Why this top corporate lawyer walked away from law to disrupt the property industry

Throughout her legal career, Kahlon built an impressive résumé across major Australian organisations, including Allens and the Macquarie Group, advising financial institutions, corporates, private equity sponsors, and funds, operating with “some of the brightest and best in corporate banking”.

However, Kahlon has stepped away from the world of high-stakes transactions and boardroom negotiations, pivoting into entrepreneurship by launching her buyer’s agency business, White Picket.

White Picket operates as a full-service buyer’s agency, supporting clients across the entire property acquisition process – from initial consultation and strategy through to sourcing on- and off-market opportunities, conducting due diligence, and handling negotiations or auction bidding on their behalf.

Kahlon explained that her decision to pivot careers was driven by a desire to disrupt a residential buyer’s agency market she believed had long been dominated by professionals with traditional real estate sales backgrounds.

“I decided to leave a career in corporate law to build a service offering that I believe is missing in the residential property buyer’s agency market,” she said.

“Although using buyer’s agents is becoming far more common in property purchases, the space is still dominated by individuals who tend to come from a real estate sales background.”

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Drawing on her years in the corporate world, Kahlon shared that she plans to bring the integrity, precision and high-level client service associated with major corporate transactions into the residential property market through White Picket.

“I built White Picket for people like myself. I wanted to create an agency that may not be the loudest on social media, but that offers a level of service that mirrors the integrity, diligence and impeccable execution usually reserved for the corporate world,” she said.

With it being a big shift going from legal counsel to business owner, Kahlon shared that the biggest adjustment has been stepping into the pace of entrepreneurship, where structure and routine give way to competing priorities and constant decision making.

“Aside from the obvious one, which is getting used to less routine and structure, I would have to say time management,” she said.

“There are so many hats to wear when running your own business, and it is important to be strategic with your time.”

Even so, she emphasised that the excitement of building something meaningful has outweighed the uncertainty, adding that the venture has allowed her to step out of the “engine room” and work directly with clients at the forefront rather than behind the scenes.

“I am excited to be building a business that I believe adds real, tangible value to property buyers. I know there are professionals just like me who want to engage a buyer’s agent they can trust,” she said.

“As lawyers, we are often the engine room operating behind the scenes, delivering and executing on the goals set by the business. I love being at the forefront, building the strategy and executing on a vision I believe in.”

For other legal professionals considering a similar move, she encouraged them to trust in the highly transferable skills built through legal training and not shy away from taking calculated risks when pursuing opportunities they are truly passionate about.

“Being a lawyer gives you skills and experience that are highly transferable. If you are considering starting your own business in an area that you are passionate about, I would advise you to back yourself,” she said.

“Lawyers tend to be risk-averse, and we often watch others make brave career choices from the safety of the sidelines. In my opinion, your legal training already gives you a big advantage, so create a strategy that makes sense and take a calculated risk.”