Sydney’s real estate rising stars: The best agents under the age of 35

From Bondi to Double Bay, these are the young and up-and-coming superstars of Sydney’s competitive real estate world, already making an outsized mark. Meet the 11 rising stars.

Rising stars of the Eastern Suburbs. ​

They are young, ambitious and have wasted no time making their mark in Sydney’s competitive real estate market.

Some of these top young players in the industry made more than $5 million in annual gross commission in 2022.

While some have only a few years of experience under their belts, they are already making their mark in the competitive world — with one young gun having already sold $50m worth of stock by the age of 19.

Get ready to meet the rising stars, aged 35 and under, reaching new heights in the high-stakes eastern suburbs property market.

Ryan Rubinstein — JT Allen

Ryan Rubinstein.

Ryan Rubinstein has worked as a real estate agent in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for almost four years.

By the age of 19 he had sold more than $50m worth of stock and in a short span of time became the JT Allen’s youngest agent to become its highest billing associate.

At the age of 16 Mr Rubinstein began working after school in real estate offices to learn the trade and make connections in the industry. After completing his HSC, he launched his career and quickly gained his impressive reputation.

He said counterintuitively his youth had benefited him as property sales had become more digitally focused.

“Coming into the industry where things are evolving from print-based media to digital, I think I’ve got an upper hand in regards to how I attract that property to the right clientele in a unique way, that’s going to maximise the exposure and the result,” Mr Rubinstein said.

“For them to trust me [at 17 years old] is a representation to the value I have as well as my dedication,”

Zac Rabin — TRG

Zac Rabin.

Zac Rabin transitioned into real estate from sales and management roles at a family business. Now aged 31, the eastern suburbs native is one of the top agents at Luxe Listings star Gavin Rubinstein’s buzzy TRG agency.

Mr Rabin said being named associate director several months ago marked the culmination of years of hard work and a four-year goal, having come into TRG by his own admission “by far the least qualified” amid a team of “very high achievers”.

But he said success in the industry came from persistence, resilience and dedication to performing for his clients.

“I work the hardest, whether it’s a $1m listing or a $10m listing,” Mr Rabin said.

He said he received satisfaction from “the ability to assist people making one of the most important decisions of their life”.

Mr Rabin said his success had come from embracing new challenges, including taking the leap into his new role with TRG.

“I decided it was the right time in my life to get uncomfortable, which was the best career decision I’ve made.”

Andrea Dragic — Coastline Agency

Andrea Dragic.

As partner and head of property management at Coastline Agency, 34-year-old Andrea Dragic said her passion to help women find success in the real estate industry has been core to her ambition.

“That was quite a big motivator for me, because when I started [the industry] was heavily male dominated,” Ms Dragic said.

Until recently she led an all-women team.

Ms Dragic named “persistence”, “resilience” and refusing “to take no for an answer” as the attributes behind her success.

“I’ve always been someone who wanted my own career, my own money, and my financial independence, which has been something that’s really driven me and at the start – and drove me to have that voice for other women in the industry,” Ms Dragic said.

“For me, personally, that’s still very important. And that means I need to keep achieving my goals and moving forward so I can have those things.”

Isabella Battell — JT Allen

Isabella Battell.

Isabella Battell is a property manager at JT Allen and joined the industry two years ago after working in tourism from a young age.

She said watching her father’s real estate career growing up had helped her see how she could thrive in the industry.

Ms Battell pointed to the more than 200 properties she managed across a single month as a peak career achievement. She said honesty, loyalty, dedication and attention to detail were traits that had seen her thrive in the high pressure industry.

Adam Mezei — McGrath

Adam Mezei.

Some of the best success stories come from a career pivot and Adam Mezei’s move into real estate has been a standout example.

The 24-year-old entered real estate in June after working in the art world, but is already making an impact.

Mr Mezei said his focus as a rookie was ensuring his team was set up for success and building his reputation.

“I’m not really focused on individual achievements, to be honest,” he said.

“It’s more team-oriented things like achieving premium prices for our vendors as a team, having vendors give us five-star reviews on their experience working with us and selling property, and building great rapport and relationships with buyers, vendors and people in the industry.”

Mr Mezei said he believed competition pushes people to give their best.

“It is very competitive [but] that’s something that will bring the best out of you. I believe that will only result in very high performance and a high quality of work for the team and also for the clients we’re representing,” he said.

