Chapter Champions

NICOLE UNGER is REINSW General Counsel and is responsible for supervising the activities of REINSW Chapter Committees.

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Agency Services Chapter

CHAIR	Cameron Nicholls (Nicholls & Co Estate Agents)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Nicole MacGee (The Agency)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Bree Higgins (Cunninghams) Cassandra Lantry (Leah Jay) Kristy Neville (REINSW Membership) Will Gosse (BresicWhitney) Greg Jemmeson (Jemmeson & Fisher) Asha Kerr (LJ Hooker)
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE	Andrew Palmer (The Property Shop)

Over the last 12 months, the Agency Services Chapter Committee has continued to focus on increasing member engagement and have worked closely with REINSW on a number of key projects.

The Committee has helped REINSW identify key engagement touchpoints and develop an ‘engagement scorecard’. This scorecard is an invaluable tool for REINSW to identify which members are using which products and services. The results allow REINSW to target less engaged members and discuss the full range of benefits that membership offers.

The Committee has also been working closely with the Membership Team on the member portal, which allows agencies to manage the membership details held by REINSW for each of their employees, keep track of CPD requirements and more.

The Committee recognises the importance of ongoing learning. To this end, they’ve been a valuable resource for the Marketing Team and have provided in-depth input into a range of website and Journal articles focused on sharing essential information about key issues impacting the operational side of agency practice.

Auctioneers’ Chapter

CHAIR	Jesse Davidson (auctionWORKS)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Ricky Briggs (Advantage Property Group NSW)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Robert Anderson (REINSW Helpline) Leon Axford (Axford Auctions) Briannan Davis (Cooley Auctions) Josh Larsen (DiJones Real Estate) Peter Matthews (Realtair) Mark Morrison (Agency HQ) James Pratt (James Pratt Auctions) Edward Riley (McGrath Estate Agents) Andrew Robinson (Belle Property) Clarence White (Menck White)
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE	Thomas McGlynn (BresicWhitney)

In 2021, the Auctioneers’ Chapter Committee were once again focused on encouraging, nurturing and supporting auctioneers through both the Novice Auctioneers Competition and the Awards for Excellence live auction competition.

This year, entrants in the Novice Auctioneers Competition battled it out in six heats, with the cream of the crop wielding their gavels at the State Final, which was held online for the first time. The calibre of the entrants gets higher and higher each year, which is a testament to the hard work of the Committee.

Equally successful was the live auction final for the Auctioneers category of the REINSW Awards for Excellence, which was streamed online for the second year. The Committee ensured that entrants’ talents were put to the test, with a challenging bidding script that tested their gift of the gab and their knowledge of the law.

Outside the competition space, the Committee has been working closely with REINSW to create and release the Authority to Bid form, which enables a prospective purchaser to authorise another person to bid on their behalf at an auction and, if successful, sign the contract for sale. This new form helps agents to comply with requirements under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002.

Buyers’ Agents Chapter

CHAIR	Nicholas Viner (Buyers Domain)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Jacque Parker (House Search Australia)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Simone Luxford (Essential Property Wealth) Michael Ossitt (STRAND Property Group) Ramon Mitchell (Gault & Co Property Advisory) Oliver Stier (OH Property Group)
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE	Amanda Gould (HighSpec Properties)

The Buyers’ Agents Chapter Committee have been busy over the last 12 months addressing a range of important issues. In each case, the goal has been to raise the profile of buyers’ agents and improve both consumers’ and the industry’s understanding of their important role in property transactions.

The Committee is seeking a clear definition of “buyers’ agent” in the Property & Stock Agents Act 2002. There’s a distinct difference between someone acting as an exclusive buyers’ agent and someone working for a selling agent who is charged with nurturing buyers. By defining “buyers’ agent” in the Act, any confusion regarding the capacity in which the agent is acting will be alleviated.

After many years of tireless work by the Committee, The Law Society of NSW formally recognised the role buyers’ agents play in property sales in the March 2021 update of the Residential Conveyancing Protocol. This inclusion clarifies the value buyers’ agents add for the benefit of all stakeholders in the transaction.

Other issues the Committee has been focused on include establishing best practice guidelines for vendor advocates and developing a protocol to improve collaboration between buyers’ agents, selling agents and auctioneers.

Commercial Chapter

CHAIR	Bobby Suminoski (Four Walls Commercial)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Barry Cawthorn (Bawdens Industrial)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Hayden Bennett (Commercial Property Group) Kymbal Dunne (Knight Frank) Ole Mitrevski (Massons) Michael P Laing (The Agency) Helen Storey (CBRE)
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE	Barry Johnston (Balmoral Partners)

Commercial agents have faced significant challenges over the last 12 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commercial Chapter Committee has been focused on supporting members with information and guidance to help them adapt quickly and efficiently as landlords and tenants experienced fallout from lockdowns and restrictions on trade.

The Committee has worked tirelessly to ensure that REINSW’s commercially-focused agreements and forms are up-to-date and fit for purpose.

After a comprehensive review and rewrite, the Committee, in conjunction with REINSW’s Legal Counsel, has finalised an updated the Commercial Lease. It’s the first time a review and rewrite has been done in more than a decade and brings the Commercial Lease into line with current industry practice standards and today’s market conditions.

In addition, a new Car Park Licence, suitable for car spaces within open parking lots or multiple parking facilities, has also been finalised. The Committee identified a gap in REINSW’s agreements and forms offering, and worked with REINSW’s Legal Counsel to fill this gap.

