Place Redcliffe Peninsula Director and Lead Agent Jess Culling is the No.1-ranked agent in Newport and in the top 1% of agents in Australia. Ten weeks after welcoming her third child, she’s back leading major campaigns, negotiating high-value sales and running her growing business.
Jess returned to work six weeks after giving birth. Since then, she has secured around seven new listings in a month, negotiated a $5.2 million unconditional prestige sale in Newport and sold a $2.5 million block of land.
But Jess said the most surprising part of returning to work was hearing that competitors had used her pregnancy and motherhood against her.
“Sellers have told me they were hearing things like, ‘Jess is pregnant, she’ll be taking leave soon,’ or ‘She has kids, she won’t be able to focus on your campaign’,” Jess said.
“It’s rude, it’s outdated and it’s simply not true. No one says that about male agents with children.”
Jess said she has never taken maternity leave in the traditional sense, having continued to support her business through each of her three pregnancies and births.
“This is my third time around. I have a great team, a strong office, and I’m incredibly lucky to have my husband Troy,” she said.
“Troy is a very hands-on dad. He wants that time with our children too. We are a partnership, and that gives me the confidence to be at work when I need to be, knowing they are with their dad.”
Jess said the pressure on working mothers was often far greater than people acknowledged.
“There’s always mum guilt. You’re trying to be present at home, give your clients everything and lead a business. But being a mum hasn’t made me less capable. It has made me better at getting things done,” she said.
“When you are juggling children, clients, negotiations, new listings and a team, you become very good at prioritising. You must communicate properly, make decisions quickly and keep moving.”
Jess said those were the exact skills vendors needed from an agent trusted with one of their biggest financial decisions.
As the business owner and director of Place Redcliffe Peninsula, Jess said her clients also had the benefit of a collaborative office, with specialist agents working across different local areas while sharing buyer intelligence, campaign support and a stronger database.
“A seller in Newport, Scarborough or Clontarf is not limited to one person’s contacts,” Jess said.
“Their buyer may be coming from another part of the peninsula, Brisbane or interstate. Our clients get direct local advice, backed by the reach and support of a whole office.”
Jess said motherhood should never be treated as a weakness in business.
“If you are a woman with children and you want to build a career in real estate, you can,” she said.
“Having a family does not make you less driven, less focused or less committed. It can make you even more determined.”
