MORE WOMEN JOINING REAL ESTATE – AND THEY’RE DOING IT ON THEIR TERMS

Rosanna Perry, 38, is part of the new wave of agents driving this trend.

A sharp rise in female agents entering real estate, particularly in part-time roles, suggests a fundamental reshaping of the industry, according to new analysis by Ray White.

The report found that 52.1 per cent of female real estate agents completed four or fewer transactions a year, compared with 43.3 per cent of men.

And it’s not just a one-off spike—female representation among new agents more than doubled in 2024 alone.

Ray White Strategy Analyst Jordan Tormey said the shift shows two distinct trends emerging within female part-timers: women building careers (40.6 per cent), and experienced agents deliberately working fewer hours to suit lifestyle needs (59.4 per cent).

This isn’t a blip,” Mr Tormey said. “The surge in female recruitment is substantial enough to shift industry-wide metrics—it’s a fundamental, not incremental, change.”

The analysis shows a widening gender gap among recruits. While male new agent numbers grew modestly, the share of female new agents skyrocketed, expanding the gender gap from just 1.7 percentage points in 2023 to 9.3 points in 2024.

New Wave of Agents

Rosanna Perry, 38, is part of the new wave of agents driving this trend.

A former emergency nurse and mother of two, the Toowoomba-based sales agent says she hasn’t looked back since swapping her scrubs for property.

“I love that this job allows me to be present for my family,” she said. “I can work around school schedules and don’t have to worry about hospital night shifts.”

Mr Tormey said the findings offer a clear opportunity for agencies to rethink recruitment and retention strategies.

“The part-time cohort isn’t monolithic. We’ve found a distinct split between developmental

part-timers—those in their first year trying to gain traction—and experienced agents who have chosen to maintain lower volumes for personal reasons,” he said.

“Recognising these two tracks is key. Agencies attuned to these nuances can support and retain both lifestyle-driven and growth-focused agents, which ultimately boosts agency stability and long-term performance.”

Ray White’s female-led initiative, Leading Ladies of Real Estate, has seen a 260 per cent surge in attendance since its 2021 launch, reflecting growing demand for targeted mentorship and support for women in the field.

Although the real estate industry maintains near gender parity overall (48 per cent female across all roles, according to the ABS), this masks significant imbalances within sales roles.

Men still make up 58.9 per cent of all sales agents, while women represent just 34 per cent. The gender balance looks very different in property management, where women hold 67 per cent of roles.

Mr Tormey noted that while men dominate the sales agent ranks, women are leading the shift in how agents approach the job, particularly through flexible or part-time models.

Job flexibility

More women are being drawn to the entrepreneurial flexibility of real estate,” he said. “It’s a career path with relatively low barriers to entry but strong earning potential.”

Australia’s regulatory framework also plays a role. New agents begin on a salary under the Fair Work Real Estate Industry Award 2020 before transitioning to commission-only arrangements.

This eases the financial risk of entry and provides vital employer support during early career stages.

Geographic differences also affect the gender split in part-time rates:

• Northern Territory and Victoria: most significant gaps (women 5.5 points more likely to be part-time)

• Tasmania: the only state where women are less likely to be part-time (by 2.3 points)

• Western Australia: near parity between male and female part-timers

Mr Tormey said these differences highlight the need for a tailored approach.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all model. Local leadership teams need to understand what’s happening in their specific markets to support and develop their teams effectively,” he said.