Decades in the real estate industry often come with no shortage of awards nights. For Wes McGregor, however, the REMAX Annual Awards Gala held in Brisbane earlier this year, was one he won’t forget anytime soon.
The REMAX Northern Realty broker owner was this year named the network’s Eagle Award recipient – an honour he humbly accepted in front of a network he has been part of for the past 25 years.
“It came as a complete surprise, a very special moment and night,” Wes said. “And one I’m glad I bought a new suit for!”
REMAX Australia’s Eagle Award is the network’s most prestigious accolade, carrying immense significance not only for the recipient but also for the network’s leadership. Unlike many industry awards, it is not based on metrics or KPI’s, instead the Eagle Award is inherently subjective, with leadership considering factors such as tenure, professional performance, contribution to the network and the broader industry, along with the personal values individual’s hold and the respect they show to those around them.
In announcing Wes as the 2025 Eagle Award winner earlier this year, REMAX Australia Managing Director Joel Davoren highlighted the words ‘legacy’ and ‘contribution’ representing what he valued most in Wes. He praised not only Wes’s career achievements, but the genuine commitment he demonstrates daily to his clients, his team, the network and the industry.
“[Wes] has contributed in countless ways to our group. More notably, he is a deep thinker about our industry – about what makes it work and what makes it better,” Mr Davoren said.
“This person shows up with empathy, humility and humbleness from experience, learning some hard lessons, getting checked along the way, but still showing up.
“This is the thing I admire the most.”
Across all aspect of business, from client communication to marketing strategy, Wes is widely regarded as one of the network’s more forward-thinking real estate professionals. His longevity with REMAX, mirrors a longstanding career in the industry which began in 1999.
With a background in sales and the music industry, Wes’s shift to real estate came at 30, with a young family and a strong drive to succeed, his questioning of the industry starting before he even began as an agent.
“I had just gone through the process of buying a house and just had a terrible experience doing so,” recalled Wes. “I thought, I can do that and I can do it better.
“The industry was different then and my early experiences weren’t great, by any standard. But I didn’t want to leave, I wanted better for my clients and for myself, so I made two decisions which would stick with me, they were to be honest and ethical, even if it cost me money, and always, 100 per cent, act for the seller.”
Not long after, the global real estate brand REMAX entered the Australian market. Wes recalls it being viewed as a disruptor at the time, introducing the opportunity to operate under a conjunctional agent model. For a young professional with a growing family, it was a no-brainer.
Having built his career in an industry often challenged by public opinion, owning a real estate business, he admits, was not initially on his radar. However, when the opportunity arose to purchase the franchise he was working in, Wes saw a chance to revisit his early ambitions to do this better.
“I could see and I understood the frustrations in real estate transactions, not just in client relations, but from a business process perspective,” he said. “The entrepreneurial side of me could see where change was needed and how it could improve outcomes.
“Business ownership gave me the opportunity to create something that aligned with my values, my vision and how I believed a business should run.
“Those following 12 to 18 months were the toughest. A new business, a marriage break- up, and a young family. It forged character, completely.”
Twenty years on, Wes continues to draw on his experience, alongside a keen interest in the ever-evolving role technology plays in the real estate industry.
“I’m a self-confessed tech-nerd,” he laughed, adding he was an early adopter of digital tools, later embracing drone technology, virtual inspections and, more recently, the rise of AI.
In fact, Wes has gone further than many, launching his own AI platform, Vaire – a program designed to create personalised property videos simply and affordably.
“If you don’t embrace the benefits of new technology, particularly in business, within six months it’s already commonplace or even surpassed,” said Wes.
Throughout his career, Wes has remained guided by a simple principle: ‘is there a better way of doing things?’ It’s an approach that has guided his career, enabling him to challenge the status quo and continuously evolve.
“There are so many good, decent and consistent people representing our industry, and I will always advocate for the good agent,” he said.
“What you promote is what you produce, and I take my job, my profession, my role seriously to help shift perceptions and elevate our profession.”
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