The mothers helping shape the next generation of real estate businesses

As Mother’s Day approaches this Sunday, 10 May, One Agency is celebrating the mothers across its network who are not only raising families, but helping lead, grow and shape successful family-run real estate businesses.

Across Australia, a large sum of real estate agencies are operated by mothers working alongside their sons and daughters. For many, the decision to work together in real estate has evolved naturally. Real estate is, at its heart, a relationship-based profession, and family-run businesses often bring a deeply personal understanding of trust, service and community.

At One Agency Coffs Harbour, Principal Joanne Vines works alongside her son Zak, who joined the business and now serves as Operations Manager. While Joanne leads the business, Zak manages day-to-day operations and provides sales support, creating a working relationship built on trust, respect and adaptability.

For Joanne, one of the greatest strengths of working with family is the ability to understand the demands of both business and home life.

“Zak was single when he started in the business. Now he has four beautiful children, so we need to be flexible and adaptable with sickness, school holidays, school activities, drop offs, pick-ups and after school commitments,” said Joanne.

That flexibility is a recurring theme across the One Agency network, particularly for family businesses navigating the demands of a fast-paced real estate environment. For Joanne, maintaining a close family connection outside of work is just as important as the work itself.

“We are a very close family and leave work at work most of the time. Family comes first, and therefore we do not allow work grievances to get in the way of our close family connection,” she said.

Her advice to other mothers considering working with their children in real estate is simple: “Educate, train, but give them space to be themselves. Enjoy them and allow them to flourish and become their own person within the business.”

At One Agency Hazlett & Poole, Robyn Poole said working with her son Guy has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her real estate career.

“Guy has always had a strong work ethic and a genuine care for people, so seeing him build a career in real estate and now working alongside him has been incredibly rewarding,” says Robyn.

For Robyn, working together has strengthened their relationship by allowing her to see Guy not only as her son, but as a professional, business owner and father.

“I have so much pride in the way he conducts himself, particularly his honesty, patience and care for people,” she said.

“It has strengthened our relationship because we understand each other on another level and have shared goals we are working towards together.”

Her advice to others is to respect each other’s roles, communicate openly and always remember that family relationships are more important than any single deal or difficult day.

For Ellen Kerr of One Agency Team Kerr, working with her daughter Bek has created a partnership that blends family, friendship and business. Ellen began her real estate career in 2003, with Bek joining her a few years later after working in retail and developing a passion for helping people. Since then, the pair have become known as the mother-daughter team behind Team Kerr.

Although they now live in different states, with Bek based on a farm in New South Wales and Ellen in Airlie Beach, the pair have built systems that allow them to remain closely connected both personally and professionally.

“As Bek works remotely, we have two Messenger chats — one for us and one for Team Kerr,” said Ellen.

“We start the day with a mother-daughter chat before moving over to the Team Kerr chat, which is all about business.”

Ellen works as the agent on the ground, while Bek manages marketing and back-of-house operations, ensuring the business continues to run smoothly. For Ellen, the relationship is more than just professional.

“Bek and I have always been very close. We are mother and daughter, best friends and business partners all rolled into one,” she said.

One Agency Founder and CEO Paul Davies said Mother’s Day is a fitting time to recognise the contribution mothers make not only to their families, but to the strength and longevity of local real estate businesses.

“Across the One Agency network, we are fortunate to have many exceptional women who are building businesses with their children and creating something that is both commercially strong and personally meaningful,” said Mr Davies.

“Family-run agencies play an important role in Australian real estate. They are often deeply connected to their communities, built on trust and driven by a long-term commitment to reputation and service.”

According to Mr Davies, One Agency’s model is particularly well suited to family-run businesses because it gives principals the freedom to operate independently while still benefiting from the support, systems and strength of a broader international network.

“Our model is designed to give business owners more flexibility, more autonomy and more control over the way they grow,” he said.

“For family businesses, that can be incredibly valuable. It allows them to preserve what makes their business personal and local, while also giving them the tools and support to remain competitive in a changing market.”

As One Agency continues to grow across Australia and internationally, its network of family-run businesses remains an important part of its identity.

This Mother’s Day, One Agency proudly acknowledges the mothers who are helping lead those businesses, support the next generation and demonstrate that in real estate, success is often built on the same foundations as family: trust, resilience, care and shared purpose.