From salesperson to principal: what a real ownership pathway looks like
More agents are moving beyond individual sales success to build scalable businesses of their own, with Jarita Rayasam saying leadership, structure and the right network are becoming the real drivers of long-term success in real estate.
Jarita Rayasam, Head of Growth at LJ Hooker. Image: Supplied
A career built on momentum
A career in real estate can give you a level of autonomy, earning potential and personal growth that’s hard to find elsewhere. What you put in tends to show up in the results, especially when you back yourself with consistency, resilience and a willingness to keep learning.
For many, the goal is a strong sales career. For others, sales is also the starting point for something longer term: stepping into leadership and, eventually, ownership. The move from salesperson to principal isn’t a rare leap. It’s a well-worn path, and one you can approach with a plan, the right support and the right environment around you.
Laying the foundations for leadership
Early in your career, success is often measured in transactions: listings won, deals closed, and relationships built. Over time, something more valuable starts to take shape. You earn repeat business, referrals become more consistent, your pipeline is steadier, your local brand is stronger, and your confidence grows.
This is also the stage where many high-performing agents realise they can’t do everything alone forever. To maintain momentum, they start to build a team, whether that’s an associate, an administrator or a marketing specialist. Learning to delegate, collaborate and trust others is often the first real step into leadership.
It’s worth recognising that those skills aren’t separate from ownership, they’re the foundations of it. If you’re thinking about stepping into leadership, it’s also a good time to look closely at the training available to you and the value of investing in your own development. Being part of a network can accelerate that journey by providing structured support and a community of people who have already made the move.
LJ Hooker Schofields | Riverstone Director Sanjeev Kumar is a strong example of what can happen with the right support in place. Starting as a remote agent just six years ago, he has since built a business spanning two offices, leading a team of 16 across Sydney’s northwest. His journey shows how the right network, guidance and systems can help turn individual success into scalable business ownership.
“LJ Hooker helped me to become a leader by teaching me how to grow a great team, build relationships and recruit the right people,” Mr Kumar said.
From high performer to business thinke
As your team grows, so does your ability to scale. You begin to focus more on the areas where you add the most value, while empowering others to do the same. The shift from being solely responsible for your own performance to influencing the performance of others is significant, and it’s often where ownership starts to feel like a real next step.
It’s also where your mindset begins to change. Success is no longer just about personal output; it’s about understanding the numbers behind the business. You start engaging more deeply with reporting, using insights to identify trends, guide decision-making and plan ahead. Accountability takes on a different meaning too, with greater focus on delivering against a clear business plan, supported by consistent and targeted marketing.
Ambition plays a central role in this transition. The same drive that helped you build a strong sales career is what prompts the next question: how do you leverage that experience into something bigger?
Stepping into ownership
Owning a real estate business provides that opportunity. As a principal, your focus expands beyond individual transactions. You’re responsible for building a team, shaping culture and creating an environment where people can succeed. Your role becomes less about personal sales volume and more about leadership, guiding others to reach their goals while growing the overall business.
There are also different pathways to ownership and understanding them helps you choose the right next step. Some agents move into ownership through a spawning model, launching a new office and building from the ground up. Others take a nesting approach, stepping into an existing business or partnering within an established structure, allowing them to grow with the support, systems and client base already in place. Both options can be effective, and the right fit often comes down to your appetite for risk, your experience and the level of support you value.
What tends to remain consistent is the mindset shift required. Sales success can be driven by competition: winning listings and outperforming others. Ownership, however, is built on collaboration. It’s about creating a positive, high-performance culture where people are motivated to contribute, improve and succeed together.
Building a culture that drives performance
Creating that culture doesn’t happen by chance. It requires clear processes, consistent communication and a genuine investment in your people. The most effective principals understand their team’s strengths, place trust in them and provide the tools and support needed to perform at a high level. In many ways, it mirrors what successful agents already do, just on a larger scale.
Matthew Farrugia is a strong example of this progression. After walking into LJ Hooker Terrigal office looking for a job more than a decade ago, he worked his way through the ranks to business ownership, drawing on the support of the network and those around him to shape a culture focused on shared success.
“If our team is successful, then we will all be successful. I wouldn’t be where I am today without having someone who believed in me,” Mr Farrugia said.
With that support and culture, Mr Farrugia quickly became one of LJ Hooker’s top-performing agents, regularly recognised through awards. His journey reinforces the importance of structure. From onboarding and training through to performance management and planning, the right framework gives teams clarity and keeps growth sustainable, not reactive.
The power of the right network
Transitioning into ownership is a major step, but it doesn’t have to be taken alone. Being part of an established brand provides access to proven systems, shared knowledge and a community of experienced business owners who have already navigated the journey.
Mr Kumar and Mr Farrugia are clear examples of what the right support can unlock, not just in the early stages of ownership, but over the long term.
“LJ Hooker gave me the belief to open my own business,” Kumar said. “We have developed a strong rapport with other agents and valuable support within the network.”
Across Australia and New Zealand, there’s a strong culture of collaboration within LJ Hooker, with principals regularly connecting, sharing insights and offering guidance. That openness is reassuring for new owners, and it can be instrumental in helping them succeed. It also reinforces an important point: while real estate can be an individual pursuit at the sales level, ownership thrives on connection.
Preparing for the next step
The pathway to ownership looks different for everyone, but with clarity on the steps and a deliberate focus on development, building leadership capability, understanding the operational side of the business, and leaning on the right support, more agents are taking the step from salesperson to principal and beyond.
