Joseph Louis Realty

Following in his father’s footsteps, Adam Caruso is at the helm of Joseph Louis Realty, a North Melbourne real estate firm that focuses on personalised service to its clients.

“The name originates from my two grandfathers, Joseph and Louis,” explains Adam. “We wanted to use a family name when starting the business over ten years ago. Even though they have departed, we thought it would be a great legacy.”

Adam’s father, Phillip Caruso, emigrated from Sicily to Australia as a child and studied as a chartered accountant. Phillip began the company as an accounting office, and then about twenty years ago, Adam joined and evolved the business after gaining his estate agent’s licence.

“I actually studied a BA in history and politics at uni, but I decided to move into real estate,” says Adam. “I cut my teeth working in another real estate firm, and then I came here as the non-working Director and now the CEO.”

When it came to choosing a location for their offices, Phillip and Adam chose North Melbourne for its proximity to the city and the community vibe. Phillip started out working in Blackwood Street before moving around and settling on their current location, a former photocopier shop on Queensberry Street.

“In North Melbourne, we are close to the city, but there is a country town feel to the wide streets, which is different to other inner city areas in Melbourne.”

Together, Phillip, Adam and their team offer a different approach to the standard real estate practice. While they offer sales and property management, having Phillip’s accountancy firm as a partnership allows them to work as buyer's advocates and assist purchasers with the tools to get into the property market or on the investment ladder.

“I love my job because of the flexibility and getting along with the longstanding team of people here. Mostly I enjoy working with the clients - to see them happy and achieve their investment goals is so rewarding.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio