Around 400 people gathered to celebrate RE/MAX Australia’s top performers for 2019 last week after a year which Managing Director Michael Davoren described as one of ‘perfect opposition’.
“The first half was the toughest six months for some time, with the impacts of royal commissions, elections and so on; then the second half was a total turnaround, which paved the way to some outstanding results,” Mr Davoren said.
“We were seeing record figures right up to the end of December, and continuing in this first quarter of 2020.”
The annual awards gala traditionally culminates with the announcement of the network’s ultimate honour, The Eagle Award, and this year it landed on the Sunshine Coast having been awarded to Karl and Lindi Rademeyer, broker owners of RE/MAX First.
“Broker Owner of the Year is the highest individual honour,” Mr Davoren explained.
“It is given in recognition of an owner or owners’ business growth, office professionalism, contribution to the local community, and brand representation.
“Each award recipient makes a significant contribution to the continued growth of RE/MAX in Australia.”
For the third consecutive year, RE/MAX Bayside Properties (Cleveland and Alexandra Hills) took out the Pinnacle Enterprise Award, which is RE/MAX Australia’s highest business performance accolade.
Inaugural awards went to RE/MAX Success in Toowoomba (Community Service Award); RE/MAX Solutions in Strathpine, Brisbane (Innovation Award) and Emma Goodfellow, RE/MAX Results in Mackay, who was named Business Development Manager of the Year.
Many individual, team and office achievements were also recognised.
These included:
– Young Sales Associate of the Year – Daniel Burrett, RE/MAX Success in Toowoomba
– Rookie of the Year – Ben Williams, RE/MAX Regency in Robina
– Property Manager of the Year – Amanda Wecker, RE/MAX Property Shop in Sandgate
– Business Growth – Deepen Khagram, RE/MAX U in Milton
– Auction Award – Ray Murphy, RE/MAX Real Estate Services in Cairns.
Office Support Person of the Year couldn’t be split with Melissa Kennedy from RE/MAX Results, Morningside and Tonacia Marshall from RE/MAX United Vision in Camp Hill sharing the title. Emma Bowdler from RE/MAX Success in Toowoomba won Personal Assistant of the Year.
Laura Wright, RE/MAX Partners, Hervey Bay was awarded Special Achievement in Marketing, with RE/MAX Results (Morningside and Mackay) winning Special Achievement in Marketing for an office.
In other office awards, RE/MAX Regency won Property Management Team of the Year, RE/MAX Real Estate Services won the Auction Award; RE/MAX Transact in Southport won the Business Growth Award, and RE/MAX Masters, Coopers Plains was named Most Productive Office.
RE/MAX Victory (Caboolture South and Wamuran) took the Property Management Award for net growth while RE/MAX Ignite at Riverhills claimed it for percentage growth.
Leaders in sales performance through 2019 were:
– Top Agent, settled commissions – Todd Gerhardt, RE/MAX Advantage, Wynnum
– Top Agent, transaction sides – Jenna Pollard, RE/MAX Vision, Junee
– Top Commercial Agent – Geoff Esdale, RE/MAX City, Brisbane
– Top Team, settled commissions – Neilson Team, RE/MAX Bayside Properties, Cleveland
– Top Team, transaction sides – Melita Bell Team, RE/MAX Success.
RE/MAX Bayside Properties, Alexandra Hills and Cleveland, was Top Multi-office for both settled commissions and transaction sides. RE/MAX Regency was the Top Individual Office in both categories.
Seven agents received the Diamond Club award, the highest level of RE/MAX Australia’s annual commission-based awards; eight took home the RE/MAX International Lifetime Award and seven were inducted into the International Hall of Fame.
A decade of achievement earned Dave Neilson from RE/MAX Bayside Properties the highest global accolade, the RE/MAX Circle of Legends Award.
Shirley Mapp, RE/MAX Premier Consultants Chermside; June Wheeler and Sharolyn Grant, RE/MAX United Vision; and Paul Turner, RE/MAX First Residential, Coorparoo were recognised for their 20 Years of Service to RE/MAX Australia.
‘Bollywood’ was the theme of the evening and was embraced by all with a flurry of colour and celebration.
“Apart from the fun element, the 2019 RE/MAX Asia Pacific Convention, which provides tremendous business opportunities for our agents, was held in New Delhi; and RE/MAX INDIA is the fastest growing region throughout RE/MAX globally, which encompasses more than 110 countries and territories,” Mr Davoren said.
“And as much as we were celebrating the achievements of our network, our offices and our individuals, the awards gala is always a celebration of what is at the very core of RE/MAX: a culture that creates and facilitates the experience of unlimited opportunities for independent-minded agents.”
The traditional charity auction supported Beyond the Bricks – an initiative that brought together real estate brands and institutes across Australia, and the world, in a campaign to provide relief, rebuild and restore communities most affected by devastating bushfires.
Fundraising through the initiative has generated more than $1,100,000 to date with RE/MAX in Australia and New Zealand having contributed more than $25,000.
With auctioneers Dene Tucker and Greg Parker encouraging guests, more than $12,000 was raised on the night to add to this.
“2019 proved a year of challenges, of learning and of opportunity; and challenges cause us to stretch ourselves, and to learn and progress,” Mr Davoren said.
“How we react to everything thrown at us, in business and in our personal lives, determines the outcomes. Even disasters can produce positivity, with massive investment in rebuilding infrastructure and rebuilding people’s lives.”