The Committee also continued their lobbying efforts to secure a prescribed Retail Lease.

Property Management Chapter

CHAIR	Michelle McLean (Leah Jay)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Kellie Eagles (LJ Hooker Queanbeyan)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Edith Byrne (No Bull Real Estate) Anthony Caudullo (Crown Group) Suzie Hamilton-Flanagan (McGrath Cronulla) Alexandra Haggarty (David Haggarty First National) Casey Healey (Century 21 Novocastrian) Lisa Indge (Let’s Rent) Lyn Kimball (REINSW Helpline) Sandra McGee (Starr Partners) Tiana Mueller (MMJ North) Colin Rodgers (McGrath Cronulla) Gary Triganza (Award Group Real Estate)

After working closely with NSW Fair Trading for several years on the review of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, last year saw the commencement of comprehensive reforms to the residential tenancies framework. With the review over and amendments in place, the Committee turned their minds to educating the industry about the reforms. Working closely with the REINSW Marketing Team, they produced a comprehensive 40-page booklet. Over a range of key topics the booklet sets out the changes, the implications of those changes and what property managers need to do to implement best practice standards.

As for all other agents, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing for property managers. In the face of an unprecedented wave of enquiries from landlords and tenants, the Committee has worked closely with REINSW to ensure that property managers are equipped with the information and tools they need to provide their essential service.

The Committee has also been hard at work reviewing the range of property management agreements and forms to ensure they are legally compliant and meet the practice needs of property managers.

And, as always, the Committee has an eye to the future and is preparing for the upcoming statutory review in 2022 of the domestic violence provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act.

Residential Sales Chapter

CHAIR	Braden Walters (Belle Property Byron Bay/Lennox Head)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Sarah Bester (Ray White Double Bay)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Cathy Baker (Belle Property Killcare) Peter Chauncy (McGrath Estate Agents) Lynette Malcolm (Chadwick Real Estate) Craig Marshall (Marshall Chan Yahl) Thomas McGlynn (BresicWhitney) Matt Nicastri (Cunninghams) Betty Ockerlander (McGrath Estate Agents) Rob Ward (DiJones Real Estate)

Like other scopes of practice, residential sales agents have continued to be significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 12 months. With restrictions and requirements frequently changing, the Committee has worked closely with REINSW to ensure that members have the information they need at their fingertips.

Beyond information relating to COVID-19, the Committee has also been particularly active in providing ideas and input to a wide range of webinars, website news items and articles for the Journal. This content is an invaluable resource and allows the Committee to share their wealth of knowledge and experience with all members.

The Committee also continues to work closely with REINSW’s Legal Counsel to ensure that important practice issues are brought to the attention of NSW Fair Trading. By taking a proactive approach to lobbying, rather than simply reacting to changes the NSW Government proposes, the Committee hopes to have a more significant impact on issues such as stamp duty reform, as well as practice issues relating to things like estimated selling price, price guides, underquoting and more.

Strata Management Chapter

CHAIR	Gary Adamson (Strata Management Services – NSW)
DEPUTY CHAIR	Christine Nesbit (Albury Wodonga Real Estate)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS	Sue Dowling (Dowling Management Services) Dean Eades (Southern Strata Management) Nima Khanpour (Strata Management Services – NSW) Carolynne Pitt (Gilbey Burgess Strata Management) Reena Van Aalst (Strata Central)
BOARD REPRESENTATIVE	Leisha de Aboitiz (Massons)

With the mandated statutory review of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 now underway, the Strata Management Chapter Committee have their eyes set firmly on the future.

Following the release of the Statutory Review of the NSW Strata Laws Discussion Paper in late 2020, the Strata Management Chapter Committee spent the early part of this year focused on crafting REINSW’s comprehensive submission in response. In addition to the 140 questions posed by the Discussion Paper, the Committee also highlighted a range of other issues of concern.  

Following lodgement of the submission, the Committee worked closely with the REINSW Marketing Team to produce a series of articles, available on the REINSW website, explaining the recommendations they made for changes to the strata management framework.

The Committee has also continued to work closely with REINSW to provide targeted information for strata managers in relation to COVID-19 and many other issues, and have been a valuable source for website content and Journal articles

Introducing the Compass Chapter

Working in the real estate industry is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be challenging – and as many issues as there are impacting all agents across New South Wales, there are just as many specific to local areas. The new REINSW Compass Chapter is here to provide members the opportunity to give a voice to all of these issues.

REINSW is proud to introduce its newest Chapter – the Compass Chapter.

Why the ‘Compass’ Chapter? Because REINSW’s aim is for this new Chapter to reach members at every point of the New South Wales’ compass – North, South, East, West and everywhere in between.

Through the Compass Chapter Committee, REINSW members will have the opportunity to share their ideas, opinions and concerns about issues impacting them in their local area, as well as any challenges they’re facing on a practice level. The goal is to provide support to members and facilitate proactive solutions that will drive change on a local level and, in turn, achieve greater recognition for real estate agents in their communities.

The Compass Chapter Committee is comprised of representatives from 10 regions across New South Wales and you will be automatically assigned to the relevant region

Connect with the Compass Chapter

If you have an issue you would like to bring to REINSW’s attention, email [email protected]

Your email will be directed to your region’s Compass Chapter Committee member, who will then liaise directly with you and the team at REINSW.

Meet the Chapter Committee