All women, One Agency – Women in Business

Ballarat’s only female run and owned real estate agency is positively different in so many ways.

SHANI Stevens is a second-generation real estate agent.

When Shani first started working with her father in his agency, real estate was a very male dominated industry and there were no female agents. Fast forward, and times have definitely changed.

Shani and Sonia Gray began working together in 2017 in the same agency, and quickly formed a professional relationship and formed Ballarat’s only female real estate team. Everyone they dealt with realised they had something special.

Feedback from clients indicated overwhelming support for the dynamic duo.

In early 2019 Shani decided she wanted to expand on what her and Sonia were doing. Hence the opening of One Agency Ballarat.

“We both have different strengths, and these strengths go together to make a formidable team” Shani said.

“We are the only female agency in Ballarat and have found it has really struck a chord with buyers, sellers and investors alike. We have a different approach and it’s being really well received”

“I love that Shani and I work so well together. We are simply on the same page” Sonia said. “We are both driven females and love what we do”.

Shani and Sonia were drawn to real estate from different backgrounds, however both have renovated, bought and sold their own homes, invested in property, built homes, and worked in different real estate companies.

They have also both owned local small businesses and raised, or are raising, families. They know what it’s like to be full time, working women – it’s a challenge they both love.

The two are not only work colleagues, but also great friends and neighbours. Their friendship is obvious to all their clients and it brings a special dynamic to their interactions. Their partnership gives clients a “two for one” deal where one of them is always available on the phone should a vendor or purchaser need them.

Anchoring the team is customer care coordinator and property manager Rebecca Thompson. Rebecca has three years previous real estate agency experience and is loving her dual role at One Agency Ballarat.

One Agency Ballarat specialise in residential and rural sales and property management, and also in short term accommodation and holiday rentals.

“Owning my own agency gives us the freedom to offer clients a deeper level of service; more personal, more interactive” Shani said

“It gives us the opportunity to do real estate how we think it should be done – differently!  We form close relationships with our clients and treat them more as family – not simply a transaction or a number.”