B. Commerce | B. Business Administration | Lic. Real Estate Agent ACT & NSW Executive Committee for REBAA (Real Estate Buyer’s Agents Association of Australia)
I'm Claire Corby, a born and bred Canberran. It’s in my blood - my parents grew up here, all my grandparents are here - I’m about as Canberran as you can get. And proudly so; it’s a beautiful city to live in and raise a family.
Having grown up in Canberra, I know the subtle characteristics of each area and have witnessed first-hand the changes across the suburbs over time – one of my earliest memories is peering from my booster seat out of the car window, watching the suburb of Florey taking shape in the 1980’s. With each trip to Belconnen Mall, I'd eagerly look for any new construction since our last outing. A property tragic from way back, that's me.
I know exactly where the pockets of desirable and less-desirable areas are within each suburb, the no-go zones and the hidden gems. On top of this is the priceless local information on where to find good schools, lawyers, builders, doctors, vets, hairdressers, sporting activities and clubs – anything you need. The depth of my local knowledge across the Canberra region and surrounding towns is your key to saving a great deal of time and effort.
My career began as an accountant. Numbers were my forté in school, but it was the personal advisory side of things I loved most in my first 'adult' job with a big 4 firm. After realising I didn't actually want to be an accountant (which came as a bit of a shock), I followed my passion for property and began branching out from the traditional buy and hold strategies into small-scale townhouse development, structural and cosmetic renovations, vendor financing, subdivisions and house relocations. I spent my maternity leave with my two children managing my projects and loved being able to share that time with them.
After a little while, friends began asking for input to help with their own investing to help find and test the feasibility of potential investments and that's how I got into the role as a buyer's agent. I had no idea it was a growing industry - I'd just followed my strengths and found I loved to work in property in an advisory role! Capital Buyers Agency was born from a natural progression from accountant, to full-time property investor, to buyer's agent.
I recall bidding at my first auction and the emotions of bidding that I was wholly underprepared for. It was just over the ACT border in Queanbeyan, NSW. I'd spent many months researching and I knew my numbers and I knew my project far better than I gave myself credit for. I had attended countless auctions but nothing prepared me for the emotions of actually placing bids in the heat of the moment. I was completely lacking in 'real' auction experience and I remember thinking how much easier this would be if I had someone with experience by my side. It took many years before it occurred to me that I could be that steady guide for someone else, but looking back I felt a definite imbalance in the seller's favour with half a dozen agents running the show while the buyer had no such representation at the negotiating table.
These days I'm a strong advocate for equal representation for buyers, a regular media contributor on the ACT market and the State Representative for REBAA (Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia) who are the peak national body for buyer's agents.
I work with a very limited number of clients at any given time so that I'm able to give them my full attention and the highest level of service possible. I love helping buyers find the best property for their particular needs and budget, saving them time, stress and money, and helping them to hit the ground running with insights and tips for whatever they need in Canberra.
Like to know more? Drop me a line as I'd love to help you with your next purchase.