‘Synonymous with Canberra’: Who is the Allhomes team?

Allhomes has been part of Canberra and the surrounding NSW region for more than two decades. Looking back on the 22 years since its establishment, we’ve shared lows, highs, wins, records and accolades with Canberrans across the region.

We’ve seen the evolution of Canberra as a young city and have been privileged to be part of many residents’ journeys when renting, buying, selling and investing.

But Allhomes wouldn’t be the same without the 30 individuals spread across the capital and the surrounding NSW region who continue to develop our websites, apps and news, delivering up-to-date insights to anyone on their property journey.

So, we’re highlighting some of our employees who live and work in Canberra and help to make this locally-operated company what it is today and what it aspires to be.

Danielle Harmer, Gungahlin

Role at Allhomes: General manager

Time at Allhomes: 5.5 years

How long have you lived in Canberra?

I was born and bred in Canberra until I completed university at the University of Canberra. I then left the capital for 12 years, living in Sydney then New York, before returning six years ago for family.

What makes Gungahlin so special to you?

Most of my immediate family is here. My parents grew up in Jugiong and Cootamundra so this area is very familiar to us and goes back generations. My kids now go to the same school as their cousins and second cousins (around eight of them in total).

What do you love most about the suburb you live in?

I live in Nicholls and love everything about it, from the well-kept houses on our street and beautiful hedges to the golf and picturesque hills nearby. Everything is at an arm’s length and it has a great community here.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that we are a local business that has been operating for over 20 years in the capital region, that we give back and support our community local sporting teams like the Brumbies, and that we get to inspire all of life’s property decisions. I love the brand and that it’s synonymous with Canberra.

There are countless reasons why I love my job, from its cutting edge technology to our magazine publication, but, most of all, I love the people.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

I love spending time with my family of five. I also like to run and CrossFit and, ironically, I follow the real estate market even outside of hours – I’m only slightly obsessed!

Oliver Wang, Belconnen

Role at Allhomes: DevOps engineer

Time at Allhomes: 5 months

How long have you lived in Canberra and in the Belconnen region?

I’ve lived in the Belconnen region and in the Belconnen suburb since I arrived in Canberra more than five years ago.

What makes the region and the suburb you live in so special to you?

It was the first area I moved into when I arrived and, apart from its convenient location, it’s also close to my friends from university who all live nearby … we often catch up and work out when we can.

From where I live in Belconnen, it’s such a short distance to Lake Ginninderra. There are many outdoor facilities there such as barbecues, a basketball court and even many Pokemon raids. 

If there was any other region or suburb in the capital you could move to, where would it be and why?

I would prefer to live in Campbell or Cook because my wife and I love quiet and peaceful suburbs, but we wouldn’t mind any of the suburbs at the bottom of Mount Ainslie or Mount Painter.

What do you love most about your job?

I’ve only been with the Allhomes team for five months now and I love how friendly my colleagues are and the working environment here. I feel loved and supported by all my kind colleagues.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

I’m big on sports but mostly basketball.

Phil Toleafoa, Tuggeranong

Role at Allhomes: Key account manager

Time at Allhomes: 1 year

How long have you lived in Canberra and in Tuggeranong?

I’ve lived in Canberra for seven years and have been in Tuggeranong for five of those years.

What makes Tuggeranong, or Tuggers as some know it, so special to you?

What makes Tuggeranong special to me is everything is so accessible: schools, shops, playgrounds and shopping centres.

What do you love most about the street you live on?

The street I live on backs onto a golf course where we regularly walk and from there it spills onto the local parks where we often take the kids to play.

If there was any other region in the capital you could move to, where would it be and why?

I’m really happy with where I live and its location, but if I could live anywhere else, I’d probably move to the Inner South because they have some amazing homes there and great capital growth.

What do you love most about your job?

There are many amazing aspects to my job but one of the parts I love most is working with the people I get to work with, both within the Allhomes team (they have the best team vibe) and with the clients I get to work with every day.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

Outside of work I love to hang out with my wife and three kids, as well as coach rugby union at the Uni Owls.

Kathy Kambouris, Woden Valley

Role at Allhomes: Office manager

Time at Allhomes: 2.5 years

How long have you lived in Canberra and in Woden Valley?

I’ve lived in Canberra for 33 years and have lived within the Woden Valley region the whole time, from Hughes to O’Malley, Philip, Mawson and now Isaac.

What makes Isaacs so special to you?

It’s safe and peaceful, but also the location! It’s so close to everything including my family, friends, shops and school, and not too far from the Allhomes office either.

If there was any other region in the capital you could move to, where would it be and why?

Without a doubt, it’d be the Inner South but I’ll always be a Valley girl at heart.

What do you love most about your job?

Where do I even start? I love everything about it, the variability in my work, the company culture, but most of all, I love the people I work with. They’re such a fun, caring and talented team of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

I try to catch up with family and friends when I can, but those that know me know how much I love to cook, so I spend most of my time in the kitchen. I find baking especially therapeutic.

Patrick De Young, Tuggeranong

Role at Allhomes: Principal product manager

Time at Allhomes: 3.5 years

How long have you lived in Canberra and in Tuggeranong?

My wife and I moved to Canberra in 2016 while pregnant with our first kid. We wanted to be close to family and friends because we knew we wanted a local support network to lean on as new parents. After living with my wife’s parents to save up a deposit, we bought a fixer-upper in Kambah in late 2017 and have been slowly (but surely!) renovating the house and rehabilitating the gardens.

What makes Tuggeranong so special to you?

You could say this for almost any district in Canberra, but the proximity to nature is something I really love about Tuggeranong.

What do you love most about living in Kambah?

Since we’re in one of the older suburbs, we’re lucky to have a big block of land where we can build up our gardening skills. We’ve set up rainwater tanks to collect runoff from the roof which feeds our veggies and small (but well-loved) orchard in the backyard. We have a few other green thumbs on the street, including a lovely neighbour who always picks a few fresh flowers for our kids when we pass by on a walk.

If there was any other region in the capital you could move to, where would it be and why?

Ainslie has come up in conversation several times when my wife and I are dreaming about a forever home. Beautiful old houses, streets lined with established trees … those are all well and good but, let’s be honest, it’s the cheese selection from the Ainslie IGA that’s the real selling point. It’s probably good that we don’t live within walking distance because I would spend my whole paycheck on French cheese.

What do you love most about your job?

As part of my job, I get to talk to a lot of people both inside and outside of the company to understand how they interact with our website and mobile apps. It’s fascinating to hear all the different (and sometimes competing!) priorities that our users have. The challenge of trying to navigate those differences and producing something valuable is what keeps me coming back each day. 

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

I’d say gardening, but really it’s my wife who keeps all the plants alive and thriving; I am mostly responsible for digging through the seemingly endless amount of clay in our yard to prep garden beds. But really, anything that gets me outdoors or working with my hands, like cycling, hiking or woodworking.

Mayo Pospisil, Inner South

Role at Allhomes: Residential sales manager

Time at Allhomes: 4.5 years

How long have you lived in Canberra and in the Inner South? 

I moved to Kingston last year but before then, I was living in Turner (Inner North) for a few months. Prior to that, I was in Bonner (Gungahlin), where I moved to first in 2015.

What makes Inner South so special to you? 

I love having a view of the lake from our place and cafe and restaurants right on our doorsteps. I love the nightlife and the buzz of the foreshore on Friday and Saturday nights. 

If there was any other region in the capital you could move to, where would it be and why? 

Probably Braddon in the Inner North for its nightlife, more cafes and restaurants.  

What do you love most about your job? 

I love meeting clients, talking about what we can do to help to sell the properties at the best possible price. 

Outside of work, what do you like to do? 

I love going to the snow in winter, SUPing (stand-up paddleboarding) in summer and doing CrossFit every other day! Then, of course, heading to the coast or Sydney on the weekends.