Ben Faulks makes it 22 acquisitions – plus one very overdue homecoming

In this week’s edition of Movers +Shakers…

Bathurst teen fast-tracks real estate career through school

While his classmates clock up part-time hours elsewhere, Jayden McGrath has spent his final years of school picking up something rarer: a head start on a real estate career. By the time he leaves St Stanislaus College, he'll walk out with a Certificate III in Real Estate Practice already in hand, thanks to a traineeship he pursued himself at LJ Hooker Bathurst. More here

Meet Showtime – the property manager who wrestles on weekends

Wrestling actually came first for Sean Thompson – he grew up watching it in Newcastle before real estate entered the picture. He waited until he was 27, mid-lockdown in Melbourne, to finally step into the ring, and four years and four promotions on, his Ray White Southbank team is still turning up in custom shirts to cheer him on. More here

REMAX gathers top property managers for Platinum Plus forum

Now in its third year, REMAX's Platinum Plus Forum has become a fixture on the property management calendar, and this year's Bougainvillea House gathering leaned into the human side of the role. Josh Davoren framed it as recognition for a profession he says keeps businesses running, with Ashleigh Goodchild, Sadhana Smiles and Colleen Callander unpacking service, resilience and leadership for the 40-strong crowd. More here

Ray White duo open second office in Hallett Cove

Three years after opening Ray White Woodcroft together, Pete Fallon and Cain Dover are putting down a second flag, this time on the coast at Hallett Cove. Cain will lead the new office, with the pair betting that families upgrading between the foothills and the sea will keep choosing them for both moves. More here

Cunninghams comes home to Dee Why

Cunninghams has staffed Dee Why deals from Balgowlah and Avalon Beach for over three decades without ever putting down roots there. That changes now, with John Cunningham fitting out a dedicated space in the suburb's centre with Alinea. “It’s an investment in our people, our clients and our future,” John said. More here

Ray White Canberra hits 22 acquisitions with latest deals

Sixteen years, 22 businesses folded in, and Ben Faulks still calls each one an honour rather than a transaction. This time it's Boris Property, Morrell Property and Sadil Quinlan joining the fold, pushing Ray White Canberra past 150 people and one in four auctions in the capital, according to the group. More here

Charity home auction raises $1.06m for domestic violence survivors

Four registered bidders pushed hard on a brand-new Banya home this month, knowing every dollar above reserve was headed straight to families escaping domestic violence. Jodi Price, principal of LJ Hooker Mooloolaba | Mountain Creek and a SunnyKids board member, took it to $1.06 million under the hammer, funding six transitional townhouses and continuing her office's 12-year run of fundraising for the charity. More here

Harcourts Foundation names its first Sneaker Day winners

Corporate shoes stayed in the cupboard across Harcourts offices for a good cause, and Wendy Lenaghan and the team at Harcourts Broadbeach | Mermaid have taken out the inaugural Sneaker Champion title. Aimee Garside of Harcourts Dapto, Harcourts Melbourne City, Harcourts Alliance and Harcourts Mandurah also picked up category wins, in a fundraiser for homelessness charity Orange Sky. More here

LATEST ROLES

Virender Kaindal launches First National Empire in St Albans

St Albans has a new independent player in Melbourne's western suburbs. Virender Kaindal, who moved into real estate in 2019 after running his own hospitality business and building experience across several agencies, has launched First National Empire, offering residential sales, property management, commercial, rural and lifestyle services, and auctions across the region. More here

43 agents hit Altitude status at The Agency this year

Altitude status at The Agency now requires $1 million in GCI or 76-plus settlements, and 43 agents cleared that bar this year – more than double the 20 who managed it back in 2023. Andrew Jensen points to the 27 who also posted personal bests as proof the growth is compounding, not just recruitment-driven. More here

Carmen Christie builds success on honesty and expert negotiation

Twenty listings at a time, decades of negotiation runs from Cairns to Warragul, and a reputation for telling vendors the truth even when they don't want to hear it – that's the track record Carmen Christie brings to her move to Area Specialist. The Victorian agent, who covers the patch from Drouin to Trafalgar, made the switch last year chasing more time for her clients and less time on admin, and says the change has delivered both a better lifestyle and stronger results. More here

Harcourts Foundation grant helps Smart Pups raise $35,750

A sold-out Winter Gala at Maroochy RSL has raised $35,750 for Smart Pups, marking 15 years of the Sunshine Coast charity pairing assistance dogs with Australian children living with autism, epilepsy, diabetes and mobility challenges. The Harcourts Foundation's $13,000 grant helped bring around 200 guests together for the night, with funds going towards breeding, training and placing the charity's next assistance dogs. More here

David Lu: Building a team-focused real estate business in Melbourne's west

Eight years running as Cairnlea's top-selling agent gave David Lu the track record – now he's building on it as co-owner of Area Specialist Brimbank, launched with business partner Nick Makroglou just over a year ago. The team of seven has already notched up more than 100 sales, and David's multilingual work with the area's Vietnamese community remains central to the business. More here

Harcourts agents prospect through winter to build spring pipeline

This year's Dial Hard 2 challenge crossed the Tasman for the first time, with hundreds of Harcourts consultants and property managers on both sides taking part. Honours went to Harcourts Launceston and Harcourts Macktown, David Hernyk, Nutrien Harcourts Tenterfield, Kim Robinson, Harcourts Napier, Aidan MacMillan, Harcourts Tauranga Property Management and Jenny Harris, but Adrian Knowles said the real win was watching agents build winter habits ahead of spring demand. More here

Barry Plant directors focus on strategy as AML deadline passes

With the AML deadline now behind them, Barry Plant's directors used their annual Leadership Conference to look further ahead, turning attention to strategy rather than compliance. Timing the gathering around the launch meant the new rules landed as a non-event, leaving the room free to talk growth instead. More here

ALSO, DID YOU MISS…

• Raine & Horne Great Southern named as top-performing rural WA office
• Samuel Johnson joins Melbourne Sotheby's International Realty in Macedon Ranges

And finally…