Victorian Small Business Network

From Kitchen Cabinets to Property Keys: The Power of Personalised Service

• Victorian Small Business Network (VSBN) • Season 1 • Episode 7

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In this inspiring episode of the VSBN Podcast, Glaucia Camargo from Renovaction and Cynthia Peretz from Metrolinx Property Advisors dive into two very different yet deeply personal industries: cabinet making and property advocacy. From creating custom-designed spaces to guiding clients through the maze of property buying and selling, they share the emotional depth, strategic thinking, and people-first approach behind their businesses.

You’ll hear about:

  • Why working with a buyer's or vendor advocate can save you stress and money
  • How bespoke cabinet designs are brought to life through client collaboration
  • The unique challenges and triumphs of being women in male-dominated industries
  • Personal stories that highlight the heart and hustle behind small business success

Whether you're buying your first home, renovating your kitchen, or curious about growing a service-based business in Australia — this episode is packed with real talk, practical advice, and lots of heart.

Connect with Cynthia - https://metrolinx.com.au/
Connect with Glaucia - https://renovaction.com.au/

Send us a message

🎙 Brought to You by the Victorian Small Business Network (VSBN)

Looking to grow your business and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs? VSBN is here to connect, share and grow with small business owners across Victoria. Proudly produced by VSBN — the network that brings passionate business owners together through relaxed networking events all over Victoria.

Ready to expand your network and take your business to the next level? 🌟

👉 Join us at our next event: vsbn.com.au

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00:00:00:10 - 00:00:06:22
Glaucia
Good morning everyone. Welcome to the VSBN in podcast. My name is Glaucia.

00:00:06:22 - 00:00:10:20
Glaucia
My company's name is renovation. And here with me we have.

00:00:10:22 - 00:00:16:06
Cynthia
Good morning. I'm Cynthia from Metrolinx Property Advisors, and we are vendor and buyers advocates.

00:00:16:06 - 00:00:35:23
Glaucia
Amazing. We are cabinet makers and today we are going to talk about the cabinet making industry and also the property industry. Very interesting topics. So why don't we start with you and I would like to know more what is a Buyers Advocate.

00:00:36:06 - 00:00:41:06
Cynthia
Buyers Advocates, also known as Buyers Agents. We’re licensed professionals,

00:00:41:06 - 00:00:43:19
Cynthia
that work exclusively for the buyer

00:00:43:19 - 00:00:45:03
Cynthia
and not the seller,

00:00:45:03 - 00:00:47:17
Cynthia
as whilst real estate agents work,

00:00:47:17 - 00:00:59:11
Cynthia
to get the highest price for the vendor buyers advocates, we help our buyers think smart, negotiate and avoid costly mistakes and get the property for the best price.

00:00:59:14 - 00:01:04:15
Cynthia
How we do this? We search, assess and negotiate.

00:01:04:15 - 00:01:08:01
Cynthia
I'll take our client strategy to achieve,

00:01:08:01 - 00:01:13:05
Cynthia
the best goal. Yeah. Outcome for late goals. That's what about advocates all about.

00:01:13:05 - 00:01:22:09
Glaucia
why choose a buyer's advocate and for example what not why not go directly to a real estate agent for example?

00:01:22:18 - 00:01:24:10
Cynthia
Okay. So buying the home,

00:01:24:10 - 00:01:25:10
Cynthia
the home truths,

00:01:25:10 - 00:01:27:15
Cynthia
most buyers are confused by the market,

00:01:27:15 - 00:01:36:02
Cynthia
worried about overpaying for property, tired of wasting weekends and inspections and just missing out at auction. And

00:01:36:02 - 00:01:36:22
Cynthia
that's

00:01:36:22 - 00:01:39:15
Cynthia
where we come in. So they don't have to do it on their own.

00:01:39:15 - 00:01:45:22
Cynthia
And they've got support. So we I think we had total game changer when buying a property,

00:01:46:17 - 00:01:49:18
Cynthia
We have we bring together our expertise,

00:01:49:18 - 00:01:53:24
Cynthia
access to often on market properties, meaning advertised and,

00:01:53:24 - 00:01:56:04
Cynthia
non advertised properties.

00:01:56:04 - 00:02:00:10
Cynthia
Just experience negotiation. So having that as a power and just,

00:02:00:10 - 00:02:03:05
Cynthia
A strategy. So whether it's a first time buyer,

00:02:03:05 - 00:02:05:00
Cynthia
upsize it downsizer.

00:02:05:00 - 00:02:07:19
Cynthia
we just help the decision making,

00:02:07:19 - 00:02:08:17
Cynthia
aligned with,

00:02:08:17 - 00:02:10:05
Cynthia
with the client's long term goals.

00:02:10:07 - 00:02:11:00
Glaucia
Oh. That's good.

00:02:11:00 - 00:02:18:17
Glaucia
And what would you say are the three biggest mistakes that buyers make when looking for a property? What they should avoid?

00:02:20:07 - 00:02:29:11
Cynthia
Oh, I would probably say the first thing is their emotional attachment because you're spending a lot of money. So, you know, your heart takes over your head.

00:02:29:11 - 00:02:31:16
Cynthia
That would be one of the biggest ones.

