Rachel Colsaerts, Co-Founder, Eleven & Co International Realty
They say that diamonds are formed under pressure, but in the world of high-stakes entrepreneurship, pressure does something else: it reveals the blueprint of a leader. Most people view a career as a ladder—a straight climb toward a singular peak. But for the most impactful entrepreneurs, a career is more like a lab experiment. It requires the precision of a scientist, the stamina of an athlete, and the courage to rewrite the entire hypothesis when the variables suddenly change.
In the rapidly evolving skyline of the UAE, success is often measured by height and volume. Yet, true market disruption occurs on a different scale—in the quiet moments of advisory, the unwavering commitment to integrity, and the analytical rigour that transforms a simple transaction into a lasting legacy. This is the story of Rachel Colsaerts, a leader who stopped following the industry standard and started architecting a new one.
A Legacy of Strength
Rachel’s story doesn’t begin in a boardroom, but in the presence of pioneers. Her grandmother, Helen Coote, was a trailblazer as Head of the State Emergency Service (SES) in Australia in the 1960s—leading teams of men at a time when mothers rarely worked. Her mother, Barbara, provided a constant reference point of calm under pressure. These women taught Rachel that leadership isn’t about a title; it’s about a solution-focused mindset.
“Leadership was never something I consciously set out to pursue,” Rachel reflects. “It was shaped around me from an early age… my mother was unwavering in her belief that problems exist to be solved, not feared.”
This early foundation was bolstered by high-level competitive sport and a degree in Epidemiology. While the transition from science to sales might seem unconventional, for Rachel, it was seamless. Science provided the analytical framework to make considered decisions under pressure, while sport provided the discipline. Guided by early mentors like Yvonne Cohen and Caroline Butler, Rachel spent over 25 years excelling in the high-performance worlds of pharmaceuticals and technology before arriving in the UAE.
The Defining Pivot
Every great entrepreneur faces a defining moment where the world as they know it shifts. For Rachel, that moment was personal and profound. Following a move to Dubai and the birth of her second child, her husband—a professional athlete—became seriously unwell with a severe kidney disease. Suddenly, the stable path Rachel had envisioned was gone.
Confronted with the dual challenge of being a caregiver and the primary financial provider while her husband couldn’t work, she entered the real estate market in 2021. But she didn’t just join the industry; she scrutinized it with a scientist’s eye. She identified a market that was saturated with volume but missing the depth of advisory and long-term thinking.
“Growth for us is about depth, quality, and long-term relationships rather than scale for its own sake,” Rachel says. The spark for Eleven & Co International Realty didn’t come from a boardroom meeting, but from a chance, unplanned phone call with co-founder Lydelle Blackwell. They realized they shared a vision to “refine the wheel” of real estate by making it more transparent, expert-led, and human.
Redefining the Standard
Today, as Co-Founder and Director, Rachel leads a team of over 25 high performing agents and industry leading back-office professionals across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She has built Eleven & Co on the belief that experience and integrity must sit at the center of every decision. Leveraging a vast HNWI (High-Net-Worth Individual) network, she focuses on enhancing the client experience through bespoke market-leading strategies.
Her leadership is a balancing act of commercial intelligence and emotional awareness. Whether navigating the sudden loss of a family member or managing her husband’s health journey alongside a growing startup, Rachel’s focus remains on “conscious prioritization.” She hires not just for sales records, but for life experience and cultural alignment, fostering growth through dedicated coaching.
“My advice to women building businesses today is simple,” she shares. “Your presence in leadership is not optional; it’s essential. Don’t dilute who you are to belong. High-performing organizations need the resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence that women bring to the table.”
A Purpose-Driven Future
Beyond Eleven & Co, Rachel serves as a Board Member and Sponsorships Lead for the Australian Business Group Abu Dhabi, strengthening strategic ties between her home country and the UAE. She remains a vocal advocate for women in leadership, proving that businesses are stronger and more “human” when diverse perspectives are at the table.
For Rachel Colsaerts, the future isn’t about being the biggest; it’s about being the most trusted. In one of the world’s most dynamic business environments, she is proving that the most sustainable way to lead is with a clear vision, an analytical mind, and an unwavering commitment to integrity. She isn’t here to follow the standard—she is here to redefine it.