Murdoch – Property Brokers Ashburton Mid Canterbury –
Individual Rural Salesperson of the Year (centre)
[Photo/Supplied]
Achievements from
around the country and every sector of New Zealand’s real
estate profession were recognised last night at the 2026
REINZ Awards for Excellence. Hosted by the Real Estate
Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), the Gala Dinner in
Auckland brought together people working in residential
sales, residential property management, rural, commercial
and industrial, business broking, auctioneering and
supporting roles.
REINZ Chief Executive Lizzy Ryley
says the Awards recognise both members’ achievements and
the work behind them.
“People may see a sold sign, a
new tenancy or a completed deal. They don’t always see the
knowledge, preparation, relationship management and judgment
that made it possible. Real estate professionals are working
harder than ever to help their customers through some of the
biggest decisions in their lives,” said
Ryley.
“The Awards celebrate individuals and teams
for their outstanding results in leadership, teamwork,
innovation, professionalism and the difference our people
make for their clients, colleagues and
communities.
“Congratulations to all our winners and
finalists. The standard of entries was exceptionally high,
and everyone recognised should feel tremendously
proud.”
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New categories introduced this year included
the Supreme Sales Performance of the Year Award, recognising
the highest-performing winner across residential, rural, and
commercial and industrial sales, and two Community Awards
celebrating the contribution real estate people and brands
make across New Zealand.
Five winners, in their own
words
Five of this year’s winners spoke about the
people, communities and sense of purpose behind their work,
and what it means to have that contribution
recognised.
Barfoot & Thompson received the
Community Service Award – Brand, recognising the breadth
and reach of its longstanding community service programme.
Managing Director Peter Thompson says its impact has been
wide-ranging: “The impact of our community service
programme has been felt in many places, and in many ways: in
hospital wards, on sports fields, at cultural celebrations,
through arts experiences and at events that have brought
people together.”
For Craig Lowe of Lowe & Co
Realty, winning the Community Service Initiative of the Year
Award recognises work that gives the team a sense of purpose
beyond real estate. “Our philosophy has always been to use
property to lift up our community. Being able to use our
network and our business to reinvest in the community gives
us purpose above and beyond the day-to-day of listing and
selling houses.”
Jo Rae of Bayleys Real Estate
received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the
Residential Property Management Sector. “It’s a real
privilege, and I feel genuinely honoured. I hope that, in
some way, I’ve been of help to others along the way – if
I’ve been able to encourage someone and make a difference,
that means a great deal to me.”
Residential Rising
Star Salesperson of the Year Rachel Gray, of Property
Brokers Whanganui, said supporting people through important
moments was central to her work. “Every client has a story
and a journey, and no one’s journey is more or less
important than anyone else’s. It’s such a privilege to
be in an industry where I get to help people every day, and
I never take that lightly.”
For Rural Rising Star
Salesperson of the Year George Fox, of Colliers Rural &
Agribusiness, the role extends well beyond the transaction.
“It’s special to be recognised among your peers. [My
work is] not just about getting the farm sold. It’s about
understanding what the people behind it are trying to
achieve and helping them make a successful transition into
whatever comes next.”
Further recognition for
entrants
For the first time, the 2026 Awards also
included Highly Commended recognition across selected
categories. Highly Commended recipients were revealed during
the Gala Dinner, recognising entrants who showed significant
potential and came exceptionally close to being named
finalists. This provided another opportunity to acknowledge
the quality of this year’s entries and celebrate
achievements from across the profession.