00:02:31:16 - 00:02:35:10
Cynthia
Focusing on the property and not the bigger picture,

00:02:35:10 - 00:02:36:01
Cynthia
and,

00:02:36:01 - 00:02:40:16
Cynthia
trying to do it all themselves. There's so many resources to help people with a property and,

00:02:40:16 - 00:02:44:14
Cynthia
yeah, people just get scared and they try and do everything on their own.

00:02:44:16 - 00:02:57:18
Glaucia
Yeah, it's really hard. Especially when you don't know the market. You don't even know what you're looking for. So, yeah, you need a specialist. All right. And can you give me an example of how you helped a buyer?

00:02:57:18 - 00:03:00:14
Cynthia
Okay. So, a young couple,

00:03:00:14 - 00:03:02:23
Cynthia
Helping them land their dream home,

00:03:02:23 - 00:03:06:24
Cynthia
basically saving them money and time in the process.

00:03:06:24 - 00:03:08:08
Cynthia
First home buyers,

00:03:08:08 - 00:03:12:10
Cynthia
great people, smart with their budget. So they were really good.

00:03:12:10 - 00:03:12:22
Cynthia
You know,

00:03:12:22 - 00:03:22:11
Cynthia
they didn't fly off the handle with that money, but just every weekend was the same story, you know, go to an open fall in love and then miss out at,

00:03:22:11 - 00:03:22:22
Cynthia
auction.

00:03:22:22 - 00:03:25:01
Cynthia
And they'd been trying for absolute months,

00:03:25:03 - 00:03:27:10
Glaucia
Frustrated. The frustration. A lot of frustration.

00:03:27:10 - 00:03:29:07
Cynthia
Yeah. And I suppose that's a buyer's advocates.

00:03:29:07 - 00:03:34:23
Cynthia
Dream client is somebody that's really tried to do it on their own and then realizes that just a little bit of guidance really does help.

00:03:34:23 - 00:03:42:15
Cynthia
So they did. They became frustrated and exhausted just from the time. And within two weeks, we found them,

00:03:42:15 - 00:03:48:03
Cynthia
an off market property, off market, meaning it hasn't come onto real estate.com or domain yet.

00:03:48:03 - 00:03:56:24
Cynthia
It's what they consider an off market property. Property. Sometimes in the first four weeks when an agent gets it, they try to do this off market campaign

00:03:56:24 - 00:03:59:09
Cynthia
again presented to buyers, advocates,

00:03:59:09 - 00:04:00:01
Cynthia
opportunity.

00:04:00:01 - 00:04:01:21
Glaucia
So you have access to this property.

00:04:01:21 - 00:04:03:17
Cynthia
So we have access to these properties.

00:04:03:17 - 00:04:05:01
Cynthia
And it was in,

00:04:05:01 - 00:04:06:15
Cynthia
in the suburb that they want,

00:04:06:15 - 00:04:08:02
Cynthia
a growing suburb.

00:04:08:02 - 00:04:11:10
Cynthia
It ticked every box, location, size, potential.

00:04:11:10 - 00:04:15:24
Cynthia
I suppose that's part of the strategy as well as really, you know, finding out everything that people want.

00:04:15:24 - 00:04:16:14
Cynthia
And,

00:04:16:14 - 00:04:20:15
Cynthia
the kicker was that they were not other people,

00:04:20:15 - 00:04:22:05
Cynthia
that bid for the property.

00:04:22:07 - 00:04:31:10
Cynthia
But I suppose our strength came in where we knew what the vendor wanted, the terms not just the price terms, are really important. And we structured out of,

00:04:31:10 - 00:04:37:16
Cynthia
to suit the seller. You know, you need to respect the seller as much as you want to do right by your buyer.

00:04:37:16 - 00:04:38:14
Glaucia
Absolutely.

00:04:38:16 - 00:04:46:00
Cynthia
And just made it an easy yes for them. So it was a win win on both sides. A couple moved in within 30 days, and,

00:04:46:00 - 00:04:49:14
Cynthia
no stress and no bidding war. So,

00:04:49:14 - 00:04:51:14
Cynthia
that's where,

00:04:51:14 - 00:04:53:14
Cynthia
having a buyer's advocate in your corner,

00:04:53:14 - 00:04:55:04
Cynthia
is a key to success.

00:04:55:04 - 00:04:57:12
Glaucia
The whole difference. Yeah. Amazing.

00:04:57:12 - 00:05:03:04
Glaucia
what sets you apart from other buyers agents in the market. What is that that you do differently?

00:05:03:08 - 00:05:07:23
Cynthia
Okay. Yes. There. Well, there are a lot of us,

00:05:07:23 - 00:05:12:05
Cynthia
I suppose 22 years of experience have brought out the good, the bad and the ugly.

00:05:12:05 - 00:05:16:24
Cynthia
But one of the big things is it's about strategy. Not only about the property.

00:05:16:24 - 00:05:19:15
Cynthia
And it's not just about finding it home. It's about,

00:05:19:15 - 00:05:21:21
Cynthia
helping them make a smart.

00:05:21:21 - 00:05:22:17
Cynthia
Decision.

00:05:22:17 - 00:05:23:10
Cynthia
Again. It's,

00:05:23:10 - 00:05:31:03
Cynthia
it's a very emotional process by. And you need to make sure that we thinking with our heads the whole time to keep centering them back to,

00:05:31:03 - 00:05:32:09
Cynthia
what their goals were.

