2018 has been another exciting year in the real estate industry, filled with colourful, interesting and hard-working personalities. This year's industry influencers have moved us all forward in different ways; creating change by amplifying their voices on stage and in the media, through clever innovation, or through quietly improving the industry for participants by simply getting on with their jobs. As a fitting end to 2018, we would like to acknowledge those who have inspired our readers and changed the industry for the better over the past 12 months.
The Real Estate Hotline Lisa brings years of experience into the training and coaching realm as a true champion of the industry. She released two books this year as well as coaching agents in her two active Facebook Groups: She Sells Real Estate and Let’s Talk About Real Estate.
SARAH BELL
Aire Known for her knowledge of AI and robots the co-founder of Aire is described as a hard worker who is always trying to understand and solve problems for the industry; and will be taking to the stage to speak about some of these at next year’s Inman New York conference.
STU BENSON
Benson Auctions We all have come to #TrustTheProcess when Stu talks auctions. Always lifting people up when the chips are down, it’s impossible not to find joy and humour in Stu’s posts; along with deep admiration for his skills with the hammer. And, with the industry equivalent of a Kardashian following, who are we to argue?
FIONA BLAYNEY
Real+ Described as an inspiration by property managers and leaders around Australia, Fiona’s team of Real+ coaches has continued to grow. So too has the range of services offered, which now includes outsourced trust accounting.
CAROLINE BOLDERSTON
Being Bold Caroline walked the walk in a successful sales career before becoming a coach and branching out on her own. Responsible for many an agent’s dramatic improvement in results, she is currently also one of the industry’s most in-demand speakers.
TARA BRADBURY
BDM Academy While there are many ‘all-round’ coaches in property management, Tara carved herself a niche early as an expert in business development and remains one of the most influential trainers in the space.
STEVE CARROLL
REA Group As headline speaker for Momentum Events around the country plus fulfilling his role as Head of Industry Relations for realestate.com.au, it’s been a busy year. Steve has also added his own project, Digital Live, into the mix where the profits go to charity. He has been declared ‘a champion for others in helping them achieve their goals’.
NERIDA CONISBEE
REA Group In the past 12 months, Nerida’s voice on all things property has been heard far and wide. A top economist in the space, Nerida’s passion for the industry can be seen in the way she delivers important research in an engaging and approachable manner. Want to know what’s happening in the market? Better call Nerida…
ANDREW CORONIS
Coronis Whether it’s sales, PM, conveyancing, estate planning, marketing or finance, Andrew is 100 per cent committed to raising the bar and challenging the status quo. If it can be done better, faster or more cost effective for the client or business, he’ll find a way to do it.
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
Cunninghams John has dedicated his career to bettering the industry, working tirelessly to remain at the top of his game while continuing to help and inspire others
MICHAEL DAVOREN
RE/MAX Australia At the helm of RE/MAX Australia, Michael is continually asked to represent this country on the overseas stage. This year he’s been to South Korea, Las Vegas and other places around the world as a result of his involvement in the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations.
LEANNE DRUERY
Gardian Real Estate Winner of Elite Agent’s Transform Program in 2017, Leanne’s career has gone from strength to strength – as has her following in the industry and her community. Her story and journey continue to inspire others. “[Leanne] helps people understand that, although the rain is wet, it still has the ability to make rainbows.”
CLAUDIO ENCINA
Claudio Encina Vlogs, podcasts and training videos, plus getting on with the job of being one of the industry’s nicest guys and most effective trainers… We all watched on shivering last winter as Claudio jumped in Narrabeen pool day after day, proving to everyone that our comfort zone is actually our least safe place to be.
MICHAEL FINGER
Ray White Double Bay A forty-year veteran of the industry, Michael is the man many young agents now look to for coaching and mentoring.
WHITEFOX Since founding WHITEFOX in 2017 Marty Fox has gone from strength to strength, speaking at AREC 2018 and inspiring the industry with his non-traditional approach to marketing and branding.
IRENE GREEN
Harcourts Founding owner of Harcourts Group Australia, Irene has quietly worked to improve industry standards in training by creating Harcourts Academy; encouraging women to speak at key RE events, she also created Inspirational Women.
VASILI HADZELLIS
Core Property Management Consulting Vasili is described as a lover of the property management industry, passionate about change for good along with better-educated property managers, landlords and tenants.
CHRIS HANLEY AO
First National Byron Bay Chris is one of the industry’s most humble and generous leaders and is a mentor to the mentors. Passionate about both his team and his community, he recently saved Byron Bay Hospital from developers to give it back to the community.
CHRIS HELDER
Chris Helder As a speaker, Chris has a unique ability to connect with his audience and hold their attention. His presentation at AREC 2018 was one of the most popular sessions, and his work on Useful Beliefs has now been embraced by agents all around Australia.
STACEY HOLT
Real Estate Excellence Passionate PM advocate and creator of a special day to Thank a Property Manager, Stacey is a popular and steadfast supporter of PMs, landlords, tenants and their rights.
LEANNE HOWARD
Real Estate Results Network Leanne’s 17 years in the industry have given her a wide knowledge for developing better customer experiences. This year she’s taken a more ‘front and centre’ role focussing on adding value to the client experience and educating the industry through events and conferences.
MICHELLE KERR
Duet Property Group Striving to change the industry one home at a time, opening Duet Property Group this year has allowed Michelle to forge ahead with her plan to make the industry a better place for sellers and buyers. But who can go past wine time on a Friday with Michelle and Sam Bevan for a no-holds-barred debrief on the week when we need it?
ALISTER MAPLE-BROWN
Rockend If you’re having a Proptech conversation then you’d be wise to seek involvement from Alister Maple-Brown. At the forefront of technology in the industry for decades, Alister and his team help real estate businesses grow, evolve and navigate technology trends and implementation.
