Meet the women dominating Canberra's real estate scene

Gone are the days of boys’ clubs making up the bulk of the real estate workforce and women sticking to administrative roles. The industry is shifting – in more ways than one – and there is a host of driven and intelligent women leading the way.  

There is a bit of a common theme when it comes to those working in real estate. Usually, they say they fell into the career by accident. 

That was the case for Maria Edwards, now chief executive of the Real Estate Institute ACT, who joined her brother in his property management firm many years ago.

“I started out in reception, then I joined a larger firm as a property manager and progressed to business development manager as a full-time role,” she explains. 

“I have had a broad career up until this point and taking on this role as CEO meant tying all of that up in a little bow and using everything I have learned to do a good job.” 

Edwards has seen the industry in all its forms, from the technology changes to social dynamics in the office, but the most important in her opinion is the shift to a more balanced working lifestyle. 

“Early in my career things were very clear cut in that you worked set hours Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings with no extra pay,” she says. 

“I remember going to my boss back then and asking if I could leave early on Mondays and Fridays for school pick up and make up the time in the evenings and it was a huge deal that took many meetings to agree to.”

Now, Edwards feels leaders in real estate are less intimidating and understand the flexibility the job can offer. 

Heidi Rosin shares Edwards’ sentiment and leads a team with an emphasis on work-life balance as the director of property management firm, Little Bird Properties. 

Forming the company in 2016 after her own extensive career, Rosin’s goal was to nurture young professionals in property management, while still spending time with her four children and three grandkids. 

“I ran a property management department for 15 years prior to my role now, and was involved in training young women new to the industry,” she says. 

“Property management can be seen as a sidekick role or a stepping stone to sales, but I see it as a career within itself and think that attitude is not conducive to a nurturing environment.

“I value people loving their job and being positive, and my goal is to lead by example and make sure staff aren’t taking the stresses home.”

If anyone can see the value in having a strong mentor, it’s Melanie Rusk-Dunn, the chief operating officer at Belle Property Commercial Canberra. 

With a background in marketing and a more recent love for all things real estate, Rusk-Dunn has made waves since joining the industry in January 2019. 

She had one goal when joining her husband as he headed up the company, to bring a face to what could be a fairly impersonal experience. 

Having worked as a content creator previously, Rusk-Dunn saw the impact of a more personal marketing approach and how it resonated with clientele. 

Now, leading the small team as chief operating officer of the company, she can take what she has learnt from her previous leaders, to create an environment she is proud of. 

“I always wanted a leader who was approachable and it’s something we have strived for here – breaking down the hierarchy,” she says.

“We want our staff to be open about their personal goals and see how their professional goals are going to complement that.” 

It’s obvious that it takes an army in an industry like real estate to be the best you can be, and these women have worked hard, and aim to lead the future generation, particularly young women, to do the same. 

Someone who knows that better than most is Nikki Horner, executive assistant at HIVE Property Canberra. 

Starting her career on the west coast and relocating to Canberra in 2017, Horner has worked across multiple roles in the industry and now considers herself as a bit of a jack of all trades. 

“I like to describe my role as being liquid, I do everything here from sales to leadership, residential, project leadership, training of junior staff and social media,” she says.

“Where I want to go now is not where I wanted to go when I first started out. In the beginning, I wanted my name up in lights, now I couldn’t be any further from that.”

Horner wants to help others make waves, leading young professionals into success in the industry, in the most authentic way possible. 

“There needs to be an understanding of what is required in this industry and it’s not what you see on Luxe Listing or Selling Sunsets,” she explains. 

“I like to hold people to account but particularly as females, we have a very strong nurturing element, so I try to balance encouraging someone to strive while nurturing them up because this industry is brutal.” 

It is estimated in the 1950s that just 15 per cent of the industry was made up of women. It’s clear that things are changing in the best way possible, and it’s these women in leadership positions who are making all the difference.