What did you do before Real Estate?

I spent most of my working life before real estate as a federal public servant commencing my very punctuated career at the Australian High Commission in Malta and in Canberra with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Austrade and the Commonwealth Audit Office. I was lucky enough (due to my partner’s overseas postings with DFAT) to travel and live in different countries and cultures and as a result I was able to communicate with and better understand various people from different cultural backgrounds. This experience has also provided me with some of the many tools that I believe are required for an effective real estate person.

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

I have always had a passion for real estate and during the past 25 years have renovated, refurbished or constructed homes. Additionally, I am a people person and I have always enjoyed helping people; it is in my nature, in my blood, and just comes naturally. However, I made the decision to join the real estate industry perhaps sooner than I might otherwise have done, as a result of an unpleasant experience with the industry when trying to sell one of my own properties here in Canberra and thought that I could perhaps make a difference from the inside rather than just complaining about it. So as soon as my husband Gordon retired from DFAT I made the move from the public service into real estate.

People often ask me why I started my own Real Estate Business during the GFC when the economy was falling. I believe that during tough economic times people generally like to deal with people they can rely upon. There is reassurance about placing your trust in someone; of knowing that a task will be achieved in a thoroughly professional and satisfactory way; of being able to count on that extra care, service and effort and of making and keeping friends while you do business. In the end, it is all a matter of trust.

What do you love about your job?

I love real estate - I am actually passionate about it. Added to that, I have always found great pleasure and reward in helping other people and, in a service industry such as real estate, these two passions really do go hand-in-hand. I have always been of the belief that to be truly successful in what you are doing is all about knowing what your strengths are and to work to them. This is something that you would enjoy and love doing; this is something that comes to you easily. When you are working with your strength, you are finding your passion. No matter how hard or many long hours you put into your passion, it does not appear as if you are working – it appears more of a hobby. I was lucky enough to find my strength through my reinvention of my new career. While I work very long hours, it never appears to me as working hard – I am carrying out my hobby – that is what it appears to be to me. My reputation, and that of my business, has been built around great service (I have always been motivated to go that extra mile for all of my clients), top results and lasting friendships. It is looking after the little details that can make the difference.

There is no silver bullet to getting everything perfect in Real Estate or business generally but really, the difference in mental effort between just acceptable and total excellence is not really all that great. At the end of the day it comes down to your level of interest in conducting yourself professionally, believing in what you do, focusing on your clients’ needs and best interests and having a real passion for what you do. You look after your clients and they will look after you.

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

With some notable exceptions, I believe that the quality, standards and uniformity of training in the industry requires urgent attention. There are some in the industry, perhaps due to inadequate training (including mentoring/role modelling) combined with poor attitude, makes it difficult for the majority who are striving to raise the bar when it comes to the provision of service excellence and outcomes for clients.

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

There is potential for almost boundless ‘Luck’ in the real estate industry. Many of those in the industry who are successful (as in reputation for great service and top results for their clients) have shown enthusiasm, commitment, personal discipline and sheer hard work. Some may call it luck but I know from personal experience that the harder you are prepared to work to provide service and results for your clients, the greater the luck you accrue. I think that commitment and enthusiasm is often a neglected force. Yet without it there would be few achievements. Enthusiasm, in particular, sets fire to the imagination. It asks "What if?" and "If I did?" and the results of our efforts depend upon our answers to such questions. It helps enormously if you have a passion for and a genuine belief in what you do. A lack of passion may translate to a lack of interest or motivation. Clients do sense this –you just can’t fake it, they will sense that also.

What do you look for when hiring?

Firstly, I look for positive attitude combined with aptitude as these are the two most difficult things to teach - some might say impossible to teach. Next is a demonstrated level of self-discipline, enthusiasm, motivation and commitment because without it any possibility of enjoyment of your role in the industry will be lacking. To be truly successful in Real Estate there needs to be a genuine love of your role and a belief in every task you undertake on behalf of your clients. We don’t want people on our team who just need any 9 to 5 job or whose primary focus is always money. Money will obviously follow without much thought for those whose principal focus remains on providing the best possible service and outcomes for their clients. It’s not a new concept!

Does it take time to get your head around the market if you're new to real estate?

As is prudent with any new endeavour, hasten slowly – plan, check and check again because close enough is really not good enough. Personal effort and often some degree of ‘social sacrifice’ is the cost of success. While one can receive significant assistance from employers and mentors it is still very much a self-help exercise to successfully absorb the basics and then the rest is cumulative and on-going. If you think you know it all it is probably time to stop! Agents who care to put in the effort, act professionally, ethically and with empathy toward others, I believe will always be successful in real estate and this is equally true for other professions as well. What was your first home? We purchased our very first ready-built home in Kaleen in Canberra.

Where do you live now?

We live in Yarralumla.

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

A comfortable open plan design home with ocean views through floor to ceiling glass - in Canberra! (if only that was possible)