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They’ve come of age in chaos: housing crises, pandemics, and an economy that told them to dream smaller. But instead, they worked harder. They’re the young guns of Australian real estate – under 35, unshakeably driven, and redefining what it means to make it in one of the country’s toughest industries. In a world known for burnout and bravado, they’re quietly proving that success comes from authenticity, resilience and heart. For them, real estate isn’t a job – it’s a calling. And in the process, they’re proving that the future of the industry doesn’t belong to the loudest voices, but to the most genuine ones. As part of News Australia’s Back Australia campaign, here are some of the young guns changing the game. THE DIRECTOR WHO BEAT THE ODDS Nancy Yang, 27, Buxton Real Estate director Few young gun stories capture the power of persistence like Nancy Yang’s. At just 27, the Port Melbourne-based Buxton Real Estate director has risen through the ranks in just five years – proof that hard work and heart still matter. Her journey began far from the boardrooms and open homes she now commands, spending much of her childhood in hospital with a eating disorder. However, a family friend named Connie, who had beaten cancer and later found her calling in real estate, became a turning point in her life. “We watched the life go back into her eyes because she felt like she had purpose,” Yang said. “As a young person watching that, not knowing where my future would go because I spent a lot of time out of school, was: ‘wow, this is the possibility. I still have the chance to make something for myself’.” So at just 22, Yang joined Buxton as a leasing agent – with a plan. “I had always made it really clear to my employers that I wanted to be a female sales agent, and that was always the trajectory that I had in my mind,” she said. Her determination shone through from the start. In her first interview with Buxton’s managing director, she showed up wearing bright orange contact lenses – the only ones left in her prescription. “He called the recruiter and said, “What’s wrong with her eyes?”, she laughs. But she made an impression. By the second interview, she’d been in a car accident on the way – but still showed up. “That’s how much it meant to me,” Yang said. Now part of a growing team, Yang’s workdays start early and finish late. She’s also a strong advocate for mental health in an industry where stress runs high. Meanwhile, technology, she said, has revolutionised her work. “Technology is the biggest (game changer). It plays a huge role in our (job),” Yang said. “We now can look at behaviours of buyers, and we can also look at what people are resonating with, what styles of homes they’re resonating with, what’s important to them, just on their searching behaviour and on their inspection behaviour.” For Yang, though, the secret to lasting success isn’t tech or talent – it’s sincerity. It’s what helped see her named Australia’s rising star of the year at the 2024 REA Excellence Awards. “People can sense fake really quickly,” she said. “The best agents are genuine. They’re honest. They put their clients above themselves. I’ve told people not to sell this year because it wasn’t right for them. That’s what being a good agent is.” FROM SURFBOARDS TO SALE SIGNS Jordan Bulmer, 31, McGrath, Terrigal For Jordan Bulmer, a 31-year-old former professional surfer-turned-McGrath agent in Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast, it’s been a long, relentless ride to the top. “I didn’t really click at school,” Bulmer said. “I was a bit of a failure, actually. Then I went out into the real world and went ‘far out, this is hard’. I should have actually studied and done something properly.” After ditching a landscaping job he loathed, later studying marketing at university, Bulmer stumbled into real estate – reluctantly at first. “I said: ‘No way in the world. You guys are the most hated people on this earth,” he laughed. “But I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a go – and I loved it.” What followed were gruelling years of long days and late nights. “It’s not for everybody,” Bulmer said. “What people see is the nice properties … and they might be looking at agents in nice suits with nice cars, but the first five years is trenches. “You’re earning almost no money,” he said. “I was getting up at 4.30 or 5am, dropping letters from 5 till 7, then going home to shower before the office. I’d doorknock from 9 to 11, grab lunch, then spend the afternoon calling buyers and showing homes. “We were leaving the office at eight o’clock every night – 12 to 14-hour days, six days a week, for five years. Every day I just kept thinking, something’s going to come from it.” Now 11 years in, he tells young agents to keep their expectations in check – and their lifestyle simple,” Bulmer said. “You’ve got to live like a student – keep your expenses low, love what you do, work hard, take great care of people and just stick with it.” While Bulmer now sells multimillion-dollar homes, success is about people – not prestige. “Every day I wake up and think, ‘what can I tell my clients? What do my clients need? So that’s where I get the most thrill doing a great job for them.” The rule breaker who ditched social media Marcus Abraham, 27, Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty associate If Bulmer represents the power of persistence, Marcus Abraham is proof that there’s more than one way to make it in real estate. The 