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WIRE inspires and motivates women agents

16 November 2017

Agents from across NSW gathered in Sydney for a day of professional motivation at REINSW’s 11th annual Women in Real Estate (WIRE) Conference.

A host of inspiring speakers shared their wisdom and stories of encouragement to a captivated audience at the Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh on Tuesday 14 November 2017.

Attendees heard from: Alexandra Haggarty, Amanda Farmer, Em Rusciano, Leah Jay, Leanne Pilkington, Lisa Claes, Robyn Hobbs, Susanne King, Tracey Fellows and Tracy Bevan.

REINSW Board Member Kylie Walsh also hosted an industry panel with Louise Snowden, Marnie Seinor and Monika Tu.

Former REINSW President, Cristine Castle, who started WIRE in 2007, perfectly summed up the event when she said: “When WIRE was just an idea, there were some fundamentals of what we wanted to achieve.

“The purpose was to motivate, educate, communicate with our members, create a networking opportunity, provide and create mentors, inspire, and encourage passion in real estate.

“We wanted women to invest in themselves, share the experience of others and look ahead at facing the challenge of change.

“Today all of those fundamental foundations are still in place which is so satisfying. Each of the presenters today has reiterated and reconfirmed the fundamentals of WIRE.

“One of my main takeaways today is that it is all about love. I heard it in every speaker.

“When you have a career in real estate, you can’t be perfect at everything because it is a very demanding industry. Be the best you can be, do the best you can do, but it is all about love.”

Read about Em's talk here. Further articles on some of the speakers will be put online in the coming days. Keep your eyes peeled for photos and videos to come.

Key takeaways from the day

Cooley Auctions Director Damien Cooley, McGrath Estate Sales Agent Braden Walters and REINSW CEO Tim McKibbin hosted a session each.

After every talk they hosted, they gave their feedback to the audience on their main takeaways from the speakers.

Robyn Hobbs

Damien said: “Robyn’s talk showed that poor communication in business is something everyone needs to avoid. It is important to be open and honest with your teams, which helps reduce the number of disputes you have.

“Robyn also highlighted how important customer service is and how you should never take trust for granted. Sometimes we can underestimate the trust placed on us and the responsibility we have to do the best for our clients.”

Alexandra Haggarty

Damien said: “We often take things for granted, but we can be incredibly proud that there are people in our industry like Alexandra. She is doing an incredible job helping women who have suffered domestic abuse to find housing.”

Amanda Farmer

Damien said: “The more you can be yourself, giving good honest advice to people and meaning it, the better. Amanda’s talk highlighted how we can often overpromise and underdeliver, which we need to change.”

Tracey Fellows

Damien said: “The main message for me from Tracey’s talk is about being yourself and allowing yourself to be vulnerable because it shows you care.

“We often get so consumed by what we are doing on a day-to-day basis that we forget about the people who are there to help us as leaders, and it is important to recognise them.”

Tracy Bevan


Tim said: “I liked how Tracy said how one of her good qualities was being a great friend which we can all aspire to be and which she clearly was to Jane McGrath.

“We all go through life and all get our chance, but Tracy has decided to make a difference, and is making a difference, which I think is something we all need to aspire to.”

Lisa Claes

Tim said: “Lisa’s talk about how you have a whole variety of different things that take up your day reminded me of a quote from Steve Jobs when he said, ‘he was most proud of the things that he didn’t do’ which I thought Lisa highlighted.”

Leah Jay

Tim said: “We all have challenges in life and the important thing is how we deal with those. Leah has gone looking for additional challenges to grow, which is a great tribute to who she is.”

Susanne King

Braden said: “We often hear about owning who you are and not replicating someone else.

“Susanne’s talk made me realise how it is a shift from doing deals and getting the numbers, because if you love what you do and fulfil your goals you are successful.”

Leanne Pilkington

Braden said: “There are some exciting changes happening in the real estate industry and with Leanne at the forefront it is more exciting than it has ever been.

“Change starts with the individual and each of us needs to make the change towards professionalism.”

Em Rusciano

Braden said: “Em is nothing but herself and she owns it, which we can all learn from.”