00:05:32:09 - 00:05:37:22
Cynthia
Whether they buying to live in, they will invest building equity, mapping out a clear path.

00:05:37:22 - 00:05:42:19
Cynthia
Very low volume, high focus.

00:05:42:19 - 00:05:43:19
Cynthia
We don't just.

00:05:43:24 - 00:05:47:02
Cynthia
We don't jiggle dozens of clients at a time.

00:05:47:02 - 00:05:49:04
Cynthia
We work closely with selected few,

00:05:49:04 - 00:05:51:05
Cynthia
very often. Just a one on one.

00:05:51:05 - 00:06:03:16
Cynthia
And they get real attention, tailored advice, fast action which matches most, you know. So we all want to be important. And my clients come first. That's great.

00:06:03:16 - 00:06:07:00
Cynthia
So it isn't just a transaction for us.

00:06:07:02 - 00:06:16:07
Cynthia
It's. It's a mission. I mean, it's if I'm going to find you a home, I would. I would want to be living in it as well. Yeah.

00:06:16:07 - 00:06:17:14
Cynthia
So I'm here to help,

00:06:17:14 - 00:06:23:06
Cynthia
when? Without the stress or second guessing what you've bought.

00:06:23:12 - 00:06:33:01
Glaucia
Amazing. I can see why you're different. Yeah, the same as us when you're working with a client, you need to really? It's. It's like. Like a bespoke,

00:06:33:01 - 00:06:39:17
Glaucia
it's a bespoke process. So the client matters. Not just the money, not just the seller, the buyers.

00:06:39:17 - 00:06:43:10
Cynthia
It's what needs to be tailored. I mean, each one is different. Yeah. So,

00:06:43:10 - 00:06:44:14
Cynthia
Yeah, it really needs to be,

00:06:44:14 - 00:06:45:15
Cynthia
a tailored approach.

00:06:45:20 - 00:06:46:10
Glaucia
Amazing.

00:06:46:10 - 00:06:53:03
Glaucia
And how can you help sellers off property? Because you have the buyers. But how can you help us?

00:06:53:03 - 00:06:58:01
Cynthia
Okay, so at Metrolinx we buyer and vendor advocates. So sellers we are called,

00:06:58:01 - 00:06:58:24
Cynthia
with the other hat

00:06:58:24 - 00:06:59:21
Cynthia
vendor advocates

00:06:59:21 - 00:07:01:13
Cynthia
So we represent

00:07:01:13 - 00:07:03:04
Cynthia
the seller

00:07:03:04 - 00:07:23:20
Cynthia
to sell smart and to buy smarter. So we don't just sit with the sellers to find out what they selling. We also need to see what they goals are to what they're going to be buying. So we have the right strategy on terms for sale. What I mean is, you might have heard if you've bought a property, would you like to move in or call it settlement in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days?

00:07:23:20 - 00:07:33:07
Cynthia
And I will make sure that the seller that we've got the right strategy for the seller knowing what they buy. So it's not just them selling them home,

00:07:33:07 - 00:07:38:06
Cynthia
match them up with the, the, the real estate agent. So we do get

00:07:38:06 - 00:07:40:16
Cynthia
agents to, to appraise,

00:07:40:16 - 00:07:43:15
Cynthia
and find the right agent that's actually going to fit,

00:07:43:15 - 00:07:46:21
Cynthia
with the clients and the process.

00:07:46:23 - 00:07:48:12
Cynthia
And to make sure that the,

00:07:48:12 - 00:07:50:12
Cynthia
agent is aligned with our goals

00:07:50:12 - 00:08:03:06
Cynthia
Yeah. So selling is not just about price, but it's also about the terms, about what happens. So we are there to help them through the marketing campaign, the inspections, and just keeping real estate agents accountable for the campaign of the seller.

00:08:03:08 - 00:08:03:23
Glaucia
Oh, good.

00:08:03:23 - 00:08:11:18
Cynthia
So you take and the kicker on this one is, is that it's a free service to the seller. The real estate agent that we,

00:08:11:18 - 00:08:14:20
Cynthia
choose to sell the property,

00:08:14:20 - 00:08:18:11
Cynthia
pays us our fee. So the seller is getting,

00:08:18:11 - 00:08:22:21
Cynthia
a professional to help them, and it's,

00:08:22:21 - 00:08:24:06
Cynthia
comes free of charge.

00:08:24:06 - 00:08:28:09
Glaucia
Really amazing. Okay, that's good to know.

00:08:28:16 - 00:08:36:13
Glaucia
And how do real estate agents work alongside vendor advocates?

00:08:36:15 - 00:08:43:01
Cynthia
That's a really interesting question because a lot of the time I hear people say, well, why would a real estate agent want to work with a vendor advocate?

00:08:43:01 - 00:08:50:08
Cynthia
You know, are we going to get the same service from them? You know, is it to our advantage? We just that agents are hired to sell a property.

00:08:50:08 - 00:08:57:11
Cynthia
Vendor advocates are there to work alongside the seller to make the agent deliver the best.

00:08:59:00 - 00:09:02:07
Cynthia
Results. And as I said before, keep them accountable. So,

00:09:02:07 - 00:09:05:10
Cynthia
agents run the sale of the property,

00:09:05:10 - 00:09:06:19
Cynthia
you know, handle that opens,

00:09:06:19 - 00:09:09:15
Cynthia
the buyers interest and the vendor advocate,

00:09:09:15 - 00:09:17:11
Cynthia
advises the seller. So, you know, choosing the right agent, review the marketing plan, any,

00:09:17:11 - 00:09:23:16
Cynthia
offers that they might have if they're going to auction, just help them set their reserve price and just hold their hands and go through the process.

