PHOTO: When real estate greatness runs in your blood, success isn’t taught — it’s inherited. FILE
Born into property royalty
For Kim Jones, real estate was never just a career choice — it was a birthright.
Growing up between a modest family home in Sans Souci and her grandparents’ sprawling two-hectare property in Lugarno, Jones was taught early that property wasn’t about bricks and mortar. It was about meaning.
“My mum always said, ‘Your home is your palace,’” Jones recalls. “No matter how big or small — it’s where the heart is.”
That philosophy would become the cornerstone of a career now producing some of Australia’s most eye-watering prestige results.
Unlock 1.2 Million+ Aussie Business Contacts — No Subscriptions, No Limits
The daughter of a legend
Jones’ mother was the late Di Jones — the undisputed doyenne of Sydney’s elite eastern suburbs property market.
Her father, Bill Jones, was equally formidable: a respected auctioneer and former general manager of Richardson & Wrench across Australia and Asia.
Together, they founded Di Jones Real Estate in 1992 after Di’s high-profile departure from Raine & Horne — creating one of the most influential boutique agencies the country has ever seen.
Strong sales DNA runs even deeper. Jones’ maternal grandmother was the only female agent of her era at MLC Life Insurance — a trailblazer who took young Kim door-knocking as a child.
“She’d knock on the door and say, ‘Stay in the car — I’ll be quick,’” Jones laughs. “She’d come back running saying, ‘I got it! I got it!’”
A new chapter — Byron Bay, same pedigree
After decades dominating Sydney, Jones made the bold move north, launching Kim Jones & Co. in Byron Bay 12 months ago.
The branding? The original Di Jones French blue — a deliberate tribute to her mother, a noted Francophile.
“It’s her culture, her legacy,” Jones says. “I stayed true to it for a reason.”
Now based in Byron Bay, Jones blends empathy and strategy with surgical precision — a mix inherited directly from her parents.
“Mum said I had Dad’s business brain but her sales tenacity,” she says. “Talking about them still gives me goosebumps.”
From hospitality dreams to property dominance
Interestingly, real estate wasn’t always the plan.
At 20, Jones moved to Switzerland to study at the prestigious Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, before returning to Sydney to work under celebrity chef Neil Perry at Rockpool.
But when her parents considered selling their agency, the pull of family proved stronger.
“I said, ‘Don’t sell — I might want it.’ They told me I’d better get in and see if I liked it.”
She didn’t just like it — she thrived.
Kim Jones with her sons Harley and Angus, who work in the business. Photo: Michael Lean, Depthfield Photography
From one office to a multi-office empire
In 2002, Jones and business partner Gary Sands purchased the family agency, expanding it from one office to five.
She remained at the helm until 2016, quietly preparing for the next act — one she’d unknowingly been training for her entire life.
“I’d watched Mum do callbacks for 25 years,” Jones says. “It was all in there already.”
Record-breaking results in the Northern Rivers
Today, Jones is one of the most formidable prestige agents in regional Australia.
Her client list includes the Lane family of Oroton fame, with a $37 million Coopers Shoot estate sale in 2023 alone.
Her record deals span:
Cabarita
Clunes
Nashua
Tintenbar
Bangalow
Uralba
Tuckombil
While now focused on the Northern Rivers, Jones still handles select Sydney listings for long-term clients.
“I miss the auction rooms,” she admits. “I’ve been going to auctions since I was three — pressing the projector button for Dad.”
The next generation is already in play
Just as Jones followed her parents, her sons are now stepping into the business.
Angus, 22, is a fully fledged agent at Kim Jones & Co. Harley, still in Year 11, works part-time — learning the ropes early.
“My mum used to say I was better than her,” Jones says proudly. “Now I can see my sons will be better than me.”
Final word
In an industry obsessed with reinvention, Kim Jones proves that sometimes the most powerful advantage is legacy — when talent, timing, and tenacity are passed down, not taught.
Born to sell?
Absolutely.
SOURCE: DOMAIN