Sophie Mclean has turned her lifelong passion for property into a mission to help homeowners maximise their profits. Through Your Property Profits, she empowers clients to achieve the best results, focusing on sustainability, affordability, and making a positive impact on the community.
What inspired you to pursue a career in your field, and how did you get started?
I have been passionate about property and renovations for as long as I can remember, buying my first investment property at 23 and attending as many workshops on property development, investment and renovation as I possibly could. My weekends were spent seeking out houses to flip or visiting display homes for ideas and inspiration. Prior to establishing Your Property Profits, I undertook several large-scale developments in Tasmania and Adelaide, as well as renovating and flipping my own properties in Canberra. My experience has been first-hand and direct, having renovated more than 70 properties and developed 18 new builds. I adore the design aspect of property; transforming dowdy or run-down houses into beautiful homes.
I created Your Property Profits to combine each of my passions, using my love and knowledge of property to help those who most need help to maximise their profits from the sale of their homes. I observed that many people selling their homes lacked either the knowledge or the finances they needed to get their property market ready and to maximise the sale price. This meant those least able to afford it (such as people facing repossession, pensioners and single-parent families) were forced to sell their homes below market value, while investors or property sharks walked away with their properties for a steal. The solution was to use my knowledge, capital, trade team and experience to help these people get top dollar for their homes and move on in a stronger financial position.
I am also passionate about environmental sustainability, housing affordability and the protection of Canberra’s most financially vulnerable demographic sectors.
What moment in your career are you most proud of, and why does it stand out to you?
I love our business. I’m so proud of what we do for several reasons:
Our fee structure: we make money WITH our clients, rather than profiting FROM our clients. This sets us apart in the industry. Standard renovation company models make money by encouraging clients to spend as much as possible. The more works completed, the more money the renovation company makes, regardless of whether or not these works overcapitalise on the property. YPP is different. We take on all the risks associated with the renovations so our clients don’t have to. We don’t make money on the renovations themselves, so it is not in our interest to undertake work that will not benefit the client. Instead, we make money only if our clients do, we are paid from the profit we have made them.
Environmental sustainability: we recognise the indisputable influence that our industry has on the environment and have taken action. We offset two tonnes of carbon emissions for every $10,000 we spend on renovations to our client’s choice of one of four humanitarian aid projects.
Financial assistance: our financial assistance package offers a financial bailout to clients facing financial difficulty and in need of urgent help. It means right up to repossession, we can help any client in a way no other business can.
What are your favourite things about living and working in the Canberra region?
I’ve lived in Canberra since I was six months old and have never considered living anywhere else. Every time I travel, I’m reminded of what a fabulous city we live in. It’s clean, safe and affordable, there’s minimal traffic and it offers every opportunity in life for myself and my kids. Canberra is home.
What advice do you have for young people looking to enter the working world?
People know when you are genuine and honest; being authentic is invaluable. The only other thing I can say is that grit is the number one quality that determines success.
What drives you to continuously enhance your professional skills?
My passion for renovating and for helping others are the continual drivers for me.  Helping my clients gives me great pleasure and I genuinely love learning new techniques, finding new products and playing with designs and colour schemes.  The more ways we can find to save money or enhance our final products for our clients, the money they make and the more people we can help.  I love that we also get to change lives through our sustainability program which offsets carbon to humanitarian aid. To date, we’ve offset more than 250 tonnes of carbon to humanitarian aid in Cambodia, Kenya and the Amazon.
How significant is the support of family and friends in helping you throughout your career and life?
I am blessed to have an amazing family; my gorgeous husband, three beautiful daughters and amazing sister are a constant source of support to me, putting up with my sometimes very strange hours and sharing in the excitement of new achievements. My mum was one of the first investors in my business, backing me all the way. She felt sure the business was a great idea and that it was a job I would love and excel at.
Outside of work, what activities or passions keep you energised?
I am passionate about art and blown glass, both of which are interests that I pursue with great vigour. I love buying pieces to use to style some of our projects. Outside of these, my family and friends are my passions! My family and I have a bit of land where we have donkeys, goats, pigs and a load of other animals and where we love to spend time outdoors hiking and swimming.
What are your top tips for creating a healthy work-life balance?
I don’t know how to answer this one, I’m not sure I’ve achieved that just yet?!
