The best property professionals from across Australia and New Zealand will descend on Adelaide on Thursday when the industry’s star performers are recognised at the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s annual National Awards for Excellence.

The event, to be held at Adelaide Oval, will see the best of the best crowned from 117 finalists across 23 categories, recognising Australia’s top-performing salespeople, property managers, residential and commercial agencies, and operational support workers, to name but a few.

REIA president Leanne Pilkington said the calibre of finalists at this year’s competition was strong.

“I was one of the judges in some of the categories and it was a really strong field, because they are the best of the best from around the country so it will be very exciting to see who the winners will be on the night,” she said.

“I think the field of finalists gets stronger each year and I think that’s a reflection of competition in the industry and the best have to keep getting better every year, and it’s really exciting to see.

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“The people representing their industry on this stage this week are incredible operators and they are the best in each of our states, and customer focus is an absolute priority for all of them.

“I am proud of all of our finalists – it’s not an easy industry and it’s not been an easy year, and they just keep getting better.”

Every finalist in REIA’s National Awards For Excellence

Achievement Award

Sam Harris

State: WA

Agency: Centurion Real Estate

Amir Attarsharifi

State: VIC

Agency: Hoskins (Donvale)

Riley Turner

State: TAS

Agency: Parry Property

Ebony Cavanough

State: NSW

Agency: Leah Jay

Business Broker of the Year

Chris Swifte

State: VIC

Agency: Australian Pharmacy Sales

Philip Johns

State: SA

Agency: Xcllusive Business Sales

Business Development Manager of the Year

Alison Ringuet

State: WA

Agency: Orana Property Management

Alex Gale

State: VIC

Agency: Elite Property Management Agency

Kylie Bonanni

State: NT

Agency: LJ Hooker Darmin

Kylie Davie

State: TAS

Agency: Downton Property

Charlie Evans

State: ACT

Agency: Verv Property

James Daniel Euripidou

State: NSW

Agency: NGFarah

Jayde Grindlay

State: SA

Agency: Eclipse Real Estate

Buyers Agent of the Year

Trevor Dunkley

State: WA

Agency: Property Wizards

Tonya Davidson

State: VIC

Agency: Davidson Property Advocates

Samantha Spilsbury

State: TAS

Agency: Buyers Agents Tasmania

Katherine Skinner

State: SA

Agency: National Property

Claire Corby

State: ACT

Agency: Capitals Buyers Agency

Lloyd Edge

State: NSW

Agency: Aus Property Professionals

Commercial Agency of the Year

Stonebridge Property Group

State: VIC

LJ Hooker Commercial North

State: NT

Elders Tasmania

State: TAS

Canberra Commercial

State: ACT

Martin Morris and Jones

State: NSW

LJ Hooker Commercial – Adelaide

State: SA

Commercial Property Manager of the Year

Vaughan Copping

State: WA

Agency: Perth Property Management

Thuy Nguyen

State: VIC

Agency: Biggin Scott Mitcham

James Black

State: TAS

Agency: Elders Tasmania

Marley Tautuhi

State: ACT

Agency: Colliers Canberra

Fabrizio Pignataro

State: NSW

Agency: Strathfield Partners

Rav Prakash

State: SA

Agency: Kemp Real Estate

Commercial Salesperson of the Year

Robert Dawson

State: WA

Agency: Realmark Commercial

Ben Hackworthy

State: VIC

Agency: Lemon Baxter

Ryan Doyle

State: NT

Agency: LJ Hooker Commercial North

Michael Ceacis

State: ACT

Agency: Canberra Commercial

Joseph Assaf

State: NSW

Agency: RWC Western Sydney

Community Service Award

Realestate 88

State: WA

The Leasing Lane

State: NT

LJ Hooker Adelaide – Metro

State: SA

Harcourts Huon Valley

State: TAS

Hayman Partners

State: ACT

OBrien Real Estate

State: VIC

Innovation Award

Network Pacific

State: VIC

South Property Group

