Women in real estate: New analysis reveals changing industry demographics

New Agent Gender Trends

The data shows a dramatic shift in the gender composition of new agents entering the industry, with female representation surging dramatically in 2024.

This represents more than a doubling of new female agents as a percentage of all female agents in just one year, while male new agent percentages have increased more modestly. As a result, the gender gap in new entrants has widened significantly from 1.7 percentage points in 2023 to 9.3 percentage points in 2024.

The industry total shows that this surge in female recruitment is substantial enough to significantly impact overall industry metrics, indicating a fundamental rather than incremental change.

This accelerating trend suggests we're witnessing a fundamental shift in industry recruitment patterns rather than just a temporary fluctuation. This influx of female talent presents a strategic recruitment opportunity, but the data suggests agencies will need tailored development pathways to support this potential into long-term productivity.

Key Findings on Gender Distribution

The data shows that 52.1 percent of female agents complete four or fewer transactions annually, compared to 43.3 percent of male agents. This 8.8 percentage point difference represents a significant gender gap in transaction volume patterns that persists across most states and territories.

Female representation among new industry entrants has more than doubled in 2024 alone, indicating a rapid demographic shift within the sector.

Our research identifies two distinct categories within the lower transaction volume segment:

• Developmental part-timers - Agents in their first year building their business:

  • 40.6 percent of female part-timers fall into this category

  • Only 27.8 percent of male part-timers are in this early career stage

• Established part-timers - Experienced agents who maintain lower transaction volumes:

  • 59.4 percent of female part-time agents have more than a year of experience

  • 72.2 percent of male part-timers are established agents

Industry Gender Balance

While the real estate industry broadly maintains moderate gender parity across all roles (48 percent female according to ABS), the analysis reveals a more nuanced picture when examining specific roles:

• Sales agents show a distinct gender skew with males representing 58.9 percent of all sales agents, while females constitute only 34.0 percent

• By contrast, property management roles are predominantly female (67 percent)

Geographic Variations

The research highlights significant regional differences that require localised approaches:

• Northern Territory and Victoria show the largest gender gaps (women 5.5 percentage points more likely to be part-time)

• Tasmania bucks the trend entirely (women 2.3 percentage points less likely to be part-time than men)

• Western Australia shows near gender parity in part-time rates