Ben Fraser — McGrath

Ben Fraser.

Based in Double Bay, 26-year-old sales agent Ben Fraser said growing up in Sydney’s east had exposed him to the quality present in the premium property market and sparked his imagination.

“I was always interested in architecture which led me to be interested in working in real estate and selling those properties,” he said.

Mr Fraser said the fast pace of the industry suited his personality.

“I think I’m generally competitive,” he said.

Beyond his drive to win, Mr Fraser said he was focused on the long game and building a career with a solid foundation through relationships.

“It makes the biggest difference,” he said. “Our business is building good relationships and genuine relationships, because that’s going to benefit us in the long term. It’s not a job that I see myself doing five years total. I see myself doing it for the next 40 years.

“So I think building those relationships and having those connections from day dot is essential.”

Alex Lyons — Raine & Horne

Alex Lyons.

Alex Lyons, aged 28, has been in the industry for eight years – after an aspiring rugby league career with the Sydney Roosters brought him from Wagga Wagga to Sydney but sadly ended in injury.

Mr Lyons said he immediately fell in love with the high pressure industry.

“A lot of people don’t like competition. I love it.” he said. “When other people might [find it] uncomfortable when the pressure is on, that’s when I’m at my best.

“When you have to make the right call, whether you’re competing for a listing or trying to get something sold, it gets my competitive juices flowing, so to speak.”

He named the sale of 1 Wingadal Pl, Point Piper for almost $40m in 2021 as his career highlight to date.

Mr Lyons said he appreciated how the industry rewards hard work.

“I love effort and the reward this industry gives you, if you put in the time and the hours and apply yourself every day, you will get results.”

Kelly Samuels — McGrath

Kelly Samuels.

Paddington-based agent and buyer specialist Kelly Samuels said she joined the industry after experiencing outstanding customer service from her real estate agent when she purchased her first home at only 24.

“It was honestly the most pleasant and joyful experience I’ve ever had,” Ms Samuels said.

She said her career had allowed her to learn fast and from the best, and had also allowed her to pursue her passion for charity work in Kenya which has seen her raise $40,000 to fund classrooms, replenish food supplies, buy books and pay teacher salaries.

“That to me, has been an achievement and also an honour. But I wouldn’t be able to do that with my real estate career,” she said.

Natalie Troy — Elders Double Bay

Natalie Troy.

Natalie Troy, a senior property manager at Elders Double Bay, has been awarded Property Manager of the Year for the previous two years.

She said she would not have found success without her passion for the industry.

“I just love real estate inside and out,” Ms Troy said. “I just love every aspect of it and I just keep on pushing through all the time. I love the rush of finding new clients, making my landlords happy, making my tenants happy, especially making sure investment properties are looked after,” she said.

Ms Troy said while her role could be “difficult”, resilience was an essential ingredient to her success.

“A key aspect of doing real estate is you either have it or you don’t. If you don’t have it, then it’s not the industry for you.”

Elizabeth James — The Agency

Elizabeth James.

Business partner at The Agency, Elizabeth James worked her way up from receptionist to become a sales gun who has also logged time selling in the exploding Byron Bay property market.

She said learning from experienced people had helped her hone her skills.

“Being aligned with some of the top, top sales agents in Sydney helped me with my knowledge in my current role, and my skills that I’ve learned from helping [serve] client needs,” Ms James said.

She said after 15 years in the sector, it’s the people and commitment that had helped her thrive – leading to appearances on property show Dream Listing Byron Bay.

“I’m just so privileged. I love what I do, and I love the people that I work with,” she said. “When you’ve been in a while and you work hard, it really does pay off. It’s all about consistency.”

Dion Markovics — Raine & Horne

Dion Markovics.

Being awarded top salesperson internationally at Raine & Horne by the age of 29 has been sales agent Dion Markovics’ proudest achievement to date.

But he said the competitive industry rewarded those who were always hungry and he was already plotting his next five-year plan.

Mr Markovics said his parents’ encouragement helped him find success outside traditional education.

“I think that some people when [they] don’t fit the system second guess themselves. I’ve been fortunate enough to have parents that have backed me and allowed me to explore the opportunity of real estate,” he said.

“And it’s really through being a people’s person that I found my niche. I think for people that are not fitting the system at school there are many success stories where you [don’t need to] follow the traditional path.”