Full list of
2026 REINZ Awards for Excellence winners
Supreme
Sales Performance of the Year
Supreme Sales
Performance of the Year – All Disciplines: Cameron Bailey
– Harcourts gold Papanui
Agency
Franchise of
the Year Award: New Zealand Sotheby’s International
Realty
Boutique Agency of the Year: Tommy’s
Wellington
Medium Agency of the Year: Bayleys Real
Estate Ltd
Large Agency of the Year: Barfoot &
Thompson Ltd
Business Broking
Business Broking
Salesperson of the Year: Linda Harley – ABC Business
Sales
Business Broking Rising Star Salesperson of the
Year: Mike Munro – LINK Business Brokers Auckland –
Ellerslie
Business Broking Deal of the Year: Daren
Leng & Ben Smith – ABC Business Sales Business Broking
Office of the Year – Small: Kakapo Business
Sales
Business Broking Office of the Year – Large:
ABC Business Sales
Commercial &
Industrial
Commercial and Industrial Salesperson of
the Year: Greg Goldfinch – Colliers Highbrook Commercial
and Industrial Sales Partnership of the Year: Matt Prentice
and Shoneet Chand – Colliers North Shore
Commercial
and Industrial Rising Star Salesperson of the Year: Hayley
Preston – Bayleys Auckland Central
Commercial and
Industrial Leasing Deal of the Year: Greg Goldfinch, Todd
Kuzmich – Colliers Highbrook Commercial and Industrial
Sales Deal of the Year: Bruce Catley, John Holmes – CBRE
Auckland Commercial & Industrial Office of the Year –
Small: Colliers North Shore
Commercial &
Industrial Office of the Year – Medium: Colliers
Christchurch | South Island Commercial
Limited
Commercial & Industrial Office of the Year
– Large: Bayleys Auckland Central Commercial
Mixed
Sectors
Office Administrator of the Year: Kate Murray
– Lowe & Co Realty
Personal Assistant of the
Year: Jemima Tennekoon – Queenstown and Southern NZ Realty
Ltd (Bayleys) Manager of the Year: Steve Maserow – Barfoot
& Thompson Howick
Innovation Award: Bayleys Real
Estate
Staff Wellbeing Award: Ray White Best Property
Management
Multimedia Marketing Campaign Award: Kirt
Richards – Bayleys Real Estate Tauranga Community Service
Initiative of the Year: Lowe & Co Realty
Community
Service Award – Brand: Barfoot & Thompson
Ltd
Residential
Individual Residential
Salesperson of the Year: Edward Pack – Bayleys Ponsonby
Individual Residential Salesperson of the Year – Highest
Sales Volume: Elliott Street – Iron Bridge Real
Estate
Residential Sales Partnership of the Year:
Alice Munro – Bayleys Dunedin
Residential Sales
Partnership of the Year – Highest Sales Volume: Alice
Munro – Bayleys Dunedin Residential Sales Team of the
Year: Cameron Bailey – Harcourts gold Papanui Residential
Sales Team of the Year – Highest Sales Volume: Logan
Boersma – Barfoot & Thompson Ltd
Howick
Residential Rising Star Salesperson of the
Year: Rachel Gray – Property Brokers Whanganui Residential
Office of the Year – Small: Bayleys
Merivale
Residential Office of the Year – Small –
Highest Sales Volume: Property Brokers Ashburton Residential
Office of the Year – Medium: Bayleys
Ponsonby
Residential Office of the Year – Medium –
Highest Sales Volume: Harcourts Timaru Residential Office of
the Year – Large: Ray White Remuera
Residential
Office of the Year – Large – Highest Sales Volume:
Barfoot & Thompson – Howick
Residential
Property Management
Individual Residential Property
Manager of the Year: Jen Neil – Harcourts Accommodation
Centre | AssetManagers
Residential Property Manager
Team/Pod of the Year: Hayley Mason & Carina Baxter –
Harcourts Accommodation Centre |
AssetManagers
Residential Property Manager Rising
Star: Gerhard Barkhuizen – Property Brokers Palmerston
North Residential Property Management Business Development
Manager of the Year: Leon Ma – Crockers Property
Management
Residential Property Management Office –
Small: Harcourts Top of the South Rentals Residential
Property Management Office – Medium: Westerman Property
Solutions Limited Residential Property Management Office –
Large: Harcourts Gold Property Management Award for
Outstanding Contribution to Residential Property Management
Sector: Jo Rae – Bayleys Real
Estate
Rural
Individual Rural Salesperson of
the Year: Chris Murdoch – Property Brokers Ashburton Rural
Sales Partnership of the Year: Tony Rasmussen and Chris
Heenan – Bayleys Havelock North Rural Sales Team of the
Year: Ben Turner – Bayleys Christchurch
Rural Rising
Star Salesperson of the Year: George Fox – Colliers Rural
& Agribusiness Rural Office of the Year – Small:
Bayleys Christchurch
Rural Office of the Year –
Medium: Country & Co Realty Limited
REINZ Rural
Region of the Year: Bayleys Real Estate – Region Two:
Waikato / Bay of Plenty / Gisborne
Auctioneering
Trophies
Australasian Auctioneering Championships
Rising Star Division: Sharni Bichan – Refined Real Estate
National Auctioneering Championships Rising Star Division:
Sharni Bichan – Refined Real Estate National Auctioneering
Championships Open Division: Jack Sumich – Harcourts
National Auctioneering Championships Premier Division:
Connor Patton – Bayleys
About REINZ
The Real
Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) is the country’s
leading membership organisation for the real estate
profession. It represents almost 17,000 professionals
working within member offices nationwide, across the
residential, rural, commercial and industrial, business
broking, auctioneering and residential property management
sectors.
REINZ supports the profession through
education and training, advocacy, trusted market data and
insights, events, and practical tools and resources that
help members deliver high standards of service to New
Zealanders. REINZ is also recognised as the trusted guardian
of New Zealand’s most accurate and timely real estate
data, widely relied on by media, economists, banks,
government agencies and industry stakeholders to understand
market trends and
conditions.