A packed Sofitel Brisbane room of 600 celebrated the announcement of RE/MAX Australia’s best 2023 performances, rising to their feet with the final award for the evening.
RE/MAX Australia Managing Director Joel Davoren called popular broker owner Hayley Van de Ven to the stage to claim the ultimate honour, The Eagle Award.
“The Eagle Award is the highest individual honour that we present,” he said. “Hayley is a leader, a role model and represents how our profession should be seen and this award has her name written all over it.
“It is due acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication she brings to being a committed real estate business owner and industry professional and recognises the permanent, meaningful impact she has on out network and the industry.
At the helm of RE/MAX Results since 2016, Ms Van de Ven took the reins at RE/MAX Bayside Properties in 2021. Operating under her company, The Limitless Group, both retain their identity with the RE/MAX Results office in Morningside and RE/MAX Bayside Properties in Cleveland and Alexandra Hills.
RE/MAX Bayside-Results won the Pinnacle Enterprise Award, the network’s highest business performance accolade, as well as Top Multi Office for both commission and transactions.
RE/MAX Success in Toowoomba, a much-honoured office in the Australian network, rose to the top of the ranks through 2023 to win Top Office for both settled commission and transaction sides.
Flagstone agent Brad Anderson, from RE/MAX Property Professionals, was named this year’s RE/MAX Australia Rookie of the Year, an award for agents licensed after January of the preceding year. James O’Donohue, from RE/MAX Success in Toowoomba, was crowned Young Sales Associate of the Year for the second year running, an award open to agents aged 30 or under by the end of 2023.
The awards rolled out with many individual, team and office achievements:
- Top Sales Team: Neilson & Co, RE/MAX Bayside-Results (commission); Jacqui Walker Team, RE/MAX Success (transactions)
- Top Sales Agent: Todd Gerhardt, RE/MAX Advantage (commission); Kylee Harnisch, RE/MAX Bayside-Results (transactions)
- Top Commercial Agent: Chris Esdale, RE/MAX City
- Most Productive Office: RE/MAX Advantage
- Business Growth: Hugh Tonakis, RE/MAX Solutions (Sales Associate); RE/MAX Property Professionals (Office)
- Property Management, Net Gain & % Net Gain: RE/MAX Elite
- Property Manager of the Year: Donna Starkins, RE/MAX Revolution (Platinum Plus office); Ann-Marie Selbie, RE/MAX Reach (Emerging office)
- Property Management Team of the Year: RE/MAX Revolution
- Auction Award: Billy Markovski, RE/MAX Xtra (Agent); RE/MAX Partners Real Estate (Office)
- Office Support Person of the Year: Michele Huth, RE/MAX Gold
- Personal Assistant of the Year: Kiara Allen, RE/MAX Bayside-Results
- Property Management Support Staff of the Year: Sandra Morrish, RE/MAX Success
- Business Development Manager of the Year: Karissa Tigges, RE/MAX Success
- Special Achievement in Marketing: Chris Wease, RE/MAX Living (Agent); RE/MAX Bayside-Results (Office)
- Innovation Award: RE/MAX Living
- Community Service Award: RE/MAX Gold
- Pivotal Financial Awards (RE/MAX): Leanne Druery, Top Performing Agent; RE/MAX Results, Top Performing Office; RE/MAX Platinum, Top Market Share Office
- Pivotal Financial Awards (finance specialists): Tim Denton, Broker of the Year; Pinky Vekaria, Rising Star; Lachlan Macdonald, Top Market Share; Laura Sillano, Pivotal Application Excellence; Tim Denton, Top Performer – RE/MAX Settlements
RE/MAX Australia acknowledged Katie Knight and Nick Scarf each for their 25 years of continuous service. Shane McLeod and Jeff Williams were recognised with 20 Years of Service awards. A further 12 were recognised for 15 years – Natalia Blewett, Laura Cooper, Vicki Ford, Leigh Hair, Brittany Hunt, Wendy Inverarity, Darren Lewis-Date, Sue Lewis-Date, Sue McLennan, Leanne O’Sullivan, Tegan Russell and Natalie Smith; and 16 were thanked for their 10 years of service – Reg DeBaritault, Brian Dobson, Fraser Evans, Matt Griffiths, Suean Groves, Emma Gumbleton, Stacey Harwood, Richard Krausz, Stuart Legg, Justin Miller, John Peterson, Sue Robertson, Carol Spalding, Hayley Van De Ven, Roxanne Workman and Steve Wright.
Club status, from 100% up to Triple Diamond, was acknowledged for 143 agents, with 18 Australian agents having reached or exceeded Diamond level through performance in 2023. In addition, 14 offices were awarded Club status for service and achievement in property management.
Twenty-one international career awards were announced, including the Circle of Legends award for Mark Clayton, RE/MAX Hinterland. Created in 2001, this award has been achieved by less than one per cent of all sales associates in the global RE/MAX network.
Mr Davoren sees 2024 as a year of tremendous potential.
“It has been the first in many where we’ve experienced genuine optimism from the start.
“January was a very good month for activity and positive vibes in the market, and it followed a super strong final quarter of 2023.
“In fact, last year, while it still had its challenges, was a good year.
“Our attention is always on ensuring our agents, property managers, support people, administrators and business owners remain responsive to the needs of their clients and their markets,” said Mr Davoren, “and the results and achievements we celebrated at our event reminds that this will continue to drive us forward.
“It is about trusting the process,” he said. “RE/MAX Australia is attracting the best through providing the best, and presence, growth, innovation, energy and client success remain our core values and our strength.”
Media contact:
Joel Davoren, Managing Director, RE/MAX Australia – M. +61 411 435 505
Lyn Cox, RE/MAX Australia public relations – M. +61 418 793 096
About RE/MAX: From a single office that opened in 1973 in Denver, Colorado, RE/MAX® has grown into a global real estate network with over 140,000 agents in more than 110 countries and territories. Its entrepreneurial culture affords its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence.
