With International Women’s Day over for another year, national rural property agency Ray White Rural analysed the role women play in their company in 2018.
“You might expect the rural property game to be dominated by men,” Ray White head of innovation Lyndsey Douglas said.
“After all, traditionally stock and station agents have been men.
“But today, our national rural network is made up of slightly more women than men.
“And not just in back office and critical support roles, but in business ownership and as top-ranked salespeople.”
Across the nation, 31 per cent of the offices in Ray White Rural are owned by women (see list below), women dominate top client reviews and three of the top five sales performers are female.
“We have leading female principals all over the country, from Harriet Keatley’s huge livestock and property business in Mt Gambier (South Australia), to Athene Muldrew’s internationally recognised business in Emerald (Queensland), our longest serving female member Margaret Black in Atherton (Queensland), newer businesses like Ray White South Coast WA with Terri Pens and Camperdown (Victoria) principal Davina Pickles, as well as multi-office owners like Tracie Robertson with branches covering rural, residential, property management and livestock in Forbes, Parkes and Condobolin,” Ms Douglas said.
Chief executive officer of Ray White Rural and Livestock, Stephen Nell, said that female rural agents were being rated by clients as the best for customer service.
“Eight of the top ten of our highest rated rural agents by clients are women. Sarah Barney and Tahlia Gabrielli in Mt Gambier, Liz Brown in Atherton, Kathy Hohns in Pittsworth, Libby Sharpe in Tenterfield, Joanne Rowe inl Toowoomba, Tammy in Crows Nest and Kate O’Leary in Dorrigo receive more ten out of ten ratings more consistently from the vendors than other agents,” Mr Nell explained.
“Three of our top five salespeople based on sales across Australia were women at our recent annual awards
“Our best rural agent in all of Australia in the last financial year was Dee Braithwaite from Dungog, our second best rural agent is Mary David in Oberon and our fourth best rural agent is Liz Brown in Atherton.
“No longer do you look for the best local ‘bloke’ to sell your farm, you look for the best local agent.
“(Women) They’re reshaping the rural agency space, and all for the better.”
They offices are owned by women are: Rural (Blackall) principal: Helen Aspinall, Rural (Charleville) principal: Glenda Fill, Rural (Emerald) principal: Athene Muldrew, Rural (Roma) principal: Michelle Cloherty, Rural (Albany) principal: Julie Hetherington, Rural (Atherton) principal: Margaret Black, Rural (Bingara) principal: Chris Smyth, Rural (Braidwood) principal: Melissa Shoemark, Rural (Camperdown) principal: Davina Pickles, Rural (Coonamble) principal: Fiona Foodey, Rural (Dayboro) principal: Vicki Pain, Rural (Forbes) principal: Tracie Robertson, Rural (Glen Innes) principal: Nellie Hayes, Rural (Griffith) principal: Melissa Zuccato, Rural (Guyra/Armidale) principal: Dayna Starr (pictured), Rural (Inverell)principal: Jeannita Berkley, Rural (Lifestyle Sydney) principal: Dee Braithwaite, Rural (Longreach) principal: Georgia Seeney, Rural (Mareeba) principal: Norma Moloney, Rural (Mount Isa) principal: Kath Anderson, Rural (Mt Gambier) principal: Harriet Keatley, Rural (Mundubbera) principal: Janelle Duffin, Rural (Richmond) principal: Alison Vohland, Rural (Scone) principal: Jeny Dawson, Rural (South Coast WA) principal: Terri Pens, Rural (St George) principal: Susan Schwerin, Rural (Tumbarumba) principal: Mellisa Meli, Rural (Wagga Wagga) principal: Cassandra Sheahan.
SUPPLIED BY RAY WHITE RURAL