How did you get your start in the real estate business?

I had no experience in it at all and when my kids all went back to school, for the first time all three of them, I decided to enter into something I’d always had an interest in. I started out with one particular agency, which turned out to be a disaster, and I sat in the car park and cried! Then I thought I’d see who had listed the most properties in the area, and it turned out to be Raine & Horne, so I went and knocked on the door and said, “I need a job,” and they gave me one. That was 2012 in Burpengary.

Previously, my husband was a builder and I ran the customer relations side of his construction company.

What do you love about your job?

Helping people. I know it sounds crazy but I’ve bought and sold so many times and it’s been horrendously stressful, and I wanted to remove that from the equation wherever possible. Being able to see the sellers move on and the buyers get to buy their dream home, that’s what makes it worthwhile.

What would you say are the biggest issues facing the Australian real estate industry at the moment?

Certainly in this town, I think one of the biggest problems is that agents aren’t driving prices up. It’s a price domino to keep that cycle going. It doesn’t help the industry, it doesn’t help anybody. As a result, places are still ticking over at cheap prices but not driving prices upwards, which is where it needs to be. That’s common everywhere because everybody wants to get paid but we’re responsible for the direction of the market.

The one thing I have noticed is that lack of first homebuyers. I don’t recall the last time I sold to a first home buyer.

What’s your career advice to a young person interested in real estate?

That’s a tough one; it’s such a hard industry to make a living in. There’s a huge misconception that you can make a million dollars and drive a BMW within your first six months. You have to care, it’s so important. That’s all people want, to be kept in the loop—so many people sign up for 60 days of silence and that’s not good enough.

I think what sets me apart is that I actually give a damn what happens, even after the deal is done I want to know if they’re happy and see if I can help them. I’ve painted houses for people, done cat sitting, I’ve done so much to get a deal over the line because it’s a life-changing thing for them. Some people only do this once or twice in a lifetime, so they need to know that the person they’re engaging to sell their house knows what they’re doing, and cares about them and what happens to their asset.

What was your first home?

We bought in Deception Bay in Queensland in 2005. I was born in Scotland; my family came to Australia in 1981. We lived all over Australia and didn’t settle in Brisbane until 1987.

Where do you live now?

I live in D’aguilar, which is on the outskirts of Woodford.

If money were no object, what would your dream property be?

A massive horse property, that’s my passion. I love working out here because I get to work with so many horse properties. I like this area, I like where we are.