GINA MCCARTNEY
REA Group As head of the Marketing and Events team at REA Group Gina McCartney is responsible for leading the team managing events such as Momentum and the AREAs – as well as the team that launched Edge product series this year. Continually looking for ways to provide value to both agents and consumers with her dynamic approach we are likely to see many more innovations in that space in 2019.
JOHN MCGRATH
McGrath It’s been an interesting year for John McGrath who remains one of the most influential figures in the Australian property industry. This was the year that some of the band came back together and after securing Aqualand Group as a strategic investor it sets the stage for another new phase for the company in 2019.
MARK MCLEOD
Ray White Ray White’s Chief of Growth is one of the industry’s true thought leaders, continually sought out for his honest, down-to-earth, pragmatic approach to business and real estate.
HAYLEY MITCHELL
Mitchell Property Training Branching out into her own coaching business this year, Hayley remains a passionate advocate for the property management sector.
EWAN MORTON
Morton Ewan continues to lead from the front, with his ongoing contribution to the board of the REINSW and other businesses
TOM PANOS
Real Estate Gym The Sunday night live tradition continued through 2018 Facebook, Instagram and at times YouTube for Tom Panos and his band of faithful followers.
JOSH PHEGAN
Josh Phegan AREC speaker, coach, trainer, app developer, international mentor: Josh Phegan is a true influencer of many agents and leaders, helping them create bulletproof systems that grow teams and incomes.
LEANNE PILKINGTON
Laing + Simmons (Dexar Group) Leanne has been leading the way for the Laing + Simmons brand for two decades and is a champion of women in real estate through her Property Girls catch-ups. With her role as President of the REINSW, she is undoubtedly one of the most influential people in property.
KURTIS PIROTTA
REA Group Kurtis has developed a growing tribe of followers going out of his way to help property managers understand the tools on hand at realestate.com.au and seeing offices one by one become more productive.
TONY ROWE
MRT Training “Is there nothing this guy doesn’t know?” Described by one of our readers as ‘The Wikipedia of Real Estate Training,” Tony has been giving specialist advice and training to agents all around Australia for many years. He is relied upon as the ‘go-to guy’ by many franchise groups and independents with a reputation for finding practical solutions to training needs – all while making simple sense of complex requirements.
GAVIN RUBINSTEIN
Ray White Double Bay Still the undisputed #1 in Double Bay for Ray White as well as the go-to guy on Instagram and now running his own industry events, Gavin continues to lead the pack when it comes to excelling in the digital interview.
AMY SANDERSON
LJ Hooker Head of PM at LJ Hooker, Amy has been a positive influence on the industry who is looked up to by many both in and out of the group. “She is amazing, Superwoman!”
MICHAEL SHEARGOLD
Real Estate Results Network Michael has played a key role in the development of some of Australia’s top real estate performers, helping industry professionals build their business and personal success. His seminars and conferences are constantly rated among the best in the industry.
DAVE SKOW
RE/MAX Elite Dave is described as someone who genuinely enjoys guiding others on the path to growth, even when there is nothing in it for him; he just likes to see others succeed.
SADHANA SMILES
Harcourts International Sadhana continues to advocate for women in and out of the industry and this year has moved from CEO of Harcourts Victoria into an international role as Head of Property Management.
TAMEKA SMITH
Key2 Property Our 2018 PM Transform winner is described by her peers and fans as a visionary in the local community, incorporating the latest technology into her business while working tirelessly in the community.
JODIE STAINTON
Coronis Jodie is described as one of the best property management minds in the industry. Recently joining the Coronis executive team, we’re sure her fresh and innovative approach to growth will add to their business while Jodie continues to strive for a better industry.
DAVID STEWART
Market Buy Dave Stewart is described as an inspirational person who will make a difference in the future through his development of the ‘Market Buy’ product. Just remember rule number 1…
SHERRIE STOROR
Sherrie Storor In 2018 Sherrie went from agent to coach, encouraging all folks in the industry to live their best lives. She also hosted the Women in Real Estate Business Breakfast series in three cities, which will continue into 2019.
CHARLES TARBEY
Century 21 Australasia Charles Tarbey has had 45 years in real estate – but probably none as big as 2018, with the rebrand of Century 21 and the acquisition of the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Brand in Australia. Watch this space in 2019.
RYAN THOMPSON
Auction Services WA / Real Estate Brilliance Recognised by his colleagues in WA, Ryan’s coaching and mastermind group is aiming to lift the standards of agents and their businesses.
GLENN TWIDDLE
Glenn Twiddle Training Glenn is one of the hardest working coaches in real estate, described by his clients as always being there for advice, guidance and motivation.
KYLIE WALSH
DiJONES Real Estate Winner of the Gold AREA for Most Influential Woman in property, Kylie has 20 years industry experience, working alongside some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s best agents and agencies. She is described as an inspirational leader, speaker, advocate for women. More recently she has raised the importance of self-care for women by sharing her own personal journey with breast cancer.
DAN WHITE
Ray White A fourth generation member of the White family, Dan is responsible for leading and growing Australasia’s biggest property group on a day to day basis across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, PNG, China, UAE and the US. More than 1000 offices in the group look to Dan for his leadership and strategic vision.
BRIAN WHITE AO
Ray White Brian White continues his involvement as chairman as the Group continues to grow throughout the world.
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
@home Property Management With a tribe of loyal followers in Tasmania who look to Michelle for advice and support, Michelle continues to inspire others being described as a true leader creating a new team of leaders.
JET XAVIER
Coach and Industry Wellness Warrior What good is making tons of cash if you’re too stressed or busy to enjoy it? For the best part of the last two years Jet has tirelessly campaigned for real estate agents to take better care of themselves, busting the myth of the ‘million dollar agent’.