27-year-old Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty associate didn’t grow up dreaming of million-dollar listings – he was studying criminology when the pandemic up-ended his plans. “I landed in real estate by accident,” Abraham said. “I was studying full time … and I was also working casually at the airport to support myself … and then I was doing security at night. “But then Covid hit, and I lost my job at the airport, because, obviously they shut down the airport and then I lost my security job because all the nightclubs closed.” Unsure what to do, Abraham knocked on the door of a nearby agency in Darlinghurst and asked for a chance as a sales associate. “I just said, ‘I don’t know anything, but I’d love to learn,” he recalled. “They took a leap of faith and trusted me and gave me the role.” It was a bold move that paid off – though the hours were long and the learning curve steep. Not to mention, unlike most of his generation, Abraham has no social media presence – meaning there’s no relying on TikTok, Facebook or AI algorithms to help him sell homes. But it’s something he’s proud of. “No one in our office really has social media,” he said. “We have a Sotheby’s page … but I don’t think that you find your buyer or your sellers on Instagram,” he admits. “I get to be a part of the most open homes every weekend, so I don’t actually have to do the marketing online because I’m meeting every buyer and seller in the marketplace. “So I think the best marketing is having the best energy, and giving four season service to these buyers and sellers that are coming through your open homes.” For Abraham, success isn’t about instant gratification – it’s about discipline, humility and surrounding yourself with the right people. “I’m lucky to work with some of the best agents in Australia,” he said. “Everyone in my office has strong routines. No one drinks, everyone’s up at 5am, everyone trains, and everyone gives 100 per cent. Iron sharpens iron – and that keeps you on your feet.” The Mentor: ‘Resilience is everything’ Laura Valenti, McGrath North Lakes, Queensland At McGrath North Lakes in Queensland, Laura Valenti has seen first-hand how the next generation is transforming real estate – and how the industry is adapting to meet them halfway. Running a large office with more than 1500 rental properties and a growing sales team, Valenti said she’s increasingly turning to younger recruits. “We’re constantly recruiting and I’m finding, I am starting to hire some more younger people,” she said. “In this industry, particularly property management, it’s really hard to get experienced staff.” Her office has become a kind of training ground for future stars. “Our sales manager has created this 90 day program for newcomers, and it’s really helping to give them structure, so they know what they have to do in order to get the results,” she said. “And so we’re tailoring a lot of our training to people who are new to the industry or are younger people.” Valenti said younger recruits bring natural strengths. “They’re right on top of social media. We do assist them with it, because it’s got to be of a certain standard, but they have no problem going out there with their phone and taking a little video of themselves and then putting it up as a way of marketing themselves and properties,” she said. “The best thing about hiring someone who’s young, apart from the energy, is that they are excited … and they just understand technology.” But real estate, she adds, still rewards old-fashioned grit. “I always come back to resilience, that they’ve got to be strong and know that they’re going to get rejected time and time again until they start getting listings,” she said. The best new agents, she said, often come from hospitality or customer service backgrounds. “They understand people,” Valenti said. “They’ve had to read moods, deal with pressure, and keep calm. They make great agents because they already know how to build rapport – and they work hard.” A generation built on grit, tech and tenacity Whether it’s Jordan Bulmer’s relentless early grind, Nancy Yang’s journey from adversity to leadership, Marcus Abraham’s disciplined old-school hustle, or Laura Valenti’s mentorship of the next wave – one truth unites them all: success in real estate isn’t luck. It’s late nights, early starts and unwavering persistence. This dedication is set to be celebrated at the upcoming 2025 REA Excellence Awards, which offer a prime opportunity for all rising stars to shine. With submissions now open, the awards will recognise outstanding residential sales agents across the country through a new data-led Top Agent award, leveraging trusted realestate.com.au data. Winners will receive a prominent ‘Top Agent’ badge on their agent profile for 12 months, boosting their visibility and business prospects. Beyond this, a range of submission-based categories, including Game Changer of the Year, will provide further avenues for industry professionals to gain recognition, grants, and personalised marketing assets. It’s a chance for the industry’s highest achievers, particularly the emerging talent, to be acknowledged for their hard work and impact. Submissions close midnight, Friday November 14, with finalists announced in late January and winners in mid-February. For more information and to enter the 2025 Excellence Awards, click here. This article is part of the Back Australia series, which was supported by Australian Made Campaign, Harvey Norman, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne, REA Group, Cadbury, R.M.Williams, Qantas, Vodafone and BHP.
