Across the country, some of Raine & Horne’s standout performers in regional, commercial, and metro markets are women. This cultural focus has started at corporate, with women making up 50% of the senior management team. Several of these women are under 30, with Georgia Dunwoodie as National Marketing Manager and Lauren Barham as National Products & Training Manager.

 By prioritising equal opportunity at a corporate level, Raine & Horne can set the precedent for the broader network. “It’s important set clear pathways for career development for women, to get an idea of what their career could look like in leadership or high performing sales agent roles” said Ms Tina Ashton, National Head of Growth at Raine & Horne.

 Ms Tina Ashton herself, started in a sales role in 1996 before becoming the Licensee at a leading office on the Peninsula, Central Coast. She moved to Corporate in 2014, where she has continually been recognised for her achievements as Network Manager and Head of Growth.

 “It’s fantastic that we can pioneer women in the property industry, as there are a lot of opportunities well beyond the clerical roles that women were traditionally assigned to in real estate,” said Ms Tina Ashton, National Head of Growth & Network Manager.

 At an office level, the work of agents across the different markets is reflective of the evolving opportunities of women in real estate. Ms Jasmin Turpin, of Raine & Horne Coomera is a high-performing agent who sold $21.5m of property in FY22, with just seven years of industry experience. She was recently recognised in the top 10 per cent of the network, as a member of the Chairman’s Club, following her incredible efforts.

 Not without its difficulties, Ms Turpin has noted that as a young woman she has had to work extremely hard to be taken seriously. She said “the setbacks motivated me to get a degree at university, so that I can have more credibility in the industry. People often underestimate my skills, experience, and determination but the efforts I have gone to have just reinforced how much I love real estate.”

 In South Australia, Ms Casey DeMichele has worked hard to establish herself as an industry leader in the Murraylands region, whilst balancing first-time motherhood. In the past year, notwithstanding her time on maternity leave, she sold 24 properties. Ms DeMichele believes the opportunities that she has been afforded have been supported by Raine & Horne Murraylands’ focus on family.

 “Real estate is a great career in that it allows for flexibility in how we work. I’ve built up a great client base who have found my empathy and me being in the depths of family life to be a selling point. I spend a lot of time getting to know my vendors, as buying, and selling a home can be an emotional thing, well beyond just the numbers,” continued Ms DeMichele.

Industry wide, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency noted an uptick of women in real estate in a 2019 study [i]. With women making up 48.5% of the industry, the flexible work arrangements afforded in line with the pandemic has meant that many women can rise through the ranks and become high-performing agents in ways they were unable to previously. 

 Raine & Horne’s values have underpinned this drive for equity in the network, recognising that the nature of family has shifted, and a workplace needs to cater for that. Where women no longer have to see family as a barrier to a successful career in real estate, the brand’s focus on innovation has enabled flexibility and opportunity for growth.

[i] https://www.wgea.gov.au/publications/gender-segregation-in-australias-workforce