Anna’s Younan’s journey into real estate began unexpectedly in 2007, when she was juggling three jobs, including bookkeeping for a real estate business.
“I got into real estate through an administrative role, and then that progressed over a period of, I don’t know, a year, eighteen months maybe,” Anna said.
What started as administrative work quickly evolved into a comprehensive understanding of the industry from every angle – property management, sales support, and eventually buyer representation.
The turning point came when one of her bosses couldn’t make an appointment and asked her to show a property to a buyer.
“I was like, yes, I can do that. Petrified, but did it. And then it took off from there,” she said.
Anna spent four to five years mastering buyer work and vendor relationships before transitioning to full-time listing and selling around 2014–15.
Her methodical approach to learning each aspect of the business laid the foundation for her future success.
“I just got really good at doing that,” she said.
“People started then calling to list their property. And then that just continued to evolve.”
Partnership and ownership
Today, Anna is a partner in Gilbert and Younan, operating across the Camden, Macarthur and Wollondilly regions, extending down to the borders of Bargo and into Campbelltown.
Her ownership structure evolved naturally, and she now oversees the residential sales division while her business partners manage property management and projects & development.
“I enjoyed the natural progression of making decisions with my business partners and have agency over our own business,” Anna said.
A diverse and growing Camden market
The Macarthur region, particularly Camden and its surrounding areas, offers Anna and her team a diverse portfolio of opportunities, from apartments to large acreage properties.
“We’ve got the full breadth of selling new, old, existing, renovated, built. There’s a range of opportunity here,” she said.
“Between us and the new airport and old suburbs, we literally have everything.”
The unique approach
Her strength lies in how she works with sellers, built on a foundation of responsibility, responsiveness, accountability and transparency.
“I would very rarely lose a listing because I just feel it’s very important to be responsible, responsive, accountable and very transparent with my owners,” Anna said.
She applies the same philosophy to buyer work, often receiving calls from clients a decade or more after their first transaction.
Community commitment
Beyond real estate, Anna dedicates significant time to community causes. For the past ten years, she has served on the committee for a Mater Dei fundraising luncheon, which raises money for children with special needs.
The annual Mother’s Day event attracts 500 women and represents a major commitment for Anna.
“I have an amazing bunch of kids, and they’re all healthy and happy. And I don’t have a need for that resource, but it’s the reason I decided to contribute to it,” she said.
“I think give back even when you don’t need to is important for me.”
The business also supports council initiatives including domestic violence campaigns and other community programs, though Anna prefers to contribute without seeking recognition.
Looking ahead
After six years of operating independently, Anna and her partners are considering their next phase of growth.
“We’re actually in that development and growth stage of our businesses,” she said.
“We’ve really enjoyed the independence, the ability to make our own decisions, decide what we want, how we want to look, who we want to use as suppliers.”
Balancing it all
For Anna, success isn’t just measured in sales figures.
It’s about maintaining balance as a businesswoman, mother, and grandmother while running a professional operation.
“What I’ve struggled with or what I look to always try and be better at is running a business, being a mother, being a grandmother and doing that with an amazing partnership,” she said.
“We’ve got a great business partnership and we’ve all got families and we all run a really good ship where if someone falls behind someone’s at the lead of it.”
After nineteen years in the industry, Anna is focused on continuous improvement.
“I actually think I’m just getting good at real estate now, to be honest,” she said.
“I intend to make good on the nineteen years I’ve already done and just get better at it.”