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6:24AM Tuesday 02 December, 2008

Laguna marks 30 years

10 October 2008

Bob Dylan famously wrote “The times they are a changin”, and that sentiment rings true for those a long time in business.

Celebrating 30 years in real estate, Olivier Miller and her team at Laguna have seen changes in Noosa, but there has been one consistent theme that has enabled the business to achieve success in a rapidly evolving market: good old-fashioned service.

Richard Forsyth, Laguna partner from 1998 to 2006, said the business had strived to establish a credible name in what was a small town.

“The respect you gain in town and the way you serve people is important,” Mr Forsyth said.

Olivier Miller took on sole ownership of the business last month, a crowning achievement for a woman who started in real estate while pregnant with her first daughter.

Mrs Miller said she had worked part-time and it was in 1983 that she became a full-time member of the fledgling Laguna team. “I just loved it, I embraced it,” she said.

The Laguna story began with a sales caravan, at Noosa Sound, belonging to Ron Sgrow and has since grown to four offices, including Coolum and the burgeoning Gympie operation, employing more than 50 people and utilising the latest in technology and marketing.

 Mrs Miller attributed that growth to the culture of teamwork within Laguna, a commitment to professionalism, and the ability to listen to the customer and provide accurate data.

Recalling some of the momentous occasions in the 25 years she had been directly involved, Mrs Miller said negotiating partnerships to sell units off the plan, had been challenging and rewarding.

Units in one of those projects, Noosa Quest, were sold three times before the building was complete.

As for the future, Mrs Miller said it’s about consolidating in a tough market, but she’s enjoying steering the ship.

“Laguna is in my veins,” she said.

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