In celebration of International Women's Day, Colliers' interview women from diverse backgrounds and roles within the property industry, including Indiana Garlick – Manager, Office Leasing, Colliers, as they share insights into their careers.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the property industry and how did your journey start?

I only ever thought property was residential but found the Property Economics course in a university booklet and thought the subjects sounded interesting. I was lucky enough to secure work experience at BlackRock in their Property division before I committed to the university course and found out I loved the diversity it had to offer. Then, in my final year of studying Property Economics, I was offered a role in the Colliers undergraduate program with Office Leasing in the Sydney CBD as my first rotation and have not looked back since.   

Can you share a significant challenge you faced in your career and how you overcame it?

Covid was very challenging as after a week in the undergraduate program the world entered its first lockdown (March 2020) and the course was cancelled, for obvious reasons. I was fortunate I still had a year remaining in my university course to commit to and also landed a job in Property Management. I knew after a very short week in the program that I wanted to be an office leasing agent at Colliers in the Sydney CBD and ensured after the program was cancelled that I remained in contact with the team. The effort paid off when I got a call 12 months later offering me an operator role, which I accepted.

What is the best advice you have ever received, and how has it impacted your career?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Property is such a people-based business, and it is important to always put your hand up for opportunities, reach out to people in the industry to introduce yourself and never be afraid to ask questions. There is always something to learn from someone else and things you can improve on.

What achievements are you most proud of in your career so far?

Achievements that are easy to reflect on and I am very grateful to have been awarded include the Colliers Rookie of the Year in 2022, Colliers Rising Star in 2023 and Dexus Rising Star for 2024. Although I would also say I am proud to be a mentor to females in the business and champion NextGen Events on behalf of the company.

What advice would you give young women and men considering a career in property?

I would say jump in headfirst, there are so many avenues within the industry you can go down and roles that align well with so many different personality traits. I would pass on the advice I was given and always put yourself out there, this is an industry where you can always be growing, learning and meeting new people.  

Celebrating Women in Property:

Celebrating women in property - Julia Portnoy | Commo.

Colliers celebrate women in property - Berri Jones | Commo.

Celebrating women in property - Olivia Ross | Commo.

Colliers celebrate women in property - Catherine Scott | Commo.

Colliers celebrate women in property - Indiana Garlick | Commo.

Colliers celebrate women in property - Lisa Murdoch | Commo.

Celebrating Women in property - Suzanne Jones | Commo.

Colliers celebrate women in property - Lucy Munday | Commo.

Women thriving after reinventing their careers - Ray White | The Real Estate Conversation

How Buxton Real Estate champions Women in Real Estate every day | The Real Estate Conversation