A Q+A With Lovely Local, Sophie Desprez
Meet Sophie Desprez, Principal at LJ Hooker Bowral!
We grabbed a coffee with Sophie and chatted about what she loves about living in the Highlands and running a successful real estate biz here.
She also shared what a Saturday looks like for – it’s busy!!!
1 :: So, let’s start with you! How long have you owned LJ Hooker Bowral and how did that happen?
Prior to opening LJ Hooker Bowral in October 2019, I’d been researching whether to open my own independent real estate agency vs opening as a well-known franchise name.
In the end, LJ Hooker stood out due to its dedicated team in head office that provide us with loads of support.
Plus, having worked in the IT industry back in the 90’s prior to moving into real estate in 2001, I’m a bit of closet techie, and LJ Hooker head office seriously pump a lot of money into their cutting-edge IT systems, CRM platform, and Vendor App and Agent Apps. I was pretty impressed with that.
They also invest in loads of ongoing training to keep us up to date, plus have a great referral system between offices, particularly for sales and property management.
2 :: How long have you lived in the Highlands?
Our family – husband Glen and children, Harry and Annaleise – moved to the Highlands in 2013.
I’m originally a country girl, having grown up on a property north west of Young.
I was a boarder at Loreto Normanhurst, and like a lot of boarders, ended up staying in Sydney to pursue a corporate career after school.
But once I was married with children I wanted to move back to the country to raise my family, and Bowral was the perfect choice!
I’d get my rural lifestyle fix, plus have a choice of great schools for Harry and Annaleise to attend, and Glen didn’t even have to change jobs (he could still commute back to Sydney for work).
Oh, and I have babysitters close by!
My parents have lived in Bowral for a long time now – they actually built one of the first houses on Robinia Drive in East Bowral many moons ago, and my Dad used to be the Farm Manager at Retford Park.
3 :: How has the property market changed in the Highlands across your time in real estate?
Overall, it’s been amazing. The area as a whole has grown so much.
When we first moved here, most of the buyers were retirees from Sydney.
We still have a lot of these, but we also now have so many more families with pre-school and school aged children moving into the area too.
4 :: What’s your favourite property you’ve sold?
There are so many favourites, but five stand out:
295 Bangadilly Rd, Canyonleigh
The al fresco area of 23-25 Apple Street, Berrima.
5 :: Talk us through your day. What does a busy Saturday look like for you?
It’s an early start with a 5.30am alarm so I can drop my son off to the Chev bus for sport.
As soon as it’s daylight I put out directional signage for Saturday opens.
Then back home for coffee, shower and to get dressed for the day ahead.
Organise my daughter and husband for netball at Eridge Park.
Then at 9am, go in and open the LJ Hooker office on Bong Bong Street.
I double check that all the boxes loaded into the car on Friday have everything we need in them.
Then I jump in the car and head off to opens which can be all over the Southern Highlands – from Canyonleigh and Bundanoon to Moss Vale, Bowral, Mittagong and up to Yerrinbool.
I usually try and get to my daughter’s netball game at Eridge Park in between opens.
The opens finish up mid-afternoon then it’s back to the office to send out thank you texts, contracts and follow up on any offers.
6 :: What’s your favourite thing about living and owning a business in the Highlands?
Definitely the community. The schools, the businesses, the sport, the towns and the villages – everything really!
Thanks Sophie!
The LJ Hooker Bowral team offer a full range of property services from Residential, Rural + Lifestyle Sales to Property Management. Sophie and the team are astute negotiators and focus on maintaining honest, integrity and enthusiasm through every part of the buying, selling, renting and investing process.
If you’re looking for a local real estate agent who is right across the ever-changing local market, give Sophie a call on 4811 1918 and head to the LJ Hooker Bowral website to have a look at the latest properties they’ve got available to buy and rent.
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