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- Compass and Anywhere finalise merger, realestate.com.au named partner of Australian Open, Harcourts Werribee opens with new leadership team
Compass and Anywhere finalise merger, realestate.com.au named partner of Australian Open, Harcourts Werribee opens with new leadership team
Also... Former soccer star Jordan Elsey joins Ray White, Danny Grant heads new training division at The Agency, and REMAX merges two Sunshine Coast offices.
Elite Agent Editor
January 18th, 2026
Featuring in this week’s edition of Movers + Shakers: Jordan Rhys Elsey, Kathrine Andersen, Lisette Schults-Rand, and Danny Grant
The Australian Open is underway, and the real estate industry is serving up some major aces of its own this week.
US brokerage giants Compass and Anywhere Real Estate have sealed a massive global merger.
Realestate.com.au has taken centre court as the Official Real Estate Partner of the Australian Open.
Rick O’Halloran, Reece Beckley and Petar Krnjeta have united to launch a new Harcourts office in Werribee.
Former A-League star Jordan Elsey is swapping the soccer pitch for property with Ray White Campbelltown.
All that and more in this week's edition of Movers + Shakers!
This week’s big moves
Compass Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin
"We are pleased with the strong support from our and Anywhere's stockholders in approving this transaction,"
Brokerage giants seal landmark merger to reshape US real estate.
US brokerage giants Compass and Anywhere Real Estate have officially merged after 99% of Compass shareholders and 72% of Anywhere investors voted yes. The US$1.6 billion deal creates one of the largest residential brokerages in the United States.
REA Group GM Audience & Marketing, Sarah Myers. Image: Supplied
“We’re incredibly excited to be the Official Real Estate Partner of the Australian Open, an iconic event that captures the nation’s attention,”
realestate.com.au: official real estate partner of the AO.
Realestate.com.au has taken centre court as the Official Real Estate Partner of the Australian Open in a new multi-year sponsorship deal with Tennis Australia, bringing together two of Australia's greatest passions - property and sport.
Mergers, mentoring and meaningful giving
This week, we put the spotlight on sporting stars switching careers, new training and leadership initiatives, and agents making generous pledges to their communities. We've rounded them up for you here…
Chris Akkawi. Photo Supplied
Chris Akkawi pledges $500 per sale to Newtown charity.
The Adrian William agent will donate from every 2026 property sale to Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, supporting those facing homelessness and housing insecurity in Sydney’s Inner West.
Pictured left to right: Reece Beckley, Rick O’Halloran, Petar Krnjeta. Image: Supplied
Industry leaders unite to launch Harcourts Werribee.
Three respected real estate professionals have united to launch Harcourts Werribee, a dynamic new real estate brand poised to redefine service standards across Melbourne’s Western Suburbs. Rick O’Halloran, Reece Beckley and Petar Krnjeta will lead this vibrant new office.
Jordan Rhys Elsey. Image: Supplied
Former soccer star Jordan Elsey has a new game plan in real estate.
The 31-year-old, who played for Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory throughout his professional career in the A-League, has joined the Ray White Campbelltown team.
REMAX Property Sales broker owner Tristan Brown. Image: Supplied
REMAX merges two Sunshine Coast offices into one.
Two established Sunshine Coast offices – Nambour and Caloundra – are coming together under one roof in Birtinya. Broker owner Tristan Brown leads a 32-strong team and says the centralised hub positions them to better service the fast-growing coastal corridor.
Jason and Ella Conroy. Image: Getty
Team Conroy joins The Agency Lower North Shore.
The Agency has added Jason and Ella Conroy to its Lower North Shore team. The husband-wife duo known for breaking suburb and street records across Willoughby and specialise in family and lifestyle homes in the luxury market.
AMLHUB’s Vice President of Sales Kathrine Andersen
Professionals leads early AML compliance rollout.
As one of the first real estate groups in Australia to take proactive action, Professionals has partnered with AMLHUB to roll out its leading anti-money laundering (AML) software and deliver comprehensive training across its network.
(L-R) Matt Lancashire, Noemi Huszti, Lisette Schults-Rand, Madeline Scott, Reuben Packer-Hill, Haesley Cush. Image: Supplied
Lisette Shults-Rand joins Ray White Collective.
Four consecutive years as a Chairman's Elite agent – that's the track record Lisette Shults-Rand brings to Ray White Collective's Chapel Hill office. With nearly 400 personal sales and Queensland's 2022 top auction performer title, she'll team up with Reuben Packer-Hill, Haesley Cush and Matt Lancashire.
Danny Grant. Image: Supplied
The Agency launches training division with Danny Grant.
Danny Grant, a former top performer at The Agency who moved into coaching and prop-tech – will head up a new dedicated sales training division launching in 2026. Grant's program, called Grantspace, focuses on what he calls "sustainable success" for agents at every career stage.
Simon Finlayson, Ray White Alliance managing Director and Jet Xavier, High-performance coach and leadership specialist. Image: Supplied
Ray White Alliance enters leadership partnership with Jet Xavier.
Ray White Alliance on the Gold Coast is set to elevate its leadership, culture, and sales performance with a consultancy partnership with high-performance coach and leadership specialist Jet Xavier.
Also… |
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Serhant taps Microsoft Amazon veteran as CTO. Greg Chan, who held senior tech roles at Microsoft and Amazon before moving into fintech leadership, has been named Chief Technology Officer at US brokerage SERHANT. He'll lead product development, AI initiatives, and the firm's proprietary platform S.MPLE. More here. |
JLL names Tim O'Connor to lead ANZ leasing. Tim O'Connor takes the helm of JLL's leasing advisory across Australia and New Zealand, bringing more than 30 years of commercial experience. The appointment is part of a broader reshuffle within JLL's Australian leasing leadership. More here. |
Colliers appoints Goldsworthy to national retail role. Will Goldsworthy has stepped into a newly created national position leading Colliers' large format retail leasing and advisory business across Australia. He'll work with state representatives to expand the sector, covering retail centres, showrooms, and mixed-use precincts. More here. |
And finally…
Do you know of any upcoming moves we should know about? Tip us off by emailing [email protected].
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