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After globe-trotting for more than a decade, this former fashion designer found her own spotlight in the real estate industry.
In 2001, Allison Mifsud made the brave decision to turn her back on her high-stake fashion career (as well as her glamorous lifestyle) in order to achieve her life dream: to build a family.
She admitted that the decision to settle back in the Land Down Under and find a job in the real estate industry was not initially about following her passion.
Ms Mifsud explained that making the switch was motivated by her desire to find a new career that could quickly generate a similar income without the need to travel, while also giving her the flexibility down the track to be a great parent — conditions that are both met by working in the property space.
To kick off her real estate career, Ms Mifsud recalled how she took up a job posting for a saleswoman at First National Real Estate at Epping.
She said she “dove headfirst” into the role, which entailed working extended hours all week as she tried to make a name for herself in what was, at that time, still a heavily male-dominated industry.
It wasn’t long before her hard work paid off and built a strong reputation among her peers, bagging several accolades within just the first decade in the group.
But Ms Mifsud said that her most notable career milestone was a sliding-doors moment that came on the heels of her principal choosing to rebrand the office as an independent agency.
During that time, the chief executive of First National believed Ms Mifsud was ready to be on her own and backed her to launch a new First National office in Epping.
Providing more insight into the sink-or-swim moment, she reflected that the experience was far from being a walk in the park.
“I was so lucky to have so much support as I really didn’t know what I was doing. My son was still so young, but my sister and so many of the other members and the corporate team all rallied around me and helped me get set up,” she stated.
She also recalled how her business started on a strong footing. “We opened with five listings and sold them all within the first month. I knew then my client base would stick with me and it would all work,” she said.
While she launched her business with flying colours, she admitted that there have been personal challenges that she faced along the way.
“When my marriage broke down a couple of years into it and I found myself a single mother, things got really tough, but I was so determined to push through and somehow I did, again with my support team behind me,” Ms Mifsud said.
Now with more than two decades of experience in the real estate industry, she shared that she had achieved not only her life dream, but she’s gearing up for the next chapter of growth for her business.
“My son’s now 15 [years old], and I don’t work really long hours anymore because my time as a mother is really precious to me. I have a solid business that employs eight people, and I’m content with where I’m at, as I also want the freedom right now to be able to take time off [and] have long lunches if I feel like it.
“I’ve just purchased another rent roll, and that’s a big focus. It’s not the time for me to be setting the world on fire right now, and I love that I don’t have the pressure on me that many franchises put on their members to always be doing more,” she stated.
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