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. This team is 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.
The Industry Disparity
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.”
Meet the Women Redefining Real Estate
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.
- Michele Harrington, Chief Executive Officer: A U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and seasoned real estate professional, Harrington oversees FirstTeam’s agent-first philosophy and is the principal custodian for FirstTeam’s reputation as a market-leading brokerage firm.
- Anna Bennett, Vice President of Business Development: With a long and successful history in agent acquisition and organizational growth, Bennett is instrumental in spearheading merger acquisitions and partnership opportunities for FirstTeam.
- Lauren Henss, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives: With over two decades of visionary leadership and diverse real estate experience, Henss specializes in developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies that elevate brand visibility and attract top-tier agents.
- Hila Pooli, General Counsel: Pooli heads FirstTeam’s Legal and Risk Management Department, providing crucial legal guidance on litigation and risk management matters to the company’s corporate team, executive leadership, and agents.
The FirstTeam Difference
Fueled by its Behind the Agent mantra, FirstTeam is deeply committed to prioritizing agent growth and development above all else. 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.
Looking to the Future
“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 FirstTeam and career opportunities, visit our careers page.
