If Louise Barton’s life story was made into a movie, she would not only be the star, but the writer, director, producer, camera operator … the list goes on. This is a woman who is entirely, and intentionally, in control of her own story. Not only that, but she’s a ‘roll your sleeves up and get the job done’ type of woman, who’s able to wear many hats and not afraid to pivot to get to the next step.

It’s this resolute ambition that’s one of the reasons Louise is where she is today: both literally (the BresicWhitney office) and figuratively (North Sydney’s No.1 agent). 

Yet to fully comprehend the significance of the present for Louise, it’s useful to look to the past. Her story is one that starts some two-and-a-bit decades ago, when Louise was a young child growing up in the Scottish Highlands. An upbringing “filled with love”, she recalls, that I’m imagining played out across a landscape percolated by quaint cottages and windy moors. Picturesque, sure, but by no means an easy one.

Louise and her brother were raised mostly by their mother, who was a single parent for their formative years. “We went to a school with only 19 pupils, and mum was the only single one. At times you felt like a black sheep,” reflects Louise. “I’m very grateful for my upbringing, but it did have its challenges. It was a very quiet place to grow up,” she says of her birthplace.  

 

What Louise did have however was a front-row seat to her mother’s ambition. “Mum always has, and still to this day, works three jobs. I think [after the separation] she used it as fuel to never again be financially dependent on another person.” This determination shaped Louise and her brother. “When you see that growing up, it’s something that sticks with you. It’s a foundational part of who I am now as an adult, and I have mum to thank for that. She is an amazing role model.” 

After Louise left school, she took a job as dental nurse with the plan to pursue health studies at university. An (unintentionally) expensive overseas trip led her to seek out more work to help pay for university, and soon Louise was temping in administration for a local real estate agency. “I stayed working there for a little while, and it sort of opened my eyes up to wanting to work in a job that allows you to be on the move. I just remember knowing that I didn’t want to be stuck within four walls for my life,” she recalls. The job soon morphed into a full-time sales role; one in which Louise not only excelled at, but gained her real estate qualification and completed her university degree at the same time.

“I was doing very well in Scotland as an agent, but I had this yearning for more, to explore what else was out there. I believed I could make a difference here, in Sydney,” she says. 

Belief turned into action and after just a few weeks ruminating, Louise bid farewell to the Highlands with a one-way ticket to the emerald city. “I wasn’t sure how it would go; it could have only lasted a few weeks. I only took one suitcase,” – one that was outweighed by her ambition and clarity of vision. “I was moving purely to further my career, or at the very least, to give myself a chance at doing so.” 

Some 15,000 kilometres-worth of jet lag later, she got to work understanding the nuances of the Sydney market and where she might establish herself. One aspect was the most jarring. “[At the time] It felt like there was a lack of trust of real estate agents in Sydney. This was quite different from what I’d experienced back home,” she says, before adding: “In Scotland, we don’t have the concept of Open Homes during a campaign. So as an agent you’re trained in how to ‘show’ a property. This means that you’re constantly building relationships with buyers, often before they’re even through the front door. And that’s not only helpful for buyers but also demonstrates to sellers how you’re working for them.”

While becoming a Sydney specialist would take time, the foundational element of real estate – creating connections – was one Louise was already a master at. “I also knew that a lot of women liked dealing with other women in real estate, sometimes more so than men. Once I started working it became apparent that was just as true in Sydney as it was in Scotland. That helped me feel like I could just completely be myself,” she says. 

Her affection for parks and recreation led her to the Lower North Shore, and eventually to North Sydney: a metropolis that harbored peaceful living for those young and old, and a community rich in culture. Yet, one that had the potential for a better real estate experience. “It was quite traditional…the way campaigns were run and the type of thinking. [That approach] was and remains successful for a lot of the agents in the market, but it was different from how I planned to do it.” For Louise, that would be a dynamic approach that led with energy and enthusiasm, for every client, and every sale. “I think my network realised how much I didn’t take anything for granted and could see how passionate I was about Sydney,” she says of her success. “I had literally moved across the world to make this happen, so they could and can bet that I will.”

12 months on and Louise had become the go-to sales agent in North Sydney; a reputation crafted by an astute commitment to being available 7 days a week. “It makes total sense to be 100% available for my clients and community at this stage in my career and my life. Clients don’t expect it, but real estate is such a huge part of my life, I can’t imagine it any other way,” she says. 

Until next time.