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Many agents view leadership as their next career step, whether by opening an office or becoming a franchisee, but not all succeed. One expert has told REB the key traits she seeks in future leaders.
With nearly seven years of experience in the real estate industry, LJ Hooker’s head of growth, Jarita Rayasam, has developed a flair for identifying agents who are ready to take the leap and become office leaders.
While Rayasam said that not all agents are suited for leadership roles, those who display ambition and drive, a desire to create something bigger than themselves, have stood out as ideal candidates.
“It’s different for so many different people, but I would say the number one key thing for me is the drive,” Rayasam said.
She said that in addition to having drive, good leaders know how to delegate, understand paperwork and show strong adaptability skills.
While sales figures remain a key performance metric in the industry, Rayasam cautioned agents that strong selling skills don’t automatically translate into effective leadership.
Over time, she has observed that strong salespeople can struggle as business owners, underestimating the demands of the administrative side.
“A lot of times you meet agents who are on their own and they’re very high performing, running their own race and making really good deals, but as soon as they put themselves in the office, they struggle.”
Similarly, Rayasam noted that many new principals struggle to strike a balance between sales and office management.
“There are very few who can manage it perfectly,” she said.
According to Rayasam, achieving balance often means owners stepping back and letting their team take on more responsibility.
She said that new principals, accustomed to “being in the driver’s seat”, set themselves and their teams up for success when they pause, adjust their goals and allow others to grow.
“I think that taking focus away from themselves and building into something bigger, growing their team and building a legacy and having a bigger vision than just themselves is really key.
“That means moving the spotlight from them to the team and being a leader, being there for them and letting them grow and have the support they need.”
While Rayasam encouraged new leaders to let their team shine, she urged them to develop their personal brand in a bid to attract new recruits via their leadership skills.
“You need to be an attraction brand yourself,” she said.
“People aren’t going to join you just because of the brand; people are going to join you because of you.”
While becoming a leader is not an easy task, Rayasam said that setting both short-term and long-term goals can ease the transition for agents who will eventually take ownership.
“I feel like setting one massive goal at the end of the year is important but so is setting short goals in between that help you to reach that bigger goal,” Rayasam said.
She advised future leaders to create quarterly 90-day plans and regularly review progress to ensure their short-term goals align with long-term objectives.
When things become difficult, Rayasam encouraged new office directors to avoid being overwhelmed by emotion in the decision-making process.
“They just have to remember why they wanted to do this, remember the why.
“There will always be hard moments, and there will be times when we question the journey, but I think knowing your why is really important,” she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mathew Williams
Born in the rural town of Griffith NSW, Mathew Williams is a graduate journalist who has always had a passion for storytelling. Having graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Sports Media in 2023, Mathew recently made the move to Sydney from Canberra to pursue a career in journalism and has joined the Momentum Media team, writing for their real estate brands. Outside of journalism, Mathew is an avid fan of all things sports and regularly attends sporting events across Sydney. Get in touch at
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