My Professional Journey to Becoming a Buyers Agent – Leanne Spring

From law enforcement to client advocacy

When people hear that I spent 13 years as a District Intelligence Analyst with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) before transitioning into property advisory, they usually do a double take. It seems like an odd career pivot on the surface. But the truth is, the analytical rigour, strategic thinking, and commitment to integrity that defined my police work are precisely what make me effective as a buyers’ agent.

Looking back now, I can see that my journey from law enforcement to founding Tailored Buyers Agents wasn’t a departure from my values – it was an evolution of them.

Intelligence analysis is methodical, detail-oriented work that demands precision and the ability to synthesise complex information into actionable insights. During my years at the Queensland Police Service, I learned to process large amounts of data, identify patterns, and draw evidence-based conclusions. I could think strategically, anticipate outcomes, and remain composed under pressure.

What I didn’t fully realise at the time was how transferable these skills would become

When I transitioned into property in 2014, I brought that analytical mindset with me. Where some agents were content to show clients properties and hope they’d fall in love with them, I was asking different questions. I was looking at property data the way I’d once analysed intelligence.

The integrity piece was equally important. In law enforcement, your reputation is everything. You’re trusted with sensitive information and asked to make decisions that affect people’s lives.

That commitment to ethical conduct didn’t disappear when I changed careers. If anything, it’s become even more central to how I operate.

Property needs people with vision

Over the past 11-plus years working as a buyers agent, I’ve seen the property advisory space from different angles.

I’ve worked at a range of firms of varying sizes. I’ve studied other business operations – both competitors and affiliates. I’ve seen how the industry works, where the conflicts of interest lie, and what is being delivered under the guise of “results”.

What struck me most was a fundamental misalignment between what a client was being offered and what they actually needed. Too often, the advisor’s interests and the client’s interests weren’t pointing in the same direction. There were incentive structures that rewarded speed over quality, commissions that created biases, and processes designed more for efficiency than for genuine client advocacy.

I also noticed something else: many clients weren’t being encouraged to think strategically about their property purchases. They were making emotional decisions, falling in love with homes, and failing to consider the asset fundamentals that would determine whether that property would actually serve their long-term wealth-building journey as well as their need for shelter.

As someone who’d spent years in law enforcement developing strategic thinking and analytical discipline, this frustrated me. I knew there had to be a better way… so I decided to start my own business.

I wanted to build a boutique, independent firm where every decision was made with the client’s best interests at the absolute centre, and I could make a positive impact on their lives.

In August 2025, I partnered with Amelia Reddiex, another highly experienced buyers’ agent who shares my values, and we established Tailored Buyers Agents.

This wasn’t about ego or ambition in the traditional sense. It was about creating a buyers agency where transparency is non-negotiable, where our success is entirely dependent on our clients’ success, and where we have the freedom to operate independently without any conflicts of interest.

What I Want to Change

The property buying experience in Brisbane can be overwhelming. My clients are typically busy professionals, growing families, or individuals with significant financial commitments who can’t afford to make poor property decisions.

Here’s what we’re committed to at Tailored Buyers Agency:

We want to shift the conversation from emotion to strategy

Your home is important, and yes, it should feel right for your lifestyle. But it’s also likely the largest asset you’ll ever own. It needs to be selected with the same rigour you’d apply to any significant investment. That means looking beyond aesthetics and considering location fundamentals, land value, scarcity factors, infrastructure development, and genuine buyer appeal.

We want to ensure comprehensive due diligence happens before you commit

This isn’t just about inspections, though those matter. It’s about understanding the fundamental drivers of demand for each property and how they may influence the potential for value gain. It includes an understanding of things like block position and aspect, assessing whether a property’s structural integrity is sound or whether you’re inheriting a slow-motion maintenance nightmare. It’s asking whether renovations will genuinely enhance capital growth or lead to overcapitalisation. These conversations don’t happen often enough, and properties that should never have been purchased end up in clients’ portfolios because they weren’t explored.

We want to position every purchase as part of a wealth-building journey

Your first home isn’t your forever home. Your second isn’t either. Each property should be selected not just as a place to live now, but as a stepping stone that positions you well for what comes next. Could this property be retained as an investment? Could it support subdivision or development in future? What will buyer appeal look like in five years?

I want to eliminate fear from the process

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, a young professional, someone managing a portfolio transition, or an experienced investor, the property buying process shouldn’t feel chaotic. It should feel like you’re working with someone who understands the market, respects your time, and has your back.

Integrity without compromise

Everything I do is underpinned by one principle: we work for you with no kickbacks, no hidden agendas, and no allegiance to anyone except you. That’s not marketing language. That’s how I operate because it’s the only way I can look myself in the mirror at the end of the day.

My law enforcement background taught me that integrity isn’t something you have some of – it’s something you either have, or you don’t. In my work as a buyers’ agent, that means giving you honest assessments even when they’re not what you want to hear. It means walking away from deals that don’t serve your interests. It means being transparent about risks and opportunities.

Looking to the future

Starting Tailored Buyers Agents represents the culmination of more than two decades of professional experience and a genuine passion for helping people. I’m not interested in being the biggest buyers agency in Brisbane. I’m interested in being the best for our clients.

The property market will continue to evolve. Interest rates will shift, values will fluctuate, and conditions will change. But what won’t change is my commitment to bringing analytical rigour, strategic thinking, comprehensive due diligence, and absolute integrity to every client relationship.