00:09:23:17 - 00:09:24:10
Cynthia
Are they not,

00:09:24:10 - 00:09:34:02
Cynthia
overwhelmed? And they understand what the next steps and the process is all. So I do believe that we work together really well as a team. I think we complement one another.

00:09:34:06 - 00:09:37:18
Glaucia
That's good because yeah, so I wouldn't think so. But that's good. That's good.

00:09:37:18 - 00:09:50:00
Cynthia
You know what I mean? It's when as a as a vendor advocate, if we've got a good relation with a good relationship with the seller, it does help the agent because if they have an issue or they've had,

00:09:50:00 - 00:09:54:14
Cynthia
anything come up with an offer knowing the closeness that we have with the seller?

00:09:54:14 - 00:09:59:12
Cynthia
It just makes it an easier way of saying, you know, they can you talk to your seller about this?

00:09:59:12 - 00:10:00:03
Cynthia
It just

00:10:00:03 - 00:10:01:19
Cynthia
it really does build

00:10:01:19 - 00:10:03:03
Cynthia
a good team. Yes.

00:10:03:03 - 00:10:04:19
Glaucia
Yeah. Okay. That's good to know.

00:10:04:22 - 00:10:11:17
Cynthia
Search it. I, I'm talking to Glaucia from Renovaction and they are bespoke cabinet makers.

00:10:11:17 - 00:10:14:08
Cynthia
Very high end, if I may say so myself.

00:10:14:08 - 00:10:21:03
Cynthia
classic a question for you as a woman in cabinet making industry or in the building industry,

00:10:21:03 - 00:10:27:11
Cynthia
how do you manage working in a traditionally male dominant environment?

00:10:27:13 - 00:10:38:05
Glaucia
Yeah, that's really funny, actually, because most of my private clients are women, and I think that they feel more comfortable working with me.

00:10:38:05 - 00:10:42:00
Glaucia
having another woman come to their houses,

00:10:42:00 - 00:10:44:20
Glaucia
make them feel safer and more relaxed.

00:10:44:20 - 00:10:55:20
Glaucia
I feel that we can chat more openly. And they don't. They feel more comfortable by. Even when they don't know the terms, the right terms, or they don't know what they want.

00:10:56:00 - 00:11:18:12
Glaucia
They feel more open to talk to me. And I also feel that they we get each other. It's like a metro connection that we have. And that makes a huge difference, especially because we are working on something so personal and makes a huge difference. It builds trust from day one, so that's why they feel that they feel heard and that they feel at ease.

00:11:18:19 - 00:11:25:13
Cynthia
So the woman is the one that really putting the plans together with the cabinetry, how they want the key and then they wardrobe and all those things too.

00:11:25:15 - 00:11:27:19
Glaucia
They are making the big decisions, making decisions.

00:11:27:19 - 00:11:46:21
Cynthia
So don't I love it, I love it. So how do you keep your designs fresh and unique while still making sure that they fit the client's needs? I mean, do you have a target market? You know that move with 20, 25 now,

00:11:46:21 - 00:11:48:21
Cynthia
you know, how does the cabinetry industry work?

00:11:49:01 - 00:11:50:08
Glaucia
Yes. So,

00:11:50:08 - 00:11:51:18
Glaucia
above the design,

00:11:51:18 - 00:12:08:22
Glaucia
keeping the design fresh and still meeting the client's needs. It's all about the a good briefing. So we always start with a good briefing, and we always listen first. So people normally tend to think that I will start with the questions. But in fact it is quite the opposite.

00:12:08:22 - 00:12:13:16
Glaucia
I will begin by inviting them to talk and I will listen.

00:12:13:18 - 00:12:20:21
Glaucia
Then the next step would be asking the right questions. Then I will ask the right questions to guide the things along.

00:12:20:21 - 00:12:22:02
Glaucia
It is

00:12:22:02 - 00:12:24:21
Glaucia
that's actually the beauty of custom work.

00:12:24:21 - 00:12:42:13
Glaucia
Because we have to know that everyone, they live differently. They have different homes that their homes work in different ways. So it's really important for us to understand how they use the space, how they cook, how they relax, how,

00:12:42:13 - 00:12:44:05
Glaucia
their mornings usually go.

00:12:44:07 - 00:12:48:00
Glaucia
So once we've got a really good idea of,

00:12:48:00 - 00:13:03:05
Glaucia
a really good feel for that, we then begin the creative process. We bring in the ideas, we start choosing the materials, then the whole process starts, and then it's really important you say that. Not true. No two projects are the same.

00:13:03:05 - 00:13:10:23
Glaucia
Never will be the same. They may have a few things in common, but because it is custom, it's unique.

00:13:11:04 - 00:13:20:00
Glaucia
It is just made for them. So that's how we try to manage the design with the the client needs and keeping everything fresh.

00:13:20:02 - 00:13:21:08
Cynthia
Interesting. Really.

