FirstTeam® Paves the Way for Females in Leadership With Powerful Women at the Helm

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--FirstTeam®, the largest privately held, family-owned real estate brokerage in California, has made significant strides under its newly appointed, all-female senior leadership team responsible for spearheading company growth and achieving $1 billion in incoming recruits in 2024 – an ambitious goal set by Michele Harrington when she was promoted to CEO in late 2023. With these powerhouse women at the helm, FirstTeam has regained the No. 1 market share in Orange County and is launching the “Powerful Women: Redefining Real Estate” initiative to inspire more female agents to pursue leadership positions. While 62 percent of real estate agents are female, only 26 percent of the industry’s leadership positions are held by women. Each boasting impressive resumes of their own, Michele Harrington, CEO; Anna Bennett, VP of Business Development; Lauren Henss, VP of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives; and Hila Pooli, General Counsel, are united by a shared vision to empower females in real estate.

“When I stepped into the CEO role last October, my goal was to assemble the most talented and forward-thinking individuals to guide our brokerage, and it just so happened that the best of the best were women,” said Harrington. “Together, we identified ambitious goals and strategies to reclaim FirstTeam’s position as the go-to real estate brokerage for buyers, sellers and agents, and we are proud to have already accomplished so much in a short time, recently regaining top market share in Orange County along with being on pace to surpass our 2024 goal of recruiting $1 billion in agents and teams.”

Working in lockstep, these dynamic women are optimizing their unique areas of expertise to seamlessly and strategically lead FirstTeam and their growing roster of talented agents into the future. The senior leadership team is made up of the following:

Harrington continued, “The real estate industry’s unfortunate reality is a disproportionate number of female leaders compared to female realtors, and our hope with this campaign is to paint an inspiring picture that shows women it’s possible to have a fulfilled and balanced personal life while also being an industry leader; our female leadership team is proof that we really can have it all!”

Fueled by its Behind the Agent mantra, FirstTeam is deeply committed to prioritizing agent growth and development above all else - a foundation it maintains via private and independent ownership. For nearly 50 years, FirstTeam has built tenured and illustrious real estate careers through one-on-one coaching, dedicated training, ongoing education opportunities and a proven team model that makes substantial growth possible for all agents. These guiding principles, coupled with the brokerage’s new leadership team, will be fundamental in cementing FirstTeam’s stellar reputation and position as number one in market share across Southern California and beyond.

“FirstTeam has always been deeply committed to its agents, ensuring they have the best tools, strategies and support to thrive, and our newly assembled leadership team delivers on this promise with remarkable force and dedication,” said Cameron Merage, Founder and Chairman of the Board at FirstTeam. “These four women are not only trailblazers in the industry, but also champions of our agent-first philosophy, and I am confident that their complementary skills and united vision will strengthen FirstTeam’s standing as California’s top real estate brokerage and uphold the values that have made FirstTeam a trusted name in real estate for nearly five decades.”

To learn more about the “Powerful Women: Redefining Real Estate” initiative, visit https://www.womenoffirstteam.com/.

About FirstTeam®

FirstTeam® is a premier California real estate brokerage and founding member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), boasting a near 50-year legacy of excellence and distinguished record as the leader in total unit sales and luxury unit sales in Southern California. With plans for expansion, FirstTeam is guided by its Behind the Agent philosophy providing agents with unparalleled strategic support to elevate client service, build market expertise and accelerate career growth. Since 1976, FirstTeam® has solidified its reputation as Southern California’s largest privately held, family-owned real estate company. To learn more about FirstTeam and to inquire about joining the team, please visit https://www.firstteam.com/schedule-a-meeting/.