State: TAS

Ray White Commercial Western Sydney

State: NSW

Large Residential Agency of the Year

Hedland First National

State: WA

Jellis Craig Whitehorse

State: VIC

Elders Top End Group

State: NT

Peter Lees Real Estate

State: TAS

The Property Collective

State: ACT

McGrath Estate Agents Parramatta

State: NSW

Ouwens Casserly Real Estate

State: SA

Marketer of the Year

Kristen McTernan

State: WA

Agency: Realestate 88

Amber Leighton

State: TAS

Agency: Homelands Property

Tyran Murphy

State: ACT

Agency: Hayman Partners

Fiona Yang

State: NSW

Agency: Plus Agency

Marketing and Communications Award

Empire Strata Management

State: WA

Agency: Empire Estate Agents

Lowe Living

State: VIC

McGrath Launceston

State: TAS

The Property Collective

State: ACT

Toop + Toop

State: SA

Medium Residential Agency of the Year

Realmark Karratha

State: WA

Homelands Property

State: TAS

Blackshaw Queanbeyan & Jerrabomberra

State: ACT

Smith Partners

State: SA

Operational Leadership Award

Robin Ram

State: WA

Agency: Momentum Wealth

Stephen Briffa

State: TAS

Agency: Network Pacific

Chantelle Dalton

State: NT

Agency: LJ Hooker Darwin

Renee Maynard

State: TAS

Agency: Peter Lees Real Estate

Natalie Edgeloe

State: WA

Agency: Oakfield Strata

Operational Support Award

Louise Rieck

State: NT

Agency: Elders Top End Group

Alicia Turnbull

State: TAS

Agency: Harcourts Kingborough

Sarah King

State: ACT

Agency: Capital Buyers Agency

Anika Benecke

State: NSW

Agency: Belle Property Parramatta

Merina Caputo

State: SA

Agency: Ouwens Casserly Rentals

REIA President’s Award

Ewan Morton

State: NSW

Agency: Morton Real Estate

Matt Smith

State: SA

Agency: Klemich Real Estate

Hayden Groves

State: WA

Agency: Ray White Dethridge Groves

Richard Simpson

State: VIC

Agency: W. B. Simpson & Son

Residential Property Management Team of the Year

Blackburne Property Management

State: WA

Peter Lees Real Estate

State: TAS

Little Bird Properties

State: ACT

Century 21 Novocastrian

State: NSW

Rental Property Network

State: SA

Residential Property Manager of the Year

Lillian Dobson

State: NT

Agency: Elders Real Estate Burnie

Siobahan Farmer

State: WA

Agency: Centurion Real Estate

Claire Spring

State: VIC

Agency: Nicholson Real Estate

Residential Property Manager of the Year

Toby Orders

State: TAS

Agency: Elders Real Estate Burnie

Renee Boyle

State: ACT

Agency: The Property Collective

Kellie Andriessen

State: NSW

Agency: Newcastle Property Management

Michael Kennedy

State: SA

Agency: Stadium Real Estate

Residential Sales Team of the Year

Realestate 88

State: WA

OBrien Real Estate Carrum Downs

State: VIC

Elders Top End Group

State: NT

McGrath Launceston

State: TAS

Adrian William Real Estate

State: NSW

Taarnby

State: SA

Residential Salesperson of the Year

Daniel Harris

State: NT

Agency: Real Estate Central

Taney Jain

State: VIC

Agency: McGrath Estate Agents Werribee

Josh Hart

State: TAS

Agency: McGrath Launceston

Jane Macken

State: ACT

Agency: LJ Hooker Woden | Weston

Ben Pike

State: NSW

Agency: Pulse Property Agents

Matt Smith

State: SA

Agency: Klemich Real Estate

Small Residential Agency of the Year

Starlight Property Group

State: WA

Matthews Agency

State: VIC

Freedom Property Rental Specialists

State: NT

McGrath Launceston

State: TAS

Jonny Warren Properties

State: ACT

Biller Property

State: NSW

Taarnby

State: SA

Sustainability Leadership Award – Agency

Starlight Property Group

State: WA

New Haus Agency

State: TAS

Colliers Canberra

State: ACT

Taarnby

State: SA

Sustainability Leadership Award – Individual

Christina Mandanici

State: WA

Agency: Paddington Realty

Renee Parry

State: TAS

Agency: Parry Property

Sasha Trpkovski

State: ACT

Agency: Archer Canberra

The post REI National Awards For Excellence: Every finalist named appeared first on realestate.com.au.