00:13:21:08 - 00:13:28:13
Cynthia
Personal service like yours. Love it. What's the biggest challenge you face when

00:13:28:13 - 00:13:32:17
Cynthia
designing customers cabinetry for clients who

00:13:32:17 - 00:13:33:20
Cynthia
doesn't have,

00:13:33:20 - 00:13:34:20
Cynthia
an idea?

00:13:34:20 - 00:13:37:08
Cynthia
you know, if they really don't have an idea, how do you

00:13:37:08 - 00:13:39:09
Cynthia
start off, like getting the.

00:13:39:09 - 00:13:40:24
Cynthia
Yeah, juices flowing, you know.

00:13:41:00 - 00:13:41:09
Speaker 1
It is.

00:13:41:09 - 00:13:48:12
Glaucia
Hard. It's a bit tricky, but as we've just discussed, everything starts with a good briefing and but then,

00:13:48:12 - 00:13:50:17
Glaucia
one thing that helps a lot is,

00:13:50:17 - 00:13:54:07
Glaucia
inspiration pictures. So I normally tell my clients,

00:13:54:07 - 00:14:06:24
Glaucia
jump on Pinterest, have a look, create some boards. And that's an amazing way to collect ideas and just start understanding what you like and what you don't like, what you want, what you don't want.

00:14:07:01 - 00:14:10:21
Glaucia
So and then we also do the 3D drawings, which,

00:14:10:21 - 00:14:15:09
Glaucia
honestly is a life saver. It helps my clients to visualize,

00:14:15:09 - 00:14:24:07
Glaucia
the space and how it will look, how it will feel. That's another thing. And also over time, we've learned to develop,

00:14:24:07 - 00:14:27:07
Glaucia
not to develop, to understand like translate,

00:14:27:07 - 00:14:29:20
Glaucia
things that the client say, for example, we probably are the same,

00:14:29:20 - 00:14:35:10
Glaucia
they come to me and they say, oh, I want the space that will feel cozy, but modern, but not too modern.

00:14:35:15 - 00:14:48:11
Glaucia
But I want it to be a little bit rustic, but not like a farmhouse. So we start learning. You develop like a second language, understand the client needs. That's it comes with experience. Absolutely. Yes.

00:14:48:14 - 00:14:48:21
Speaker 1
Oh,

00:14:48:21 - 00:14:49:04
Speaker 1


00:14:49:06 - 00:14:54:02
Cynthia
So going to the next level, how do you decide what the best material is for a project?

00:14:54:02 - 00:14:56:02
Glaucia
we look at a few things,

00:14:56:02 - 00:14:57:20
Glaucia
how the space will be used.

00:14:57:20 - 00:15:00:12
Glaucia
clients budget, the style that they like.

00:15:00:12 - 00:15:04:11
Glaucia
So mature is beautiful, for example. But they're not always practical.

00:15:04:11 - 00:15:06:16
Glaucia
So we always try to suggest,

00:15:06:16 - 00:15:07:22
Glaucia
suggest options that may

00:15:07:22 - 00:15:15:05
Glaucia
not only look great, but also stand the test of time. Also, the location of the cabinetry is really important.

00:15:15:05 - 00:15:27:03
Glaucia
Not only not only whether it's going to be outdoor or indoor, but where the cabinetry will be installed, which room. And we also look at things like the sunlight exposure,

00:15:27:03 - 00:15:32:03
Glaucia
who is going to be living in the house if that person has kids or pets?

00:15:32:03 - 00:15:33:03
Glaucia
If it's a big,

00:15:33:03 - 00:15:39:04
Glaucia
busy household. And then it means that we may need to use a material that is more durable or easy to clean.

00:15:39:04 - 00:15:42:03
Glaucia
So everything depends on a lot of things.

00:15:42:03 - 00:15:44:09
Glaucia
But in the end, it is all about,

00:15:44:09 - 00:15:47:10
Glaucia
finding the right balance. Something that you,

00:15:47:10 - 00:15:51:18
Glaucia
switch the client lifestyle, the look, the budget, everything's everything together.

00:15:51:24 - 00:15:52:09
Speaker 1
Wow.

00:15:52:09 - 00:15:57:09
Cynthia
this is fascinating. So what's the most unexpected thing you've learned?

00:15:57:09 - 00:16:02:07
Cynthia
About cabinet making and running the business? Running that kind of a business?

00:16:02:07 - 00:16:08:22
Glaucia
I didn't realize how much of this job is about people and trust. It is,

00:16:08:22 - 00:16:20:20
Glaucia
because clients let us into the homes and lives and trust means a lot. It's not just about cabinets. It is about where they will cook with their kids. Where do we start today?

00:16:20:20 - 00:16:22:24
Glaucia
You've got to take your time and really care.

00:16:22:24 - 00:16:25:22
Glaucia
That's exactly how you do as well.

00:16:25:22 - 00:16:44:12
Glaucia
It is not about the property. Not just, just not about just buying a property. It's much more than that. So in our case, design and building matters, of course, but a big part of what we do is listen, we just we really listen to the client and we understand what they need.

00:16:44:14 - 00:16:50:18
Glaucia
Another thing that also surprised at me was how emotional this process can be, because,

00:16:50:18 - 00:17:02:14
Glaucia
some people have been working, they have been waiting for the cabinetry for years for the dream kitchen or the dream robes. So it's a very emotional process as well. It's really interesting.

