ANTONIA MERCORELLA, THE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the REIQ, discusses her priorities for real estate in Queensland and her vision for her new role.
REAL ESTATE IS a fast-moving game and modern agents need to devote considerable time and energy to keeping pace with the changes taking place in our profession. Technology is constantly on the march, performance measures are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the legal and regulatory framework is always evolving.
When I was appointed CEO of the REIQ in October, I knew that the Queensland profession was on the cusp of major change. In the coming months, it will be governed by the new Property Occupations Act which was passed by State Parliament in May.
One of my top priorities as CEO will be to get out into every corner of Queensland to sell the benefits of these new laws to our members. Later this month I’ll be embarking on a statewide roadshow to provide training sessions that bring our members a unique insight into the application of those laws to agency practice.
The REIQ successfully lobbied the State Government to get legislation specific to our profession. We also played an important role in developing the provisions and regulations soon to be law. If anyone understands exactly what the new laws mean for agents, we do.
As CEO, I’ll be focusing the Institute’s efforts on engaging with and supporting our member agencies. To this end, the REIQ has developed a new strategic plan containing five pillars that we believe are our core responsibilities to our members:
- Providing high quality advice and support
- Developing appropriate training and education to help maintain and grow agents’ skills and qualifications
- Lifting professional standards
- Providing the tools and resources agents need to perform their work and run their businesses
- Advocacy and representation to ensure the voice of the real estate profession is heard and its profile is high in the Queensland community.
It’s a privilege to lead an organisation with such a long, rich history and important standing within the Queensland business community. I’m looking forward to tightening the REIQ’s focus on its core operations: supporting our members and providing advice, training and education tailored to their needs.
My professional background equips me with a strong set of skills and capabilities for the role of CEO. I began my career in real estate 12 years ago when I became the General Counsel for the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA). This role introduced me to the intricacies and challenges of our great profession, as well as some of its true characters.
I also spent five years as a partner and director of a private practice law firm with a specific focus on real estate. During this period I was retained as the principal legal advisor to REISA, maintaining my involvement in government lobbying and policy development. In 2010 I was lucky enough to be recruited by the REIQ to the newly created position of General Counsel, and later I shifted into the role of Deputy CEO. Over the past four years we have met a variety of challenges, but I am confident that we have turned a corner.
With improving market conditions and industry confidence, and a renewed energy to meet our challenges head on and take advantage of new opportunities, the REIQ is now well placed to provide the best possible service to its membership.
So what does the future hold for REIQ?
First and foremost, we will continue to focus on our members. While the Board and I work toward full implementation of our strategic plan, it is my intention throughout my time at the helm to be a ‘hands-on’ CEO. I will be getting out to as many REIQ events as possible and engaging face to face with our membership at every opportunity.
Spread across every corner of a vast State, each region experiences its own unique challenges and opportunities. Queensland’s sheer size often demands a more regional approach to the day-to-day matters and concerns of our valued members.
That’s why the Institute is committed to expanding and delivering more specialised regional support to our membership. We currently have three Membership Relationship Managers spread across Queensland and have plans for more.
As we head into 2015, our members can be confident the REIQ is working overtime to represent them and their businesses.