New details have emerged on how much Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are spending on maintenance for their swanky $US14.65 million ($A20.9 million) California mansion.

UK Home Improvement expert Justin Nielsen, from Wolf River Electric, estimates that the nine-bedroom pad will need around 10 to 15 staff members to keep it in tip top condition, The Sun reports.

He shared that this would include “groundskeepers, horticulturists, pool technicians, and security personnel”.

The garden expert added: “Given the array of features, including a swimming pool, tennis court, koi pond, children’s playhouse, and chicken coop, the annual upkeep costs could easily reach between £150,000 ($A308,000) and £250,000 ($A514,000).

“This estimate accounts for landscaping, utilities, specialised care for the koi fish, and general maintenance.”

He added that staff would be required to work each month of the year, and said: “The maintenance of this estate is not a seasonal endeavour but requires round-the-year attention.”

While Meghan and Harry often keep their home life private, they have given fans a sneak peek into their digs.

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Playground for Archie and Lilibet

The royal couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, may not be growing up in a British palace, but their home sounds like a children’s paradise.

The two youngsters have an incredible adventure playground outside, as well as a playhouse, and an indoor princess playroom.

The outdoor adventure area has slides, swings, a climbing frame, climbing wall, helter skelter (play equipment) and other fun obstacle courses.

And we’ve already seen a sneak peek at their garden playhouse, when the Sussexes shared a painting of them outside for their 2020 Christmas card.

The Sussex brood have five acres of land surrounding their Santa Barbara mansion, so it looks perfect for Lilibet and Archie to enjoy.

Chicken mansion

Meghan and Harry gave Oprah Winfrey the grand tour of their mansion and revealed they have rescue chickens from a factory farm.

The couple walked the talk show host to their coop – a home to rescued chickens.

In the video clip, an adorable red hen house dubbed “Archie’s Chick Inn” was also spotted.

Oprah said the chickens were saved from a nearby factory farm.

Koi fish pond

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex splashed out $23 million on their Montecito home in 2020, they were informed there was a one drawback with the property.

The luxe residence came with some “stressed” koi carp in the pond that needed professional care.

Writing about their home in his memoir “Spare”, Harry wrote: “We found a place.

“Priced at a steep discount. Just up the coast, outside Santa Barbara.

“Lots of room, large gardens, a climbing frame — even a pond with koi carp.

“The koi were stressed, the estate agent warned.

“So are we. We’ll all get along famously.

“No, the agent explained, the koi need very particular care.”

The Duke revealed he was informed that he would have to “hire a koi guy” for the stressed fish, and he had inquired as to where to find a specialist.

He continued: “The agent wasn’t sure. We laughed. First-world problems.”

Vegetable patch

The couple are said to grow their own vegetables in their garden, and use the ingredients for their meals.

After Lilibet’s birth, a friend told Closer: “The couple has been relaxing at home since becoming proud parents of Lilibet.

“Harry is a devoted family man and has been helping out around the house.

“He picks vegetables from the garden to make fresh juices for Meghan and entertains Archie when she needs to rest up.

“He loves taking Archie to see the chickens or for a swim in the pool.”

Cute seating areas

When the couple weighed in on the US election when they filmed a special message to voters outside their home.

The pair were filmed sitting on a bench in the middle of a neatly trimmed patch of grass.

Either side of them, there were well maintained flower beds and a large tree – which would later feature in their pregnancy photo shoot – loomed behind.

The couple took out a massive $14.9 million mortgage on their lavish nine bedroom, 16 bathroom estate – which they are calling their “sanctuary”.

It also boasts a theatre, arcade and guesthouse.

