Growth Is Getting Smarter: What Real Estate Leaders Are Looking For Now

The interesting thing about the growth we’re seeing across Harcourts is that it doesn’t all look the same.

This year, I’ve spoken with business owners opening in new markets, bringing teams together, returning to places they know well and looking at what the next stage of their business might be.

Their circumstances are different, but there is a common thread: growth is becoming a more considered conversation.

We’ve seen significant expansion across Harcourts in 2026, with 45 offices set to open across the network. But the number only tells part of the story. What interests me more is what is driving those decisions.

Take Luke and Nikki McAuliffe, who have established Harcourts Gungahlin | Belconnen in Canberra. They know the area, have strong local connections and have a clear idea of the business they want to build.

On the NSW South Coast, the team behind Harcourts Narooma has extended an established business from Batemans Bay into a neighbouring market, building on existing relationships and local knowledge.

In Melbourne’s west, Robert Krnjeta has returned to Werribee and brought together businesses in Melton and Werribee as Harcourts TWG – The Western Group, with a longer-term ambition to build a seven-office group.

And in Western Australia, Harcourts Property Specialists has expanded into Subiaco and Hopetoun, taking an established business into new locations.

These are very different growth stories. That is exactly what makes them interesting.

There isn’t one formula for growth in real estate.

For some owners, it will mean opening another office. For others, it might mean strengthening the business they already have, developing new leaders, preparing for succession or creating the structure to support their next stage.

The conversations I’m having are increasingly about what sits underneath the growth.

Do we have the right people? Is the leadership structure ready? Can our systems support the next stage? Where are the opportunities in the market? What will this mean for the culture we’ve worked hard to build?

Those questions matter because growth can expose weaknesses just as quickly as it creates opportunities.

The people side is particularly important.

Recruitment is obviously part of the equation, but sustainable growth also depends on developing the people already in the business. Who can step into leadership? What skills will the team need as the business changes? How do we create opportunities for people to grow with the business?

I see this as one of the biggest responsibilities that comes with expansion. When a business grows, there should be more opportunity for the people within it as well.

Technology is another part of that picture.

There is plenty of discussion around AI and new technology across real estate, but I’m most interested in the practical question: does it give people more capacity to do their jobs well?

If technology can remove repetitive work, improve access to information or make a process simpler, that can make a real difference to a growing business.

The same applies to the support around a business.

One of the advantages of being part of a network is having people to learn from and capabilities to draw on as you grow. Business owners can bring their local knowledge and entrepreneurial drive, while accessing systems, expertise, marketing, technology and the experience of others who have already faced similar challenges.

That combination is important.

Local relationships remain at the heart of real estate. A strong network can add capability around them.

As I look at the growth happening across Harcourts this year, I’m encouraged by the ambition behind it, but also by the thought going into it.

The next stage might be a new location. It might be a bigger team, a new leader, a succession plan or simply a better way of running the business.

What matters is that the growth makes sense for the people building it and the markets they serve.

That, to me, is smarter growth.

And it’s a conversation I expect we’ll be having a lot more of as the year continues.