#EmbraceEquity: The women paving the way for a gender equal real estate industry

Traditionally, the real estate industry in Australia has been known to be a male-dominated one, with men historically holding the majority of leadership positions and top-earning roles due to the lack of women representation in the sector. 

However, there has been a growing trend towards greater gender diversity and inclusivity in the industry, as evidenced by a significant increase in the number of women who joined the sector’s workforce in the last few decades. 

In the 1950s, it was estimated that only around 15 per cent of Australian real estate agents were female. However, the gap is now closing, with the latest data showing that women comprise 48 per cent of all agents as of 2022. 

Additionally, many real estate companies in Australia have implemented policies and initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining more women in the industry, including flexible working arrangements, mentoring programs, and training and development opportunities.

While it’s clear that women in the real estate sector are breaking through the glass ceiling more than ever before, there is still significant scope for improvement, including tackling the lack of women’s representation in leadership positions, gender pay disparity, as well as other challenges and barriers that women particularly face to progress in the workplace.

But as the real estate industry in Australia continues its journey towards gender equality, it is important to remember that there are many women who are leading the charge and paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse industry.

So in this REB exclusive, we put the spotlight on the awe-inspiring women who found their place in the real estate industry and the journey they took to get where they are.

Here are just a few of the many women who are making a difference and helping to create a more gender-equal real estate industry in Australia.

Monique Layoun, real estate agent at McGrath West 

At an early age, Monique Layoun always knew she had a competitive streak within her. 

When she was in Year 12, she was approached with a Scholarship opportunity for high school students which would pay for their Real Estate Certificate of Registration.

In the end, Ms Layoun recalled she was chosen for the award and ended up meeting Leanne Pilkington, who is the current chief executive officer at Laing+Simmons. 

While she had an early start in real estate, Ms Layoun said that her career trajectory was guided by her love for helping people and sales.

“At the time, I had a casual job selling shoes and I remember wanting to make sure I was the top seller on my shift. I guess you could say I was competitive.

“When the time came to choose a career, real estate felt like the perfect opportunity for me,” she shared.

But she underlined that her dealings with real estate started at an even earlier age. “Growing up, my parents also had a big passion for property so I spent a lot of time at open homes and auctions,” she recalled.

At the beginning of her real estate career, Ms Layoun divulged that there was a struggle to find balance between her personal and professional life.

She underlined that being surrounded by people that “support both your personal and professional goals” is the secret to finding that middle ground.

“I have a very supportive family network and partner that help me balance both. Being 21, I have fewer responsibilities than most people which allows me to focus quite heavily on my professional life but I’ve found it’s really important to set boundaries and structure every day,” she shared.

Ms Layoun also underlined the importance of being strategic with your time, stating that the calendar is her “best friend”.

“I always make sure I’ve planned my day the night before so I can allocate enough time for everything I need to do both professionally and personally. This includes meetings, gym classes, meal times, [and] prospecting sessions.

While she is still early in her career, Ms Layoun already had memorable transactions under her belt.

“The deal I am most proud of would have to be my first solo listing. It was 4 Cory Place in Prospect. I remember being so nervous because I had never gone to a listing appointment on my own up until that point.

It was a knock-down/rebuild that was unique for the area and had no comparable sales. I sold the property in three weeks for $1,410,000 and broke the suburb record for the highest sale price in Prospect. It remains the highest sale price to date,” she recalled.

Understanding that the industry changes on a daily basis, Ms Layoun keeps up-to-date with industry trends by subscribing to industry figures’ news posts, including those from real estate coaches, other real estate agents, brokers, solicitors and conveyancers.

When it comes to networking, attending networking events is her go-to strategy. She also shared an instance when the connections she had built proved to be instrumental in her transactions.

“I recently had a property where the vendors’ first language was Korean. Through our company’s networking, I was able to find an agent from a completely different area that helped me translate and communicate with the owners and get the sale together,” she stated.

She also reflected on how the real estate industry has changed over the years.

“When I first started in the industry five years ago, there definitely weren’t as many females in the industry as there are now. I am very fortunate to work in a group that has 50 per cent women. Both the women and the men in our industry are extremely supportive of everyone, regardless of gender and age,” she said.

And while Ms Layoun has found her place in the real estate industry, she is optimistic that more women will be part of the sector, underlining that there is “definitely not enough women” in the space.

“I feel that the lack of women in the real estate industry is the biggest challenge. Being a young female in the industry, I have found it takes a lot more effort and time to gain respect from people.

On a parting note, Ms Layoun said that women looking for a career in real estate should “just go for it”.

“It’s not easy and it’s not glamorous, but if you’re prepared to work hard and love helping people, this industry is filled with endless opportunities,” she said.

Zali Reynolds, founder of Shelter Real Estate

Zali Reynolds found her spark in the world of real estate through her involvement in a family business.

“My Aunt had a high-end real estate agency and I lived with her during my teenage years so I was always around property and helping out in various ways,” she recalled.

While she started out at university pursuing a degree in Economics, Ms Reynolds later reached an epiphany that it was not the career she wanted to ultimately pursue.

“[I] discovered that it was way too dry for me and I missed meeting people and seeing beautiful homes. My Aunt gave me a job in her business and I have never looked back.”

