Toni Sleep Joins Barry Plant South Barwon as Director of Property Management

Toni’s real estate journey began in 2009, shortly after finishing Year 12. With no clear career path and juggling multiple hospitality roles, she landed a casual office position at a major national real estate network through a friend who worked in the industry.

“I had no idea what I was going to do,” Toni says. “I wasn’t really that present at school, so to graduate was just a great achievement to me.”

From those early days of random hours and basic office tasks, Toni’s potential quickly became clear. Within months, her team encouraged her to try property management.

“They said they saw a great opportunity and thought I’d be best suited to property management,” she explains. “I thought, ‘Okay, I’m not going to say no.’”

Toni completed her property management qualification in a matter of days, and she admits the course taught her little beyond how to get it done quickly.

“Honestly, I didn’t really learn anything from it,” she says. “I learned most from just actually doing and being in that hands-on role.”

Once in property management, Toni knew she had found her calling.

“I loved it from the get-go,” she says. “People often said, ‘You’d be great at sales,’ but I just loved building relationships and helping people. That’s what gets me out of bed.”

And relationships have been central to Toni’s success.

“I’ve had a lot of my clients since the start of my career,” she says. “I’ve seen them go through personal changes and their kids grow up. It’s those relationships I really love.”

Toni’s early career included helping to launch a rebranded agency in Highton, where she grew a rent roll from zero to about 350 properties in just over three years. She then joined another major real estate network, where she spent 11 years leading teams, mentoring staff and helping grow a portfolio from around 600 to 1,400 rentals.

Despite leadership opportunities, Toni always stayed connected to her clients.

“I managed a portfolio of properties while also guiding staff,” she says. “I really wanted both. I wanted to work with people and support staff, not just sit behind a desk.”

After more than a decade in one business, Toni began to look for a new challenge. She had long wanted to build another rent roll from scratch and to shape a team around her service values.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind,” she says. “I wanted to grow something from zero and be able to develop my own team.”

When Barry Plant South Barwon reached out, it felt right.

“I didn’t even know they were looking,” Toni explains. “But as soon as I walked into the office, I thought, ‘This is exactly what I was after.’ I’ve known Matthew a long time, and then meeting Deani, it just felt like the right place.”

The early results have been impressive. In Toni’s first 60 days, the new property management department signed 107 properties. Today, the portfolio sits at an impressive 190 properties and continues to grow.

“It’s been very busy,” she says. “I didn’t have time to overthink things. But because I’d helped open a business before, I knew how to get systems and processes sorted quickly.”

For Toni, growth must be sustainable and rooted in quality service.

“I didn’t want to rush things or discount fees just to grow quickly,” she says. “Getting the processes right so every client receives a great experience was really important to me.”

Communication remains a cornerstone of her approach.

“Clients still react the same way they always have,” she says. “They just want to be heard, to be kept in the loop. Simple things like getting back to people on the same day still matter.”

That commitment to clear communication is one reason many long-term clients have followed her over the years.

“People will say, ‘You get back to me quickly, you’re honest, you’re upfront,’” she says. “And that’s what I’ll always strive for, even if it means an extra hour or two.”

A proud Geelong local, Toni understands the market intimately.

“You can live anywhere and get to the beach, the mountain, or the CBD within 10 to 20 minutes,” she says. “It’s a great town. And people here want personable service.”

Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell said she has been incredibly impressed by Toni’s start to life at Barry Plant.

“Toni is a consummate professional, and her results speak for themselves. Building a rent roll from scratch to 190 properties in such a short period is a testament to her work ethic, strong standing in the community and unwavering client focus. I’m thrilled for the team at Barry Plant South Barwon that they were able to bring Toni on and add such a successful property management division to an already thriving business,” Lisa said.

Looking ahead, Toni has clear goals for 2026.

“We’ve recently hired two new team members, a Property Manager and an Assistant, both of whom have worked with me before. With that added support, we’d love to grow to more than 250 properties by the end of the year,” she says.

The team also aspires to an even more ambitious stretch target, though Toni is reluctant to make it public.

“I want our growth to come from real relationships and great service, not just chasing numbers,” she says.

For Barry Plant, Toni Sleep is a standout acquisition. Her blend of leadership experience, deep market knowledge and a service ethos rooted in genuine care makes her an asset to the business and to clients across Geelong.

As Toni continues to build her team and grow the rent roll, one thing remains clear: her success will be measured not just in numbers but in the strong relationships she fosters and the trusted service she delivers every day.