Since becoming a Principal of Raine & Horne Commercial SA and Raine & Horne Business Sales in November 2024, Melanie Winter has been quietly contemplating what modern leadership looks like in commercial real estate.

While commercial property remains male-dominated at senior levels, Melanie says, with International Women’s Day in mind, representation matters. “When I sit at commercial meetings, I’m often the only female principal in the room.”

But for Melanie, leadership isn’t about gender – rather, it’s about culture. “We don’t run a gender-based office. We employ based on attitude and who’s good at the job.”

Her Adelaide office reflects that philosophy. Of 18 team members, 10 are women, spanning commercial sales, property management, administration and business broking.

A strong believer in workplace flexibility, Melanie challenges the myth that business ownership equals fewer hours. “People think when you work for yourself, you work less. The reality is you work more – but you can choose when you work those hours.”

That flexibility, she says, is critical in today’s environment.

“The ‘soldier on’ mentality has gone. Workplaces need to be more encouraging and more flexible. People perform better when life works.”

Melanie believes empathy is a key strength women bring to the commercial sector. “Women are potentially very strong at relationships. We bring a high level of emotional intelligence, and in commercial property and business sales, that matters.”

Likewise, Melanie’s advice to women considering buying a business or commercial asset is simple. “Go for it. There is absolutely no reason not to.”

She adds that her client base, whether buying or selling a business or commercial property, is evenly split between men and women. “Business sales and commercial real estate is not a male or female-dominated space.”

As Raine & Horne mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2026, Melanie says the attention should remain on opportunity and capability. “More women represented at senior levels is really important. Everybody deserves equal opportunities to grow based on their skills.”

A residential agent’s perspective

Empathy, a solid understanding of what female buyers are looking for are among the key strengths women bring to the real estate industry, according to Emma Challen, Principal of Raine & Horne Hunters Hill | Gladesville, who also believes these qualities are particularly powerful when working with buyers at pivotal life stages.

“From understanding what female buyers are looking for in a home, to supporting more mature clients looking to downsize, women often bring an awareness of the practical and emotional drivers behind property moves.

“We also bring sensitivity with difficult sales such as deceased estates and divorces.”

It’s often said that women ultimately decide which home to buy — particularly in the residential market. So, does that give female agents an advantage?

Emma believes there is strong truth in that observation. “With residential sales, this is particularly true,” she says. “We sell a lot of luxury entertainer homes, and the wife is often the decision maker.”

According to Emma, the decision frequently comes down to how a home will function in real life, not just how it looks on inspection day. “She will be the one buying the house to entertain on, for example, Christmas Day,” Emma explains. “She knows what oven she wants, how the kitchen should be laid out or whether there needs to be an extra oven for the vegetables. These details really matter.”

Adding an extra string to Emma’s bow, she is also fluent in Mandarin. “I moved to Beijing for the sole purpose of studying Mandarin after travelling there for many years in a previous corporate sales career.

“I fell in love with Beijing and stayed for a number of years studying and working.

As a principal, Emma believes leadership starts with understanding the realities of modern life — particularly for working parents.

“I currently have eight females in my team, and they all work part-time hours to fit in with children and other commitments. Having had a family myself, I know the constant juggle,” she says.

Despite the flexibility, Emma is quick to stress that standards remain high. “We all work extremely hard, we all have very specific roles, and we communicate very well together. There are also a lot of WhatsApp groups in any given week to manage and support all the properties we are selling or renting!”

The team dynamic, Emma says, is noticed by clients as well. “At our open homes, I hear female buyers saying, ‘It’s such a nice change to see so many women welcoming us at the open homes.’”

More broadly, Emma offers clear, practical advice to women buying a home solo, whether as a first-home buyer, an investor, or a downsizer. “Get good financial advice and just do it. It doesn’t matter whether it is a studio, one bedroom, or a block of land - just buy something in your own name. Don’t rely on someone else look after you.”

As for what International Women’s Day means to Emma, who has a number of female mentors both within the real estate industry and beyond, it’s about relationships and inspiration.

“Women bring so much to the table, and it’s a great opportunity in the calendar to meet up, support each other, have a nice meal and listen to some inspiring women speak,” she says.

“I saw Oprah Winfrey speak in November, and I am seeing Mel Robbins speak in Sydney later this month. Amazing women.”