Western Australia's real estate industry has come together to celebrate REIWA's annual Awards for Excellence, which recognise and promote excellence among the state's real estate practitioners.
Over 400 attendees gathered for the event at Crown Perth on Tuesday 11 November.
The Awards for Excellence recognise best practice in real estate across residential and commercial sales and property management, strata management, agency leadership, marketing, innovation, community service and workplace wellbeing.
This year, 26 awards were presented, including the prestigious Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award and the REIWA Hall of Fame Award.
REIWA President Suzanne Brown said the Awards recognised the industry leaders who have chosen the difficult path of striving to be the best in their field.
"Excellence isn't stumbled upon. It's not luck, and it's certainly not easy," she said.
"Excellence is earned through late nights perfecting appraisals, early mornings preparing for a day of inspections, and countless moments where giving up would have been simpler than pushing forward."
This year's Awards saw record nominations, with 240 entries and 105 finalists across 24 categories, following WA's strong performance at the 2025 National Awards for Excellence where WA took out five categories.
"The Awards are fiercely contested and reflect the exceptional standards demonstrated by REIWA members in both residential and commercial real estate," Ms Brown said.
"The real estate industry is often spoken about in terms of dollars spent and market statistics, but the industry and the Awards for Excellence are really about people.
"The finalists and winners are the risk-takers who signed that first lease on an office space; the everyday practitioners working tirelessly in a challenging and constrained market place; and they are the principals who created employment opportunities for themselves and the professionals they have mentored.
"The Awards celebrate outstanding real estate professionals whose exemplary professional conduct sets the gold standard for practitioners in Western Australia.
"This year's winners have set new benchmarks for professionalism and strong client outcomes, consistently meeting market challenges with innovative solutions.
"On behalf of the Institute, I would like to congratulate the winners of the 2025 REIWA Awards for Excellence and thank them for raising the bar for our industry."
The 2025 Awards for Excellence winners are now eligible to represent WA at the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA)'s 2026 National Awards for Excellence in Victoria next May.
Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award, awarded to Michelle Rigg for her long-standing leadership in property management and her service to the profession and wider community.
Ms Brown said REIWA Council was proud to recognise the breadth of Ms Rigg's contribution over almost three decades.
"Michelle has quietly shaped our profession through her calm leadership, clear communication and focus on people. She is often the one behind the scenes tirelessly working to make our industry a better place," she said.
"She has helped guide the industry through rental reforms and the COVID-19 rental moratorium, co-chaired REIWA's Property Management Network Committee, taught and mentored the next generation through REIWA Training, and given her time to community organisations and those doing it tough. This award reflects the deep respect she has earned across our industry."
Established in 1989, the Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award is the Institute's highest individual honour, with recipients solely nominated and decided upon by REIWA Council.
Hall of Fame Award
The 2025 REIWA Hall of Fame Award was presented to Trevor Dunkley of Property Wizards, in recognition of his outstanding achievement in winning the Buyer's Agent of the Year Award three years in a row in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Ms Brown said Mr Dunkley had made a significant contribution to lifting the profile of buyer's agents in WA.
"Trevor is known for his calm, professional and collaborative approach, and for the strong relationships he has built across the industry based on trust and respect," she said.
"He has not only delivered excellent outcomes for his clients, he has also mentored others, shared his knowledge and helped raise awareness of the value buyer's agents bring to the market. His leadership reflects the values we seek to recognise in the Hall of Fame."
2025 REIWA Awards for Excellence winners
- Kevin Sullivan Memorial Award, Michelle Rigg
- Hall of Fame Award, Trevor Dunkley, Property Wizards
- Achievement Award, Simon Brady, Sterling Property
- Business Development Manager of the Year, Alison Ringuet, Orana Property
- Buyer's Agent of the Year, Peter Gavalas, Resolve EPS
- Commercial Agency of the Year, Realmark Commercial
- Commercial Property Manager of the Year, Vaughan Copping, Perth Property Management
- Commercial Salesperson of the Year, Anna Valentine, Perth Commercial Property
- Community Service Award, SOCO Realty
- Innovation Award, Sherlock Homes Group
- Large Residential Agency of the Year, Abel Property Sales
- Marketer of the Year, Hayley Patrick, Jones Realty & Projects
- Marketing and Communication Award, Realestate 88
- Medium Residential Agency of the Year, Realestate 88
- Operational Leadership Award, Ashleigh Goodchild, SOCO Realty
- Operational Support Person of the Year, Trinity Spokes, Professionals Australind
- Residential Property Management Team of the Year, Rentwest
- Residential Property Manager of the Year, Daria Tedling, The Agency | Local Property Partners
- Residential Sales Team of the Year, Jones Realty & Projects
- Residential Salesperson of the Year, Vivien Yap, Ray White Dalkeith | Claremont
- Small Residential Agency of the Year, Rent Choice
- Strata Management Agency of the Year, REZZI Strata
- Strata Manager of the Year, Nikki D'Agostino, REZZI Strata
- Sustainable Leadership Award – Agency, Starlight Property Group
- Sustainable Leadership Award – Individual, Ashleigh Goodchild, SOCO Realty
- Wellness Award, Realestate 88