00:17:02:16 - 00:17:21:16
Cynthia
It's interesting that you say that because even when I have clients buying and they pick out little things and it's like they use our trades because I can then comfortably say, don't worry about that pantry because I really I, I have somebody that I can introduce you to to help you do that. And I think it sounds the same thing.

00:17:21:18 - 00:17:27:08
Cynthia
People, once they trust you, they trust what you say. Absolutely. So if you have

00:17:27:08 - 00:17:38:07
Cynthia
somebody or trade that you want to use the trust, their 100% because you're spending so much of their money. So once you have that trust, you can guide them.

00:17:38:07 - 00:17:40:01
Glaucia
And you get to know them. All right.

00:17:40:06 - 00:17:41:24
Cynthia
All right. So that's my example.

00:17:41:24 - 00:17:46:00
Cynthia
How would you go about designing something

00:17:46:00 - 00:17:47:10
Cynthia
for a client that

00:17:47:10 - 00:17:54:14
Cynthia
they would love? And you know that this is what they've always wanted, but it's not something that would appeal.

00:17:54:14 - 00:17:56:21
Speaker 1
To you. How would you go about,

00:17:56:21 - 00:17:58:02
Speaker 1
dealing with a client like that?

00:17:58:04 - 00:18:00:21
Cynthia
it takes a lot of time until you

00:18:00:21 - 00:18:04:07
Cynthia
know how to do it and how to deal with it.

00:18:04:07 - 00:18:10:01
Cynthia
Because it's a challenge, but it is also part of the fun. Challenging is good.

00:18:10:01 - 00:18:14:16
Cynthia
Our job is to bring the client's vision to life, not our own style.

00:18:14:20 - 00:18:26:06
Cynthia
Because at the end of the day, it's their home, their space. They will be the ones living in there and seeing the whatever they have the whole day, their whole life. And they need to be happy with it.

00:18:26:06 - 00:18:32:09
Cynthia
Also, it is so rewarding to see how happy the client is when the project is finalized.

00:18:32:09 - 00:18:35:18
Cynthia
Even if it's not something that we would have picked.

00:18:35:20 - 00:18:49:12
Cynthia
So in the end, it doesn't really matter, because our purpose is to make the client happy with the decisions. Needs to be functional. We can guide them on other things like functionality, but it needs to make them happy.

00:18:49:12 - 00:18:56:01
Cynthia
So I would say we need to be flexible. And being flexible and open minded is the key in this case.

00:18:56:01 - 00:18:57:11
Speaker 1
if a client that,

00:18:57:11 - 00:19:04:15
Speaker 1
he was a single guy and, you know, had that unit and then suddenly moved in with a girlfriend, and then they called you and they said, you know,

00:19:04:15 - 00:19:10:02
Speaker 1
can you come redo the robes? And that was a big change because it was him alone when he bought it.

00:19:10:02 - 00:19:16:19
Speaker 1
And suddenly the girlfriend moves in, and then it's like, okay, well, now we have to accommodate a woman because it's not the same as a man.

00:19:16:19 - 00:19:20:04
Speaker 1
And you just. Yeah, you can read them and fit that in.

00:19:20:06 - 00:19:21:11
Cynthia
Absolutely. Yeah.

00:19:21:13 - 00:19:28:10
Cynthia
All righty. So, signature as myself. You are a woman in this industry that is,

00:19:28:10 - 00:19:33:17
Cynthia
dominated by men. So how do you feel working in this industry as a woman?

00:19:33:17 - 00:19:38:05
Speaker 1
I think Covid actually brought out the strength in women in real estate.

00:19:38:05 - 00:19:39:20
Speaker 1
sell ourselves

00:19:39:20 - 00:19:44:03
Speaker 1
strongly by the service, not necessarily by our clothing and our cars.

00:19:44:03 - 00:19:51:02
Speaker 1
So, yeah, Covid actually brought out more of women in, in real estate, especially auctioneers.

00:19:51:02 - 00:19:52:16
Speaker 1
And as a buyer's advocate,

00:19:52:16 - 00:20:03:02
Speaker 1
The relationship that we have with a client, a lot of the time, it is the woman, the mom that's really making the decisions.

00:20:03:03 - 00:20:03:18
Speaker 1
And,

00:20:03:18 - 00:20:20:23
Speaker 1
as you had said, just having that trust buy, we meet the clients face to face. Always the initial consultation and they let you in their homes. And a lot of the time it is on the weekend or it is off two hours and you just need to have that trust in that person because you don't. You have nothing you actually don't know.

00:20:20:23 - 00:20:24:02
Speaker 1
So it's it's building that rapport and that trust.

00:20:24:02 - 00:20:34:14
Speaker 1
And then a lot of the clients that you deal with are the woman. So I think that just really yes, it is a male dominating. But maybe from a sales point of view. But in buyer's advocacy,

00:20:34:14 - 00:20:36:04
Speaker 1
yes, it's really strong.

00:20:36:04 - 00:20:36:21
Speaker 1
As a woman.

00:20:36:21 - 00:20:37:05
Cynthia
And it's in.

00:20:37:05 - 00:20:37:20
Speaker 1
Real estate.

00:20:37:20 - 00:20:40:12
Cynthia
It's becoming more common, which is good.

00:20:40:14 - 00:20:48:24
Speaker 1
It is becoming more common now. You know, even when I do a vendor advocacy, it's just not something people even know about. Like they look at you like you're crazy.

00:20:48:24 - 00:21:01:12
Speaker 1
But that help is there. And it's not a matter of taking business away from a real estate agent. It's just people might buy 1 or 2 houses in their lives, and they might sell 1 or 2 houses in the lives.

00:21:01:12 - 00:21:08:24
Speaker 1
So this is not something that they do every day. Yeah. So by doing it every day and inspecting houses multiple days a week,

00:21:08:24 - 00:21:23:08
Speaker 1
it is a service and we can just, you know, nip it in the bud and certain things because we just know our processes and everything's tailored because no clients. I don't feel everybody wants something different.

00:21:23:08 - 00:21:23:22
Speaker 1
So,

00:21:23:22 - 00:21:35:17
Speaker 1
yeah. So the tailoring, but it's just getting to know different personalities. And I think one of the biggest things is knowing your suburbs, you know, and just keeping your, you know, sticking to your line and your niche.

00:21:35:17 - 00:21:37:11
Speaker 1
and woman can multitask.

00:21:37:13 - 00:21:39:13
Cynthia
Oh, yes, we can reverse that.

00:21:39:15 - 00:21:40:05
Speaker 1
So yeah.

00:21:40:09 - 00:21:42:20
Cynthia
So that's a great flip. Good.

00:21:42:23 - 00:21:49:03
Cynthia
I'm curious to know, do you have any horror story for us?

00:21:49:05 - 00:21:53:16
Speaker 1
Okay, so there's always a challenge.

00:21:53:16 - 00:21:59:15
Speaker 1
Happy to say we do have a 100% success rate, but nothing, not everything runs smoothly.

00:21:59:15 - 00:22:03:22
Speaker 1
I in fact, I'm actually currently working with clients. Gorgeous clients.

00:22:03:22 - 00:22:14:24
Speaker 1
And this is where I also find sometimes as the advocate, it's being able to support your client against their parents and their family, especially when they first home buyers.

00:22:15:01 - 00:22:24:01
Speaker 1
And keeping the noise out of their heads. You know, and they came to me, they paying me. So, you know, helping them.

00:22:24:01 - 00:22:25:17
Speaker 1
I work with this client at the moment and

00:22:25:17 - 00:22:28:20
Speaker 1
found a house and they have been looking had been missing out at,

00:22:28:20 - 00:22:30:08
Speaker 1
auction. You know, I,

00:22:30:08 - 00:22:32:21
Speaker 1
got myself and Metrolinx in the,

00:22:32:21 - 00:22:33:16
Speaker 1
to help them out.

00:22:33:17 - 00:22:38:14
Speaker 1
Found a beautiful home. We were actually made to go to auction on Saturday. And the mother of the,

00:22:38:14 - 00:22:39:18
Speaker 1
the wife said,

00:22:39:18 - 00:22:41:08
Speaker 1
the house is ugly. And

00:22:41:08 - 00:22:50:07
Speaker 1
the girl just given in and said, we're not going for the home, but inside the house, it ticked every box. Yeah. You know, so these are the challenges that I would be perfect.

00:22:50:08 - 00:22:56:22
Speaker 1
I respect the client. And it's fine to go back to the drawing board. But, you know, I sometimes feel that I need to be,

00:22:56:22 - 00:22:58:11
Speaker 1
psychologist or, you know,

00:22:58:11 - 00:23:08:11
Speaker 1
you know, trying to, you know, save a marriage or, you know, save a family. And just, you know, letting my client know that I'm there for my client.

00:23:08:13 - 00:23:26:13
Speaker 1
You know, I don't think you would call it a horror story, but not everything runs smoothly because everybody's got an opinion from a friend or a coworker or a family member. And trying to bring them back to, okay, this is about you, right? That people have an opinion, but this is about you. So,

00:23:26:13 - 00:23:31:11
Speaker 1
you know, those can really be challenging times, you know, really challenging times.

00:23:31:11 - 00:23:34:07
Speaker 1
And then, you know, you've also got your clients that feel that,

00:23:34:07 - 00:23:54:00
Speaker 1
well, we'll just challenge you to see how strong you are or you know, what you can do. So they just go out and do it just because they can. Yeah. You know, they're not achieving anything. Yeah. You know, so not everything not every client is ideal and not every every purchase or sale or sale is is perfect.

00:23:54:00 - 00:24:16:16
Speaker 1
But again, in just in time and in years of listening to the clients, understanding them, to hopefully be able to have a recommendation or an answer for them, to guide them in the direction that I know in my heart needs to be done, but you just have to tread really lightly and not given. Not just what did I say?

00:24:16:16 - 00:24:21:17
Speaker 1
Slow and steady wins. But the race. So yes. Yes. It's

00:24:21:17 - 00:24:34:13
Speaker 1
and every client is different just like you are. So you can never say same same because it's never the same. Now. And that's why I love my job is because day after day, client after client, it's a new experience every time.

00:24:34:15 - 00:24:37:15
Cynthia
Oh that's good. That's what I love about my job as well.

00:24:37:15 - 00:24:39:10
Speaker 1
Okay, I'm going to throw you a curveball.

00:24:39:12 - 00:24:41:13
Cynthia
Okay.

00:24:41:15 - 00:24:48:07
Speaker 1
Coming to Australia. What made you getting to cabinet? Making?

