PIPA interviewed Dr. Jenny Jia

Recently, PIPA (the Property Investment Professionals of Australia) conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Jenny Jia, Director of JL Property Buyers Agent.

In the interview, Dr. Jia shared the company’s core values, service specialisation, award-winning strategies, and long-term vision for growth.

She emphasised that JL Property is built on the principle of " Stay true, stay humble, never cut corners." The firm is committed to maintaining an identity that is independent, professional, and caring—always doing the right thing.

JL Property is dedicated to delivering outstanding buyer advocacy services for both owner-occupiers and property investors across residential and commercial sectors.

Below is the full transcript of the interview:

Jenny Jia is the Director of JL Property, has a doctorate in IT, a Masters of Property, and recently was named the overall QPIA of the Year at the 2025 PIPA Awards for Excellence.


­Q: Can you please tell us more about your business JL Property Buyers Agent?

Our business focus on the niche market Chinese property buyers in Australia.

One of our standout features is that all key members hold Master's or Doctorate degrees and possess deep expertise in the real estate field, consistently upholding high professional standards.

Our value is simple yet powerful: Stay true, stay humble, never cut corners. We offer only bespoke services and work with a limited number of clients.

We set exceptionally high standards, take the time to get every detail right, and walk alongside our clients through the entire home-buying journey — providing both expert advice and a warm, supportive experience.

We always do the right things, bear clients’ best interest in mind, and always exceed their expectations.

Our values and professional excellence have been consistently recognised across the industry. We were proud to be named the REIV Property Valuer of the Year (Winner), twice nominated as a Finalist for the REIV Buyers Agent of the Year and recognised by the REB Awards — before winning three prestigious awards from PIPA in 2025.

At JL Property, we don’t just help clients buy property — we build trust, deliver value, and shape futures.

Q: How long have you been a property investment professional and what were your pathways into the profession (incl. other careers)?

I began my journey in property investment back in 2004. At the time, I was completing my Doctorate in Information Technology at the National University of Defence Technology. I knew almost nothing about investment. My partner started his Master of Economics since 2003, which opened my eyes to investment. I read all his books and attended his classes. I was fascinated by the fact that money can multiply when invested wisely.

With a strong sensitivity to numbers and an instinctive grasp of market trends, I gradually developed a sharp ability to analyse and respond to shifting dynamics. I was often among the first to detect subtle movements in the property market.

Six years ago, after years of hands-on investment experience, I enrolled in the Master of Property program at the University of Melbourne, where I spent three years in full-time study. This became a time of deep reflection and consolidation — not only did it expand my understanding of Australia’s property cycles, urban planning, valuation, and transaction systems, but it also marked my transition from a passionate individual investor to a dedicated property professional.

Since establishing my own buyer’s agency over three years ago, I’ve continued to grow every single day. We joined REIV, PIPA, and REBAA to ensure we stay at the forefront of the industry.

We put in every effort to secure the best opportunities for our clients and deliver meaningful value to support their long-term family wealth building.

Q: Please also tell us a little about your own personal property investment history.   

My journey in property investment began 20 years ago, during a period when China’s real estate market was booming. I was fortunate to ride one of China’s most prosperous property cycles — seizing the buying opportunities during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and later, in 2016, sensing emerging risks and exiting the market completely. That was when I began shifting my focus overseas.

I conducted in-depth research into property markets across different countries, with particular attention to Australia. Gradually, I implemented my investment strategy in Australia and built a sizeable portfolio for my family.

Reflecting on two decades of property investment, I have three key insights to share.

First, property markets operate under different logics in different countries — and even in different cities.

Second, property cycles vary significantly from state to state, and even between cities or suburbs.

Third, successful investing requires an innate contrarian mindset: Buy in silence, sell in applause.

Q: What are some of the reasons why you originally decided to join PIPA and complete the Qualified Property Investment Adviser training program?

We joined PIPA for the following reasons：

Firstly, as a professional buyers advocate, providing advice to others requires more than just personal success. It demands structure, accountability, ethical foundations, and a thorough understanding of the regulatory environment. PIPA’s Code of Conduct and the QPIA program offered precisely that framework.

Secondly, while many of our clients are Chinese-speaking, we should never limit ourselves to just one community. We need to learn from local professionals and actively participate in the broader industry.

Becoming a PIPA member has enabled me to elevate my practice to meet the highest professional standards in the Australian property investment sector.

Thirdly, PIPA’s trustworthy brand image and strong professional support can serve as a solid endorsement for our services, helping to enhance our credibility.

Q: You recently won the QPIA of the Year – Buyers Agent (Local) award, as well as being the joint winner of the PIPA Medium Business of the Year category and the overall QPIA of the Year at the 2025 PIPA Awards for Excellence. What are some of the secrets of your success and how do you incorporate the PIPA Code of Conduct into your business?

Winning the QPIA of the Year – Buyer’s Agent (Local), Medium Business of the Year, and the overall QPIA of the Year was an incredible honour. This recognition stems from our consistent commitment and hard work.

We take the time to get things exactly right and let results speak for themselves. I get up at 4am or 5am almost every day and regularly work over 90 hours a week — tracking the market, researching properties, and staying ahead for my clients. We never compromise on the quality of any purchase.

Before every purchase, we don’t just inspect the target property and surrounding area one time or two times. We conduct thorough due diligence. On top of that, we physically inspect comparable properties to ensure we have a clear benchmark.

Beyond that we even check it at different specific times — like in the evening or during school drop-off and pick-up — to assess particular factors. All of this is to make sure the property we’re buying is of high quality, and that our evaluation reflects the accurate market price.

Several clients have told us they chose our service after checking the properties we’ve purchased — concluding that we consistently secure A-grade assets at reasonable prices.

We reduce our client’s anxiety by our day and night work. We respond within one hour even on Sundays, not to mention workdays. We understand purchasing a property can come with massive anxiety and frustrations. Clients can have a peaceful mind working with us. That’s the reason they come back to us again and again.

Continuous learning is part of our DNA. Despite the success I’ve already achieved, I chose to enrol in Veronica Morgan’s mentoring program to further refine my skills as a buyer’s agent.

We also partner with most experienced commercial buyers’ agency to make sure we get the best result for our clients. These have provided a powerful boost to our ongoing growth and improvement.

The PIPA Code of Conduct truly reflects our internal principles — it has been integrated into every aspect of our work. We have always upheld the values of staying true, staying humble, never cutting corners, and consistently doing the right thing to the highest standard.

Steady progress, built on trust and professionalism, leads to lasting success — and we believe in that.

Q: What’s next for your business in the next 12 months and beyond?

In the next 12 months and beyond, we will continue to drive transformation and upgrades in three key areas: from serving middle-class to high-net-worth buyers; from residential to commercial properties; from one-off purchases to portfolio building and holistic, long-term family property capital management.

The three areas mentioned above are, in fact, different facets of the same matter. The underlying context is that many high-net-worth clients wish to establish long-term partnerships with us. They have asked me to help build property investment portfolios for their families, encompassing both residential and commercial properties. Our growth in this area has been a natural response to rising clients’ demand.

In the future, we will focus primarily on high-net-worth clients and work in collaboration with tax, accounting, and legal professionals to provide comprehensive services for family property structuring and wealth succession — growing alongside them every step of the way. 

Please visit the PIPA Website to find more: https://www.pipa.asn.au/knowledge/