I spent nearly twenty years in the zoo industry, caring for everything from Australian wildlife and marine mammals to lions, tigers and snow leopards. For the final eight years I was a manager at Melbourne Zoo, leading teams of up to twenty people while overseeing animal welfare, major projects and budgets. It was a high-pressure world where staying calm, managing risk and making good decisions mattered every single day. More than anything, it taught me how to protect what's in your care.
Property was always a personal passion, and over the years I bought, sold and developed homes myself. Some of the lessons were expensive. The one that stayed with me came at an auction for a home I loved, where I set my limit on what felt comfortable rather than what the property was actually worth. I missed out by a few thousand dollars, and walked away with real regret and a lesson I've never forgotten: uncertainty is far more expensive than knowledge.
The more involved I became, the more I saw friends and family making the same avoidable mistakes. So I became a buyer's advocate, to give owner-occupiers the guidance, honesty and confidence I wish I'd had. That's the whole reason this business exists.
