Tom Gunness has stepped up into the role of Head of Auctions for Ray White Queensland, moving into the corporate leadership team after a year with the state network and more than five years across the broader Ray White group.
The appointment brings someone with a background in high-stakes negotiations, strategy and agent mentoring into a state-wide leadership position, with a brief covering both metro and regional markets.
Tom said his move from selling into auctioneering came from what he enjoyed most on the auction floor.
“Three years ago, I came into this space bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” Tom said.
“As an agent, I sold a lot of properties via auction, and I realised that the negotiation on the auction floor and the moment the deal came together was what I enjoyed most.
“I asked myself how I could do that every single day, and becoming an auctioneer was the answer.”
In the new role, Tom said his focus would be on supporting agents across Queensland to create competition among buyers.
“It’s extremely humbling, and I feel incredible excitement stepping into this role,” Tom said.
“It’s a huge responsibility given the current state of the market and our fundamental duty to be best in market as competition creators.
“My ultimate goal is to help our network reach our ambition of 10,000 auctions, leveraging our talented panel of auctioneers to support every corner of Queensland.”
Ray White Queensland CEO Jason Andrew congratulated Tom on the appointment, pointing to his mentoring of agents and his ability to develop sales strategies that track real-time market conditions.
“Tom has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic acumen, and an innate ability to drive success for sales teams,” Jason said.
“Auction is in the DNA of Ray White, and having someone of Tom’s calibre leading the charge ensures our clients continue to achieve maximum property values through genuine competition.”
Ray White called 40,256 auctions across Australia and New Zealand last year, according to the group.