Pioneer, Leader, Innovator, Advocate. These are just some of the words that are used to describe Leah Jay, the woman behind the first and one of the most awarded property management companies in NSW.
Opening her property management company in 1994, Leah was branching out into the unknown.
“People thought I was crazy and told me it wouldn’t work,” Leah says.
“But I believed there was an opportunity for property management to be done better.
“I started with just 90 clients, renting a small space in an office on Beaumont Street, Hamilton. In those days I did everything, from showing properties to marketing, maintenance requests and all the admin. It was hard work, but I loved what I was doing.”
From those humble beginnings, no one could have envisaged that 25 years later the company would have grown from a sole trader to a team of over 60 people and 3500+ properties across the Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie areas.
“It was a true passion and it took over my life for a number of years, but sometimes that’s what needs to happen when you are creating something very special,” Leah explains.
“We’ve had some wonderful people come through our doors over the years and I hope they can look back and take a little bit of joy from our success as well.”
When asked to reflect on Leah’s journey, Leah Jay Operations Manager and Director Cassandra Lantry said, from the outset Leah had always sought to focus on the client.
“Leah launched the business, she set out to create a new way of doing things, one focused on the client. It’s amazing to see such a true pioneer in the real estate industry can remain at the forefront for 25 years.”
While Leah Jay is currently celebrated their proud 25-year history, they are also reaffirming their continued focus on innovation and the future.
“It’s about taking the inspiration from Leah and her journey and using that to continue to drive change within the business, to stay ahead of the curve,” Cassandra says.
“It is very exciting to be in the industry at a time of significant change, most of which we are yet to see.
“Long-term, the evolution of blockchain and AI will have a further impact on the transactional elements of the industry and areas like fractional investment, Air BnB and iBuyers will have greater impact in changing how we buy, sell and live in property.”
While the team at Leah Jay believe the industry hasn’t experienced the real game changer yet, they are making themselves more agile and responsive to ensure they are around for at least another 25 years.
