NSW’s top 50 selling real estate agents for 2022 revealed: the deal makers behind record price boom
Luxury cars, designer clothes and tens of millions in commissions, these are the rock star agents who have made a killing during the real estate boom.
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They’re the rock star real estate agents in luxury cars and designer clothes who made a motsa during last year’s record boom in home prices.
A ranking of Sydney’s top residential real estate agents revealed many of the best performers sold more than 100 homes last year.
And they weren’t cheap.
The top ranked agent in the Real Estate Business list of best performers, Alexander Phillips, handled more than $1 billion in property transactions.
There were plenty of other agents, spread across the Harbour City’s many regions, who pushed through more than $300 million in sales last year.
It came as property prices ballooned by the third fastest rate in 150 years over 2021, with only 1950 and 1989 seeing bigger annual jumps in prices, according to PropTrack.
A typical Sydney house cost $1.01 million at the start of last year and now costs $1.42 million.
There were about 13 per cent more NSW home sales over 2021 compared to the year prior, with buyers spending more than $210 billion on real estate – $62 billion more than they did in 2020.
But even with more money being pumped into the housing market, NSW’s top agents warned it took a gruelling level of commitment to survive in what’s become a cutthroat industry.
Mr Phillips, who was also Australia’s top agent in the rankings, said it took dedication and pulling long hours to keep delivering results, likening it to a “lifestyle”.
The PPD Real Estate founder sold 267 homes last year, mostly in the eastern suburbs, at an average price of about $4 million.
Ray White agent David Walker, the highest ranked north shore agent in the Real Estate Business rankings, said there was a misperception that being an agent was easy.
“It’s one of the highest turnover industries in the country. Only a handful make a success out of it,” he said. “The ones who do well realise it’s not just drinking coffees and driving expensive cars.
“It’s about building teams and dealing with people at one of the most emotional points in their life, selling their biggest asset. There is a lot of emotional stress.”
Covid lockdowns helped turn last year into a “crazy” period for sales, Mr Walker added.
“It made people put more value on where they live,” he said.
Clarke and Humel founder Michael Clarke, the second ranked agent in Australia, said the skills agents needed to excel were basic, but rare.
“Ironically, being a smooth talker can be a disadvantage,” he said. “Work ethic and credibility are more important.”
Mr Clarke pushed through more than $770 million in real estate deals almost entirely on the northern beaches, including one sale at more than $25 million, and said an influx of buyers into the area boosted the local market.
“Everyone wanted to move to our LGA, we had a raft of suburb records,” he said.
The inner west’s top rated agent Dib Chidiac had $383 million worth of sales and said this year would be a test for the industry given the slowing market.
“Anyone can sell when the market is hot,” he said. “It takes a lot more work now … it’s not easy if you don’t have systems and processes, if you don’t have the best buyer contacts.”
The Real Estate Business ranking was not based purely on sales volumes and took into account other variables like experience, the typical time it took the agents to sell homes and the average value.
It was also based on agents voluntarily disclosing their trade volumes and not all city agents took part in the reporting.
Notable omissions in the rankings were some of the real estate agents involved in the hushed sales of the country’s most expensive homes – typically the properties priced over $30 million.
There were just five female agents ranked by Real Estate Business in the NSW top 50.
Jennifer Carr of Louis Carr, the highest ranked female agent on the list at seventh overall, said it was a “hard business” for anyone trying to raise a family because of the gruelling hours.
“I liken my hours to that of doctor on call. It’s 24/7.”
SYDNEY AND NSW’S TOP RANKED REAL ESTATE AGENTS
Alexander Phillips, PPD Real Estate
Alexander Phillips co-founded Phillips Pantzer Donnelley, later rebranded as PPD Real Estate, nearly eight years ago and has been in the industry for 22 years. Most of his listings are spread across the eastern suburbs, with one of his biggest recent sales coming in at $17.7 million. He said there was no secret ingredient to his success. “I just really like the job, it’s a way of life,” Mr Phillips said. “Anyone who loves what they do will be good at it.”
Michael Clarke, Clarke and Humel
Clarke and Humel founder Michael Clarke started his career in advertising but was encouraged to pursue real estate on the advice of his wife Cherie Humel. “She thought I’d be good at it,” Mr Clarke said.
Most of his properties are in Manly and the surrounding suburbs, which was one of the biggest boom markets in the country last year.
He currently holds the record for highest prices secured in numerous suburbs in the area, including Seaforth, Balgowlah and Balgowlah Heights.
Mr Clarke grew up a child of six in Orange and said his family was “poor even by Orange standards” and this propelled him to work extra hard. “I decided early on that no one will out work me,” he said.
Maclay Longhurst, BresicWhitney
BresicWhitney star performer Maclay Longhurst sells primarily in Paddington and said the suburb’s enduring appeal helped attract substantial prices last year.
Mr Longhurst, who started his career in property management before moving to sales, secured prices over $9 million for multiple Paddington homes last year. He also sold a Darlinghurst property for over $10 million.
“Demand was really high last year. It was a fast paced market,” he said. “Larger houses in the area are rare commodities and people can end paying more than they expected.”
The hardest part of working in the industry was the hours, he said. “I typically work six days a week, 10 hours a day.”
David Walker, Ray White
Ray White Upper North Shore director David Walker had a busy year over 2021, with his highest sale price coming in at over $11 million. There were also sales in Wahroonga and Turramurra for over $8 million.
He said buyers and sellers on the north shore didn’t appreciate flashy operators. “A lot of agents like to make people think they are doing well and buying a fancy car gives that impression … It wouldn’t be a good look in our area. People would be thinking you have more interest in yourself.”
Dib Chidiac, DIBChidiac
Dib Chidiac was the leading agent in the Raine and Horne group for five years before branching out to start his own agency in 2019. He has been in the industry for 12 years, getting his start when he was 19. Among his top sales last year was a modest red brick house in Cabarita sold for $8.27 million. The bulk of his listings are in suburbs such as Chiswick, Cabarita and Concord.
Jennifer Carr, Louis Carr
An industry veteran of 38 years, Louis Carr agent Jennifer Carr said she has come off a “huge year” selling homes in West Pennant Hills. “I think the world expected Covid to be more of a negative (for sales), but it actually fired up the market. People stopped listing, but buyers still needed to move. That lack of stock kept the momentum going.”
David Highland, Highland
David Highland is one of the top agents in the Sutherland Shire and his agency Highland has recently branched out to the eastern suburbs. He recently sold a Burraneer property for $20 million – a new record for the popular southern city region.
“After 25 years in the industry, I have learnt that long term success requires an unwavering focus on detail,” Mr Highland said. “Cycles come and go but the top operators are the first to adapt, pivot and then thrive, sourcing the opportunities in any market place, no matter how extreme.”
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