Susan Farquhar is now one of the country’s leading experts in investment property, and the journey that led her to Managing Director of Calla Property has been quite remarkable.
At 27, Susan owned three companies and five properties and felt financially secure, but then a devastating death in the family completely destabilised her life. Luckily, Susan had property to sell to cope with the financial mess that was left behind. However, she felt there had to have been a better way to ‘get out of jail’ than liquidating her assets. Susan, as many people do, had invested in property near her home in the Blue Mountains but wiser investments would have meant refinancing to release equity and not selling up.
Rebuilding her life and her investment portfolio, Susan was determined not to make the same mistake again. She spent years perfecting a research methodology for consistently identifying exceptional investment properties based on macro research (areas of capital growth), micro research (rental stability) and the necessary due diligence required.
Tested throughout Susan’s MBA studies, this proven approach is called Calla Property Insights. It pinpoints not only the suburbs around Australia that are set to perform well regarding capital growth but also the specific properties that will have close to positive yield from the outset and retain their value over time.
Rebuilding her life and her investment portfolio, Susan was determined not to make the same mistake again. She spent years perfecting a research methodology for consistently identifying exceptional investment properties based on macro research (areas of capital growth), micro research (rental stability) and the necessary due diligence required.
Tested throughout Susan’s MBA studies, this proven approach is called Calla Property Insights. It pinpoints not only the suburbs around Australia that are set to perform well regarding capital growth but also the specific properties that will have close to positive yield from the outset and retain their value over time.
To this day, preparing clients for any potential destabilisation in their lives is a significant driving force for Susan. She quickly realised that a well-rounded approach to property investment advice also requires a deep understanding of human psychology. So, the final piece of the jigsaw for Susan was an extension to her MBA that included mortgage brokering and financial planning components.
Susan is proud of the fact that she has never had a property contract fall over due to low valuation and has never seen a client’s financial situation go backwards.
In 2018 and 2019 she was listed in the Top 10 Property Specialists in Australia. She also won the Chamber of Commerce award for Excellence in Innovation. Her educational blog ranks 60th in the world and 18th in Australia. She has contributed a chapter about the research behind getting the timing of the market right in ‘Insiders Know-How: Property Investment Australia” and was this year published in ’50 Unsung Heroes of Australian Business’. In May this year, she was featured in APAC Business magazine’s Property Majestics of 2019.
Susan is proud of the fact that she has never had a property contract fall over due to low valuation and has never seen a client’s financial situation go backwards.
In 2018 and 2019 she was listed in the Top 10 Property Specialists in Australia. She also won the Chamber of Commerce award for Excellence in Innovation. Her educational blog ranks 60th in the world and 18th in Australia. She has contributed a chapter about the research behind getting the timing of the market right in ‘Insiders Know-How: Property Investment Australia” and was this year published in ’50 Unsung Heroes of Australian Business’. In May this year, she was featured in APAC Business magazine’s Property Majestics of 2019.
In the past year, she has received funding to work with a data scientist to transform her extensive research into a platform or app that is easier to navigate.
Forever the entrepreneur she has used the time during covid-19 well, citing that ‘One should never let a good crisis go to waste’. In 2020 she has transformed the way her company does business by integrating an apps-based platform that centralises Calla Property’s business information. She has developed processes and client information that will enable expansion in 2021 and beyond and has employed a Senior Property Investment Strategist. These initiatives will enable greater reach and ability to provide an incredible investment service to more clients in more areas.
Susan and her team at Calla Property, are in a unique position to understand how her clients feel about money and debt and are more than qualified to help them make better financial choices, from the first-time investors wanting to grow their wealth to portfolio clients motivated by tax minimisation.