Parts of this story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.

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The post How much work goes into maintaining Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s $20m home? appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Two popular grants that are saving buyers thousands have been extended in the Northern Territory. 

Launched in October 2024, the HomeGrown Territory and FreshStart New Home grants encourage existing homeowners and first-home buyers to either build a new home or buy new.  

The HomeGrown Territory grant offers $50,000 to first-home buyers while the FreshStart New Home grant offers $30,000 to existing homeowners, if they buy or build a new home.  

Initially these schemes were set to expire on 30 September 2025. Now, the Northern Territory government has extended the grants by 12 months until 30 September 2026. Both grants are also available to owner-builders and for off-the-plan properties.  

The NT government says more than $7.2 million in grants have been paid out to 479 recipients since its start with 55 receiving the $50,000 grant and 11 receiving $30,000.

There is also a $10,000 grant for buying an established home, which saw 399 applicants receive, but this will cease as planned on 30 September 2025.

A further 118 applications have been approved and are waiting to be paid. 

NT treasurer Bill Yan said the extension could stimulate home building in the territory.  

“Building approvals are up 48.6% over the year to March, the second strongest growth in the nation, and much of that can be attributed to the success of these grants,” he said. 

“We expect to see this flow through to construction activity in the coming months.” 

Master Builders NT was pleased about the extension with president Neil Sunners noting its wider impact on supporting the construction sector.  

“Master Builders NT welcomes the extension of the homebuilder grants that will further encourage new home builds and provide a wider impact in relation to supporting local builders, providing local jobs and more broadly population growth,” he said. 

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) also lauded the news and acknowledged the ongoing challenge of affordable housing.  

“Access to secure, affordable housing in the NT is an ongoing challenge for families and first homeowners and these grants serve to address the rising cost of housing in the top end,” HIA executive director Luis Espinoza said.  

“The HomeGrown Territory grants are an important initiative by the NT government which will bolster home building activity, supporting local building, trade and supply businesses after several challenging years.”  

Mr Espinoza also called on the government to work towards removing further barriers to home ownership.  

“In addition to the HomeGrown Territory grants, HIA calls on Government to ensure it is removing all barriers to home ownership, including cutting red tape and taxation on housing, supporting skills and workforce development, as well as addressing known challenges with the Fidelity Fund NT,” he said.  

“These and other forms of housing incentive programs are critical to boost housing supply and home ownership rates to support first home buyers, as well as existing homeowners, to build a life in NT.”  

Are you interested in buying or building new? Check out our New Homes section. 

The post NT extends incentives for buying a brand-new home  appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Making homes more energy efficient has major financial benefits for households but one big barrier is holding people back, a new report has found.

Upfront costs are the biggest barrier to adopting energy-efficient features in the home, according to the PropTrack-Origin Australian Home Energy Report, released Wednesday.

More than half (58%) of homeowners said costs are the main challenge to improving home energy efficiency, despite research showing that Australians could save an average of $1033 each year by going all-electric.

Renters on the other hand felt disempowered by their lack of control over energy efficiency in their homes, citing this as their main challenge to adopting energy-efficient features. 

The report, based on insights from the realestate.com.au Residential Audience Pulse Survey, found 70% of respondents had changed their energy habits in the past year — the hottest on record — due to cost of living pressures.

Report author and REA Group senior economist Eleanor Creagh said both homeowners and renters were concerned about the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions, but were primarily motivated to make changes by the rising cost of living.

“While climate concerns are a priority, financial motivations drive most energy decisions,” she said.

“When it comes to concerns about climate change impacts, the hip pocket is where most feel it.”

Beyond costs, the report found a shortfall in understanding about energy efficiency and a perceived lack of grants and incentives as challenges to adopting energy-efficient features.

Only one in five (19%) of respondents felt that existing policies, grants, and incentives were sufficient to improve the energy efficiency of Australia’s homes.

The report found younger people were less likely to believe individual efforts can help reduce emissions, despite almost half (47%) of people under 35 stating they had experienced climate anxiety, compared with a third (34%) of those 35 and older.

