NSW’s top women in real estate: best selling female agents of past year

NSW’s top female property agents have been revealed, with some inking millions in sales over the past year. See the full list

NSW top female agents have had a good year.

It remains a heavily male-dominated field but female real estate agents have been clawing market share over the past year.

And many of the top performers looked poised to cash in further over 2024 as economists warn of impending rate cuts that will likely encourage further housing market activity.

A Daily Telegraph investigation revealed many of the top earning female agents bagged millions in sales commissions last year, with the top female NSW performer selling close to $360 million in real estate.

The top 50 women alone pushed through nearly $7 billion in deals, mostly in the cutthroat Sydney market, Hunter Region and Byron Bay.

Women were also behind some of the priciest sales of the year.

This included the $60m paid for the former Point Piper waterfront home of Sydney FC owner Scott Barlow, which was sold by Luxe Listings star and BlackDiamondz agent Monika Tu.

A list of the top-performing agents, supplied by the biggest agency offices, revealed a diverse range of performers in vastly different areas – not all of which were prime markets.

The female agent with the highest total value of declared sales was Abode Property’s Suzanne Hibberd.

The veteran agent, who operates primarily in the Sutherland Shire and St George region, racked up 133 sales at a total value of nearly $354 million over 2023.

Ms Hibberd has been a consistent performer selling 206 homes in the boom market of FY2021/22, at a value of $403m.

Abode Property agent Suzanne Hibberd had a huge year.

Louis Carr Real Estate agent Jennifer Carr.

Jennifer Carr, from northwest Sydney agency Louis Carr, sold nearly $314 million worth of property in 2023.

Ms Carr previously told The Daily Telegraph that achieving such high numbers didn’t come without considerable sacrifice. She was on record saying: “I liken my hours to that of a doctor on call. It’s 24/7.”

A rising star was Sotheby’s agent Emily Davidson, 29, who sold nearly $173 million in property last year – mostly in the pricey inner east, which includes suburbs like Paddington.

These types of numbers are considerably incredibly rare for agents, especially in their 20s.

Another 28 women had over $100 million in real estate sales for the year. Real estate agents typically charge about 2 per cent of the sales price in commission, although rates vary by professional.

Real Estate Institute of Australia president Leanne Pilkington said it would likely be a good year for agents if the Reserve Bank moved to cut interest rates.

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“One of the biggest challenges for all agents has been supply,” she said. “There simply hasn’t been enough stock and that’s one of the reasons prices have kept going up.

“It’s also means it’s ultra-competitive for agents. Getting new listings can be very challenging.

McGrath-Hunters Hill agent Tracey Dixon was one of NSW’s top performers.

DiJones agent Nahid Coventry was behind some of the north shore’s biggest sales.

Maria Cassarino of Stone Real Estate has made a mark selling pricey real estate in the Seaforth area and surrounds.

“Rate cuts would mean a lot more homes coming onto the market, especially in the third and fourth quarter of this year, which will benefit agents and (buyers).”

Ms Pilkington said real estate sales remained a heavily male-dominated field, largely because of the gruelling hours.

“It’s interesting because women can be excellent agents,” she said.

“They are all about relationships, not just about transactions. It’s not better or worse than men, it’s just a different style.

Clarke and Humel agent Cherie Humel sold close to $300m worth of real estate on the northern beaches.

The Agency's Bethwyn Richards remains one of the top agents in the eastern suburbs.

McGrath-Epping agent Betty Ockerlander sold 145 properties last year.

“One of the challenges is that many women need more flexibility than staff are willing to give them. Women still take on most of the work with kids. It’s not a very family-friendly business, particularly at the beginning.”

Ms Pilkington said a common thread among many of the women who were achieving success in the field was “ruthless time management”.

“As they say, if you want s*** done give it to a mum,” she said. “Mums are going to work to get an outcome for their clients before going home to their families. Focus and time management is so important.

“Managing relationships is also vital. Agents are dealing with people at one of the most stressful times of their life. A lot of people aren’t buying or selling for happy reasons. It’s often because of a divorce, death or sickness and that can add to the stress. Fostering relationships is something women are really good at.”

Ray White-Upper North Shore agent Lisa Davies.

Ray White agent Jessica Cao has been breaking price records on the upper north shore.

McGrath agent Marnie Seinor.

Sarah Ward of Stone Real Estate sold 61 properties with a total value of $62m.

PropTrack data showed NSW home prices have been rising this year after a brief flat period over spring. Prices had been rising for much of 2023 – an unusual occurrence historically given that interest rate rises have typically coincided with property price falls.

Economists have forecast that price increases would likely continue due to housing shortages and improved buyer confidence, which would likely improve further if interest rates were cut.

Originally published as NSW’s top women in real estate: best selling female agents of past year