Di Jones ranked in John McGrath's top 10 estate agents
Veteran eastern suburbs real estate agent John McGrath has paid tribute following the passing of Di Jones who died in hospital on the weekend.
“I had to compete head to head with Di Jones when I entered the industry,” he said.
“She was an incredible agent. Brilliant skills and as competitive as anyone I’ve ever seen in 35 years of real estate. And she was a trailblazer for boutique real estate companies.
“There’s no doubt in my mind she has a place in the top 10 agents in the history of Australian real estate.”
The Jones family matriach had remained a brand ambassador at the agency which was sold in 2016.
Although she wasn't selling houses herself, she remained devoted to the craft to her final days, daughter Kim told the Daily Telegraph.
“Even in the last days when she was under sedation and in her short breath she was telling me to pick my phone up when it was beeping while I was beside her hospital bed, as it could be a listing. And I was saying, ‘No mum, I’m here holding your hand not working’.”
Kim Jones, is now a partner in Snowden Jones in Woollahra alongside Louise Snowden and Rick Daniel.
Di Jones started her career at Raine and Horne in Glebe, gleaning insights from her auctioneer husband Bill (pictured below).
"I love it because it is, in my opinion, the best little village in Sydney.
"I love to be able to walk to everything - Queen Street and Oxford Street - and having Centennial Park to walk around every morning is heaven," she said in a 2013 interview.
Their prior home was at Clovelly and prior to that an apartment at Clayfield in Brisbane bought in 1972 after the couple had moved from Sydney for Bill to manage a club in Clayfield.
She was working as the private secretary to the managing director of ACI (Australian Consolidated Industries).
Her enduring advice she gave was "always buy position and aspect over anything else."
Through the years her clients included dual Archibald Prize winner Judy Cassab.
Many were repeat clients, sometimes selling the same house four times.