are not always comfortable, but being honest is important.

For Connor, trust comes from being straightforward, staying in contact and doing what you say you will do.

When someone is selling a business they have spent years building, they need to feel confident that their broker understands what is at stake.

Hospitality Remains Close to Home

Given his background, hospitality businesses remain a natural area of interest.  Connor is particularly interested in cafés, restaurants, pubs, bakeries and takeaway businesses, where he can draw on his own operating experience.

He understands the realities that often sit behind the figures: long hours, staffing challenges, changing customer expectations and the personal commitment required to keep a hospitality business running.  However, he is also enjoying the opportunity to learn about businesses in other industries.

Every business operates differently, and every owner has something to teach you.

He says.

That is one of the things I enjoy most about the role.

Looking Ahead

During his first year with CRE Brokers, Connor plans to continue learning about valuations, financial analysis, negotiations and the detailed work required to take a business from listing through to settlement.

His initial goal is to complete five business sales and establish a strong foundation for the years ahead.

In the longer term, he hopes to become known as a trusted broker who is approachable, reliable and honest.

I want to achieve good results for my clients, but I also want to be someone people genuinely enjoy working with and feel comfortable recommending.

Connor describes his approach as continuing to “plant seeds” for the future.

Success comes from consistently doing the right things, even when you do not see the results straight away.

It is a fitting outlook for someone beginning a new chapter.

Connor may represent a new generation of business brokers, but his approach is based on values that have always mattered: listening to people, communicating honestly and understanding just how much a business can mean to the person selling it.