“One year ago, we were celebrating the amazing achievements of 2021, one of the most extraordinary years we’d seen and a record year for many,” said RE/MAX Australia Managing Director Joel Davoren at Brisbane City Hall on 16th February this year, where almost 600 attended the network’s annual awards.
“As in the previous couple of years, we really couldn’t know what was around the corner, but we knew the market wouldn’t stay the same.
“What happened was that the year finished differently to how it started, and we now look back on a very impressive 2022 for our network,” he said. “To put 2022 into perspective, RE/MAX agents sold more than 7,000 properties across Australia worth close to $5billion. That’s one happy buyer and seller nearly every hour around the clock all year.
“We estimate that RE/MAX offices currently manage more than 15,000 homes around the country, with that number growing.”
The annual awards gala traditionally culminates with the announcement of the ultimate individual honour, The Eagle Award. This year Justin Miller, owner of RE/MAX Regency in Robina on the Gold Coast, claimed the prize.
RE/MAX Bayside-Results, with offices in Cleveland, Alexandra Hills, Morningside and Mackay, took out the Pinnacle Enterprise Award, the network’s highest business performance accolade. RE/MAX Bayside Properties and RE/MAX Results are owned by Hayley Van de Ven, who repeats past years’ wins.
Deborah Evans became the first Australian to be presented with the RE/MAX Luminary of Distinction award, the most exclusive career award in the global RE/MAX network, representing the highest level of achievement for any RE/MAX member.
Todd Gerhardt, RE/MAX Advantage (Wynnum) was invited into the RE/MAX Circle of Legends, which is achieved by less than one per cent of all sales associates in the global network. A further nine agents received Lifetime Achievement Awards and five were Hall of Fame inductees, both of which are international awards, representing $3million USD and $1million USD in commission earned respectively.
Many individual, team and office achievements were recognised as the awards rolled out. These included Top Sales Agent for commissions – Todd Gerhardt and Top Sales Agent for transactions – Stacey Arlott, RE/MAX Results (Mackay).
RE/MAX Regency on the Gold Coast was the individual Top Sales Office for commissions, with RE/MAX Success taking the award for transactions.
Special Achievements in Marketing awards went to RE/MAX Bayside-Results and sales associate Kylee Harnisch.
RE/MAX Regency won the Innovation Award. RE/MAX Gold (Gladstone) was awarded the Community Service Award.
The top sales team in the network for 2022 was the Jacqui Walker Team, RE/MAX Success (Toowoomba) for both commissions and sales transactions. RE/MAX Revolution (Shailer Park) had the Property Management Team of the Year. Stephanie Lelliott, RE/MAX Revolution, won Business Development Manager of the Year.
Charlie Campbell, RE/MAX First (Caloundra) won Property Manager of the Year (Platinum+ office) and Kayleen Starr, RE/MAX Solutions (Strathpine) won Property Manager of the Year (Emerging office). Joyce Rafferty, RE/MAX Extreme (Currambine) won Property Management Support Staff of the Year.
James O’Donohue, RE/MAX Success, won Young Sales Associate of the Year and Natasha Whalley-Thompson, RE/MAX Real Estate Services (Cairns) won Rookie Associate of the Year.
Personal Assistant of the Year went to Carrie Stevenson, RE/MAX Revolution, and Office Support Person of the Year was Cola Curry, RE/MAX Profile-Ignite (Kenmore-Riverhills).
Auction awards went to RE/MAX Bayside-Results for the office award and to Reece O’Brien, RE/MAX Partners Real Estate (Hervey Bay) for the individual win.
Awards for growth in sales business went to RE/MAX Property Professionals (Springfield) and Greg Jacobi, RE/MAX Living (Burpengary).
Growth in property management awards went to RE/MAX Elite (Wagga Wagga) and RE/MAX Revolution.
RE/MAX Bayside-Results claimed both recruitment awards, celebrating net growth as well as percentage growth in number of agents.
RE/MAX Australia acknowledged Kathy Boot, Erica Erakare, Deborah Evans, Simon Salm and Glen Tragea each for their 25 years of continuous service. Allan Tillett, Paula Mackey, Scott Mackey, Steve Perry, Jacob Seco and Chris Warren were recognised with 20 Years of Service awards.
Club status, from 100% up to Triple Diamond, was acknowledged for 168 agents, with 23 Australian agents having reached or even exceeded Diamond level this year.
Winners in the ranks of Pivotal Financial (PF), the finance arm of RE/MAX Australia, were Tim Denton (Broker of the Year, Top Performer (RE/MAX Settlements), Lachlan McDonald (Top Market Share), Shawn Mcannalley (Rising Star) and Gee Vas (Best Marketing Program).
RE/MAX offices and agents who excelled in PF business last year were Leanne Druery (Top Performing Agent); RE/MAX Bayside-Results (Top Performing Office) and RE/MAX Platinum (Top Market Share).
“Our attention in 2022 was on ensuring our agents, property managers, support people, administrators and business owners stayed ‘nimble’ in their responsiveness to the needs of their clients and their markets,” said Mr Davoren.
“The results and achievements we celebrated at our 2023 annual awards suggests that focus paid off, and it will continue to drive us forward.
“The American novelist, James Lane Allen, said that ’adversity does not build character, it reveals it’. My take on that is that while record years are great, the true character of agents is brought to light through times of challenging market conditions.
“RE/MAX Australia is attracting the best through providing the best,” he said, “and the network’s presence, growth, innovation, energy and client success will be its strength through 2023.”
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.
