Real estate has long been a male-dominated industry, particularly in sales and leadership.
At a young age, my parents decided to move out to the country, onto 50 acres of vacant land. No electricity and no water. We lived in a makeshift shed while we built our home. I loved helping with the build when I was allowed to and enjoyed watching our home take shape.
This started my love for real estate. I enjoyed going to display and open homes and looking at different layouts, finishes and always imagining how and what I would do differently to the place. When it came time for me to purchase my first home, I was overwhelmed. The whole process to start with and then the legal language to follow. It wasn’t as easy as browsing through realestate.com.
I got through the first purchase and learnt a lot. It helped me with my second one, as well as helping family and friends through the process. Back then, there was no such thing as a dedicated buyer’s agent in the industry. I saw a gap and a big need for supporting buyers. Sales agents can be very intimidating and have the upper hand, and people don’t know how to speak to agents, what questions to ask, and how to negotiate.
Fast Forward to a Life-Changing Moment
I found myself going into the hospital for a total knee replacement and lying there recovering and thinking, “there has to be a way I can get into real estate without being a hardcore sales agent”. When I first decided to go down this path into real estate, I never wanted to get into sales because of how aggressive and demanding it was.
I did some research and decided to become a Buyer’s Agent instead. Sure enough, I came across a buyer agent course, and I signed up and started studying immediately. I felt a bit overwhelmed. What I didn’t know was that I also had to get my real estate license, so I signed up for that as well. I hadn’t studied in years, so it was quite challenging.
I completed the qualifications I needed to enter the industry and stepped out. Wow. I was not prepared for what hit me in the face. The competitiveness, the aggression, and what agents were doing to each other to get on top really disheartened me, but I kept pushing through. I was different and I was not bending to the rules of engagement.
Challenges in a Male-Dominated Industry
Because this service was new here in Australia, it was not dominated by anyone in particular, and I felt at ease working on this side of the fence. However, when interacting with agents, I was looked down upon and treated differently because I did not come from a prestigious agency and I was just a Buyer’s Agent. This treatment was predominantly from the male counterpart, but as we know, not all agents are the same.
After doing this for a few years, I was approached to sell a home. So here started a new passion. I did extremely well, exceeding the vendors’ expectations with my service, and I realized that it wasn’t about my experience in the industry, but it was more to do with the way I delivered my service that was making a difference. It was in a way that my male counterpart predominantly could not replicate. This realization has given me more confidence and the upper hand. I see myself as a Real Estate Maverick.
My Approach
I have successfully helped buyers purchase their ideal home under their budget, in the minimal amount of time, as well as sell homes for more than the vendor expected to get. My service goes beyond the transaction. I support my clients after the sale or purchase and coordinate any trades people that they need for their move into their new home.
Action Step: Reflect on your unique value proposition in your industry.
I had to work on my mindset a lot. Get rid of my opinions and look at things a bit differently and work on how I could make a difference. I had to ask myself, how can I service people differently and be successful without trampling on anybody in the industry?
I decided to write a book to educate people on how to buy property the smart way, and give them an insight with tips on what to do, what to look out for and the right questions to ask.
As a woman in the Real Estate industry, I had to grow some thick skin. I did not want to compromise my values and who I was to be successful. I am naturally not an aggressive person, and I was told that I had to change that to be successful. I had to care less and be more money driven. I disagree with that and I’m on a mission to prove that I can still care as much as I do, and be who I am. I will succeed.
The industry is still slowly changing and evolving, and I am making a difference to the culture by the way I do business. One client at a time.
Name:Mary-Anne Vaessen
Professional Title: Real Estate Specialist
Bio: Born overseas and migrating to Australia at an early age, the challenges Mary-Anne faced with language as a barrier were very high. As an agent, Mary-Anne has overcome this barrier and assisted many in capturing amazing property deals across Queensland and successfully selling above expectations.
Social Media Handles:
