Amanda Davenport

Executive Assistant

I was my own boss for over 30 years. From event management to running car washes, cafés and stores, I’ve done it all.

And it was great. I travelled a lot and got to build my schedule around my children. But eventually, I burnt out. I needed a change. I was ready to become an employee again.

My first choice of industry? Real estate. And the transition was quick. One application, one interview –and I’ve been with Gary Peer ever since that day in 2018.

Real estate is fabulous. For a short time, we become an intricate part of someone’s life as they buy or sell their home – a process that brings up a lot of emotions. I’ve met so many interesting people, and I love hearing their stories as I support them through the sales process. Plus, there are my colleagues here at Gary Peer. It’s a terrific and supportive culture. And I can honestly say that I still feel like I work for myself, because our team respects – and trusts – me to do my job.

One of my favourite things to do is help run the Gary Peer social club, planning and coordinating our team bonding activities. There’s always a big turnout to our events – especially of women.

When I think about women in real estate, I’d say that when I started, the sales side was dominated by men. But when I peeled back the layers, I found the support staff were overwhelmingly women. So many successful, male estate agents achieved great things because of the outstanding women supporting them behind the scenes.

Since then, the number of women in sales has shifted. That’s largely because society is shifting – and women have more support at home, liberating them to pursue more demanding careers.

It’s a good thing, because real estate needs more women – especially sales agents and auctioneers. A woman is often the decision-maker in her home, so it’s important that she can work with a female agent, if she prefers. I admire any woman who works in real estate. It’s extremely rewarding. But it takes a lot of work, commitment and sacrifice.

And if I was to give one piece of advice to a young woman entering the industry, it would be this: Always learn as much as you can. Soak up the knowledge on offer – and learn all aspects of a business, not just the job you’re doing.