When the idea for the REINSW Industry Summit first took root back in 2013, the plan was that it would be a forum for us to gather a broader industry perspective than we had previously.

Three years on and now heading toward our fourth annual Industry Summit, we know that what started as a simple idea has really come to fruition. We’re now far more engaged with members and the wider community of industry stakeholders, and are better informed about the issues you want us to champion on your behalf.

The interaction we have with members each year at the Industry Summit gives us a clearer understanding of what agents are facing each and every day at the coalface. This, in turn, stands us in good stead when we seek to work with and influence government and other major industry stakeholders on your behalf.

As the peak body for real estate in NSW, it’s critical that we’re clear about what we’re trying to achieve for and on behalf of our members – and each year the Industry Summit provides us with that clarity in spades.

From almost a blank canvas in 2013, we’ve since built new policies and priorities to keep pace with the rapid rate of change in our industry and have made great strides towards achieving our goals. For example, the level of engagement the Industry Summit provides has seen our influence with the NSW Government dramatically increase and, as a result of our resolve, we’ve seen the establishment of the Real Estate Reference Group. We’re now making advances on a number of issues via the reference group. And our dogged determination to see reform in the area of education and training is finally paying off, and serious reform is now just around the corner.

We’re proud to say that significant progress has been made on each of the major issues discussed at last year’s Industry Summit – technology, education and training, service standards, consumer choice and more. You can read about the progress we’ve made across all areas discussed at last year’s Industry Summit in the latest update report here.

2016 REINSW Industry Summit

Coming up on Thursday, 24 November 2016, this year’s Industry Summit will see us continue to forge forward. Our theme this year is: the journey to professional standards.Adapt or perish is an apt way to sum up what every agent in our industry needs to do. Every day there are new threats emerging, each wanting to take a bigger and bigger slice of our pie. But no matter how hard they try, they’ll never be able to truly replicate the service a professional trusted advisor can provide. By taking the path toward professional standards we can shield ourselves – in fact, we will survive and thrive.

I look forward to what will no doubt be an interesting and revealing discussion at this year’s Industry Summit.

John Cunningham
REINSW President