Part-time work drives demographic change across Australasian industry
More women are joining the real estate workforce across Australasia, with new figures showing a sharp rise in female participation—particularly in part-time roles—marking a potential turning point in the industry’s demographic profile.
According to recently released data, the proportion of new female agents more than doubled in 2024. This rise significantly widened the gender gap among new industry entrants, from 1.7 percentage points in 2023 to 9.3 percentage points in 2024, suggesting the shift is not just statistical noise but a structural change in recruitment trends.
While women make up nearly half of the industry overall—48% based on Australian Bureau of Statistics figures—the roles they occupy tend to differ from those held by men. Sales remains male-dominated, with men accounting for nearly 58.9% of agents, while women are far more represented in property management roles, comprising 67% of the workforce in that segment.
Transaction volume also reflects gender disparities. Over half of all female agents (52.1%) record four or fewer transactions annually, compared to 43.3% of male agents—a difference of 8.8 percentage points that remains consistent across most regions.
The report categorises part-time agents into two groups to better understand these trends. One consists of those in their first year—labelled “developmental part-timers”—who are actively building their client base. Among female part-timers, 40.6% fall into this early-career bracket, compared to 27.8% of their male counterparts. The rest are considered “established part-timers”—agents who’ve been in the business over a year but maintain a lower transaction count. This group includes 59.4% of female part-timers and 72.2% of male part-timers.
Regional differences add further nuance to the picture. Women in the Northern Territory and Victoria are 5.5 percentage points more likely to be working part-time than men, while in Tasmania, the reverse is true—female agents are 2.3 percentage points less likely to work part-time. Meanwhile, Western Australia shows almost no gender gap in part-time participation.
Analysts suggest several forces could be driving these patterns. Real estate’s flexible schedule and relatively low barrier to entry may be attracting more women, especially those seeking a career change or balancing other commitments.
“The surge in female new agents could reflect industry-side changes. Perhaps agencies are better aligning their offerings and culture with prospective female agents or implementing more effective female recruitment strategies,” the report said.
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Policy may also be playing a role. Under the Real Estate Industry Award 2020, all new agents in Australia must begin as employees on a wage before transitioning to commission-only roles. This arrangement offers a safety net and may appeal to a broader range of applicants.
In response to the shifting landscape, industry initiatives aimed at female professionals are gaining traction. One such effort, Leading Ladies of Real Estate, has seen event attendance jump by 260% since 2021, a sign of growing engagement with gender-specific career development.
“Many agencies already have effective mentorship and collaborative systems. However, the significant increase in new female agents entering the industry presents a timely opportunity to further enhance these structures,” the report said.