Now with two decades of experience in the industry, Ms Reynolds revealed that finding the balance between her personal and professional life has been a winding journey.

While she subscribes to the belief that “women can have it all”, she added the caveat that it’s “just not all at once”.

“My first five years in real estate were definitely nose to the [grindstone] with zero social life. That set me up for my career and now in my 20th year, I do have more flexibility,” she professed.

On the flip side, Ms Reynolds remarked that finding the balance is currently a work in progress for her.

“I think maintaining regular exercise and having a few close friends rather than a massive social circle has been crucial in my success. Also, having a husband that supports me and is happy to cook dinner and do the washing has been so important,” she commented.

Ms Reynolds shared that working six days a week is not due to the demanding nature of the job itself, but rather a testament to how she wants the work she does to have a greater impact — particularly for a good cause. 

“One of the reasons that I keep working as hard as I do is because, at Shelter, we use a portion of our profits to build houses in Cambodia. So far, we have housed 72 families by donating much-needed funds to pay for essential resources and labour to build these homes in partnership with the Global Village Housing program,” she proudly shared.

Ms Reynolds stated that staying up to date with market and industry trends is easy for her because she “lives and breathes” real estate.

“Generally, the real estate industry is slowly moving in terms of change. Yes, the markets can fluctuate a lot but in terms of real change and trends, it’s quite stagnant.

“There’s always government legislation that can affect the industry and there are economic factors that you always need to be aware of, but you need to be able to read the mood of your local area as well,” she explained. 

Aside from being in the know of the latest trends in the space, she revealed other out-of-the-box ways she keeps herself informed. 

“I like talking to people in and out of the industry from all walks of life to get different perspectives, and one of my guilty pleasures is [the real estate show] Selling Sunset! It’s useful to know how the industry operates in different parts of the world; there are always better ways of doing things,” she revealed.

When asked about how she builds her connections, Ms Reynolds underlined that “real estate is all about networking and relationships.”

“I value honesty and integrity and the people I surround myself with are people I trust and respect. As soon as I feel like I’m trying to force a relationship or a connection, then I know it’s not right for me!

“We’re all drawn to certain types of people for different reasons and for different parts of our lives so the connections I make are valuable to me,” she said. 

And while Ms Reynolds has made giant strides in her real estate career, including bagging the seventh spot in the coveted REB Top 50 Women in Real Estate 2022, she said that there are still challenges facing women in the real estate industry today, namely “the balance of family and work”.

“It is so hard for women to fit into the hours expected by most companies if they have young children or other family commitments. Real estate, however, does allow for flexibility with working hours so it is possible to work around this.

“Another challenge I believe is the self-confidence that women have. A lot of women don’t believe in themselves enough and this is a huge challenge in real estate. Self-belief keeps you going and keeps you motivated,” she commented.

And although she acknowledged that the real estate industry has evolved over the course of her career, especially with regard to gender diversity and inclusion, she points out that it’s “not a lot”.

“Unfortunately, although there are some great agents with diverse backgrounds (both gender and racial), they are sadly not sought out by the real estate media often. 

“If you look at most of the large media outlets when it comes to real estate stories, nine out of 10 of the agents asked for expert comment are middle-aged white men. I have nothing against middle-aged white men (I am married to one), but how will we ever increase the diversity of the industry if diverse people don’t see a place for them? 

“This is an issue I am passionate about and [I’m] doing my best to change in my own small way,” she commented.

She offered words of wisdom for women who want to pursue a career in real estate. 

“Get a female mentor. I wish I had a great female mentor in my younger years and although I have great female mentors now, I think I could have made better decisions early in my career if I had someone who understood my situation better,” she concluded. 

Kelly Qualtrough, real estate agent at McGrath Paddington

After 15 years of running her own hairdressing business, Kelly Qualtrough realised that it was “time for a change”.

In her case, she gravitated towards the real estate industry. “I had bought and sold three salons so I knew business, communication and helping people is what I love doing,” she explained.

Rather than finding the balance between her career and her personal life, she says that she chooses to “blend it all into one”.

“[It] is all one life. I love business, I love people and I love communicating and connecting with others to see how I can make a difference. I’ve always had the support of my family and partner,” she stated.

Ms Qualtrough cherishes deals that have a profound impact on people’s lives and leaves a lasting impression.

“I had a deal where the sellers wanted me to counter an offer. I asked them to pause and just let me finish my process. I ended up with a great price for them and the sale was cash, unconditional. It was life-changing for that family,” she shared.

As someone who values the importance of networking and building relationships, Ms Qualtrough shared that she makes a conscious effort to attend a variety of real estate and personal development events throughout the year in order to expand her network and stay up-to-date on industry developments.

And although Ms Qualtrough believes that “there is nothing holding women back today”, she pointed out that a lot of women don’t realise the power they have.

“If more women realised this, a lot more would be in the industry today and we would dominate,” she mused.

Over the course of her career, the Queensland-based agent said that she has witnessed significant progress in terms of gender diversity and inclusion within the real estate industry, but there is still work to be done in changing the perception that men are the “dominant force”.

To women just starting out in the real estate industry, Ms Qualtrough advised that caring and empathy can go a long way in building lasting relationships with clients.

The more we care and empathise with our sellers and buyers, the more we can help them with everything. Good energy does good business. Many of my clients become my friends,” she concluded.