Single mum, investment property expert, businesswomen’s advocate, wine lover, foodie and long term Geelong local. Sophie Kennedy-Rush is a powerhouse with a passion for life and professional reputation that precedes her. In fact, it was Sophie’s good name that scored her a role at Buxton, with a specially created managerial position.

It all started years earlier, when Sophie had handled investment properties for a Buxton Director’s family. ‘He remembered me and asked if I would be open to a chat.’ The rest is now history.

Today, as Business Development Manager across seven Buxton offices, she continues to be approached by property investors she has worked with before, sometimes from as long as 15 years ago, testament to the care, energy and transparency she has become known for.

Sophie’s real estate career began 2005 and shortly after she moved to Geelong, finding her feet in the industry along the Great Ocean Road. ‘I’ve been here so long I’m familiar with every suburb and their peaks and troughs in the market, across rental yields, rental prices and searching demographics. I relate that back to our clients, so they’re informed before they buy an investment property, make a move in the market in terms of changing agents, or even before putting a rent increase in place.’

But it’s her love of Geelong and its community that comes across in everything she does. ’Geelong is wonderful and I love how close it is to everything you could ever need. You’ve got the Otways, the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne and my family in the country are quite close as well. There are great places for food, wine, gin and music.’

Sophie openly admits she was never a big AFL fan and supports Richmond – following in her dad’s footsteps, but these days she’s quite happy to support Geelong and loves attending games at the home ground. ‘My partner is hellbent on supporting the Cats so I join that bandwagon and pump him up whenever I can, except when it’s Richmond vs. Geelong! My director, Ben Riddle, works really closely with the Cats and we often get players in the office – it’s got everyone excited about the football season starting’.

Sophie credits her life experience for giving her a positive approach to everything she tackles. ‘I’m a Type-1 Diabetic, diagnosed on International Women’s Day 26 years ago. Looking back I’ve achieved a great deal - having strived for a career, raising my daughter, being close with my family, and particularly my chapter at Buxton. I’m very lucky and extremely proud.’

Whether it’s young people starting out in the profession or potential clients with an investment property, Sophie believes that it’s all about having the right working relationship. ‘When I stepped into Buxton I couldn’t believe that an agency like this existed. It’s important to listen to people’s reputation, do your own due diligence, and make sure you are partnering with people who will be a good fit and lift you up.’