00:24:48:09 - 00:25:03:15
Cynthia
Women used to work in cabinet making in Brazil. So has been working with cabinet making for around 14 years. And he was working for someone else here in Brazil and then here in Australia for about eight years.

00:25:03:15 - 00:25:15:22
Cynthia
And then we decided to open our own, because the only way for you to work in the way you like and to really bring your vision to life and how to do things is if you run your own businesses,

00:25:15:22 - 00:25:18:12
Cynthia
even if you work for a company that is open mind, it is.

00:25:18:12 - 00:25:26:24
Cynthia
It is really hard for you to really do what you want. So that's why we decided to open our own. And then I came into the business,

00:25:26:24 - 00:25:37:13
Cynthia
when the business was around six months, I think. So for me, everything was pretty new and I'm still learning a lot. But,

00:25:37:13 - 00:25:41:01
Cynthia
it is so rewarding to work with people,

00:25:41:01 - 00:25:42:23
Cynthia
to be part of the personal life.

00:25:42:23 - 00:26:03:12
Cynthia
And as I said before, most of my private clients, when they're renovating, doing a new kitchen or wardrobe, they've been waiting to do it for such a long time, and they have so many images and ideas and things that like, they've been dreaming a lot. So it is super rewarding because as I always said, I always say,

00:26:03:12 - 00:26:11:24
Cynthia
I can only have, of course it can be moving houses and renovating kitchens for myself, but I won't be doing this because it's not just how life is.

00:26:12:01 - 00:26:17:10
Cynthia
I can have one, two, three kitchens, four kitchens in my whole life. But when I'm working with my clients,

00:26:17:10 - 00:26:29:19
Cynthia
when I'm doing these projects for damn, it is like I'm doing something for myself every day. A new color, a new material, a new space, new design solutions. So it is so rewarding.

00:26:29:21 - 00:26:46:24
Speaker 1
That's what I save. I wouldn't compost something for somebody else if I wouldn't live in it. Yes. So do you feel that this just helped you settle in Australia? Because you have the business and it's just taught you the a little bit of the culture of some of the people you know? Yes.

00:26:47:00 - 00:26:54:06
Cynthia
Especially for me, because my previous job, I was I used to work for an educational agency and,

00:26:54:06 - 00:27:12:23
Cynthia
my directors were Brazilian and I used to work with Brazilians, students, Colombian students. So I didn't have much contact with the Australian people. We didn't always had. But myself personally, I didn't have the contact. So since we started the business, my life changed.

00:27:13:00 - 00:27:34:16
Cynthia
I grew a lot personally, and I've learned a lot about the culture, the people, and I love it. I really love it. It is weird. We're kind of similar to Brazilian and Australia in a way, but you just start picking up things and learning more and it's so important because we are we plan to live here for our whole lives.

00:27:34:16 - 00:27:37:07
Cynthia
So it is so important to learn and to

00:27:37:07 - 00:27:39:07
Cynthia
add to the culture as well.

00:27:39:09 - 00:27:54:06
Speaker 1
Well, it's true. I mean, we came I'm English born, English speaking, and you come to a different country and it's like lost in translation. Yes, Australian speak English, but they oh my goodness, they they shorten words. They create their own words. They should have their own dictionary.

00:27:54:08 - 00:27:55:23
Cynthia
So I know.

00:27:55:24 - 00:27:58:22
Speaker 1
Yeah. So it just moves in the. That's great.

00:27:58:22 - 00:28:02:03
Speaker 1
It's really interesting. It's really exciting. Yeah.

00:28:02:04 - 00:28:08:23
Cynthia
Everyone should go to, to live in a different country at least once in their lives. It is really. It's a big.

00:28:08:23 - 00:28:13:23
Speaker 1
Move. I mean, we came here and I think I'm totally off topic.

00:28:14:03 - 00:28:32:05
Speaker 1
When you move a country, it's really difficult. We had Covid and we got locked and we were in lockdown. That was nothing. On moving a country. So I think a lot of the foreigners probably were better off and had better strength in themselves because they didn't have any roots. Like when they came, they didn't have a home, they didn't have a visa, didn't have a job.

00:28:32:05 - 00:28:39:05
Speaker 1
So we were used to making it work and finding the best outcome. Yes.

00:28:39:05 - 00:28:41:13
Speaker 1
So I think by we got strength

00:28:41:13 - 00:28:43:09
Speaker 1
in moving countries and just,

00:28:43:09 - 00:28:49:07
Speaker 1
so we have to hold up the full world's. It's not the end of the world. As long as you got food on the table and the rest of our heads like we just make it.

00:28:49:07 - 00:28:50:07
Cynthia
I totally get.

00:28:50:07 - 00:29:09:02
Speaker 1
It. And I think that's way in property. That's what gives me the most satisfaction, is being able to put a roof over people's heads. And they're happy, especially when they're young. And you get to the first child, second child, and then they reach a stage where the children now want to buy a home or they downsizing. It's been many years and yours would be the same thing.

00:29:09:02 - 00:29:14:19
Speaker 1
Somebody buys a home and then they've putting your cabinetry and you see how their lives go from,

00:29:14:19 - 00:29:16:12
Speaker 1
you know better to better and better. So,

00:29:16:12 - 00:29:17:14
Speaker 1
a lot of satisfaction in.

00:29:17:15 - 00:29:19:23
Cynthia
It is yes I agree, I agree.

00:29:19:23 - 00:29:42:10