Nic Fren

She’s been through the hard times, the kind most people never talk about. But today, Irina Branover isn’t surviving anymore. She’s in control. After years of quietly holding everything together for her family, her clients, and her career, she’s finally sharing the story behind the person so many in the industry know, but few have truly met.

For years, property managers have quietly held the real estate industry together. They’ve been the first to pick up the phone and the last to switch off the lights — managing expectations, juggling compliance, and keeping clients calm while the market around them shifted. Through legislation changes, landlord demands, and a constant wave of new technology, they’ve held the fort.But somewhere along the way, their role became heavier, noisier, and lonelier than it should ever have been. Now, a...

Competition is kicking in early ahead of the spring property season, with Loan Market recording a 53 per cent surge in home loan pre-approvals over July compared to a year ago.