Ms Creagh said a lack of understanding about energy efficiency, combined with concerns about upfront costs, was hindering the widespread adoption of sustainable upgrades. 

“Renters, younger Australians, and lower-income households face the greatest challenges, emphasising the need for targeted policies, education, and incentives.”

Energy-efficient upgrades: An $82 billion opportunity

Encouragingly, about 65% of households planned to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes in the next five years, but younger households were a little less likely.

Households planned to spend an average of $7,950 on energy efficiency improvements in the next five years, representing an $82 billion opportunity, the report found.

People who were building, renovating or planning to sell their home were more likely to spend more, indicating the perceived positive effect energy-efficient upgrades can have on home values.

Tasmanian households intended to spend the most ($9,600), while those in the NT were willing to spend the least ($3,700).

Solar power and efficient lighting were the most popular energy-efficient features, with a third of respondents stating they already had these installed in their homes.

Adoption of solar power was highest in South Australia, with 45% of households stating they had installed solar panels, compared with 29% in NSW and Victoria, which ranked lowest for solar adoption.

Big saving by going all-electric

Electrification — switching appliances powered by gas to electric alternatives — can significantly reduce energy bills while minimising greenhouse gas emissions, but the perceived cost is putting many consumers off, despite the big savings on offer.

Going all-electric would reduce the average household energy bill by $1033 annually, according to a 2023 report by the Climate Council. 

Further thermal efficiency upgrades such as wall and ceiling insulation, draught sealing and secondary glazing would save an extra $972, the same report found.

Just two out of five respondents to the realestate.com.au survey said they would be willing to switch to an all-electric home, and more than a quarter (28%) said they would not consider full electrification.

Ms Creagh said educating people on the benefits of improving the energy efficiency of their homes was crucial.

“It’s clear that people with a good understanding of energy efficiency are more likely to make upgrades to their home and alter their behaviour to reduce energy use,” she said. 

People who were keen on saving money by improving their home’s energy efficiency could start small, said Origin Energy retail executive general manager Jon Briskin.

“Changes to energy habits are a simple and affordable way for many households to get started on their energy efficiency journey,” he said.

“Small changes like checking the star ratings of appliances and upgrading to the most efficient model within budget, to using energy efficient LED globes, can help to reduce energy use and boost household budgets.”

The post $82 billion opportunity: Why Aussies aren’t doing more to slash this big household expense appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Imagine signing a three-month sublease for an apartment in New York City, only to be kicked out after two weeks because subletting is not allowed in the building. Or paying a security deposit for an apartment that turns out to be a fake listing—and suddenly the email address you’ve been using to contact the so-called owner is no longer working. 

When the rental market has a lot of competition for apartments—as is the case in NYC now—scammers come out in force to take advantage of desperate renters. 

“Scammers are very well aware of market dynamics. When things are quiet, the scammers are quiet. When things are busy, the scammers come out to play and make more attempts,” said Philip Horigan, founder of Leasebreak, a short-term rental listings site. “Unfortunately, this is also when renters are at their wits’ end, losing out on one apartment after another, and are more prone to falling victim to a scam.”

Horigan has seen a significant uptick in scams over the recent past: “You almost have to think like a scammer in order to catch them, and I’m always amazed by how much work they put into making a listing look authentic,” he said. He should know: Leasebreak vets all listings, and he often hears from renters who have had a bad experience elsewhere.

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[Editor’s note: A previous version of this article was published in July 2024. We are presenting it here with updated information for May 2025.]

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In one case, a would-be renter found a listing where the email address matched the owner’s name (unbeknownst to the owner), the lease appeared to be legitimate, and there was a licensed broker involved—but it was all a scam.

“After about 20 emails, the scammer will say, ‘Sorry, the current tenant won’t let us in to show the apartment, and this is NYC, so we have other people vying for the apartment, and the only way we can reserve it for you is if you put some money down in advance to hold it,’” Horigan said. He advised the renter to back out ASAP. Asking for money to hold an apartment sight-unseen is a major red flag.