News broke this morning that the Real Estate Institute of Queensland wants to resign from the Real Estate Institute of Australia, but for now the REIQ will only say that it is part of the national body.

“The REIQ remains a member of the REIA and our Chairman Rob Honeycombe is attending an REIA Board Meeting today," said REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella, who was appointed the acting CEO of the organization in June last year following the resignation of previous CEO Anton Kardas, who had held the position since January 2012.

Kardas' resignation came amid financial losses for the REIQ, which recorded losses exceeding $3 million for the 2012 and 2013 financial years combined. At the time of Kardas' departure, Honeycombe sent an email to REIQ members which was obtained by media stating that "While economic factors mean this is not entirely the responsibility of senior management, it would be remiss of the board to fail to act in the face of such a disappointing result. This is the reason we have moved to appoint an acting CEO for the organisation."

In her statement hosing down the rumour, Mercorella added, “Our sole focus has always been and always will be to represent the best interests of REIQ members. Over the last 12 months our central focus has been to serve our membership, and we’ve delivered exceptional results in this regard," she added. "The legislative reforms we negotiated for the Queensland real estate profession speak volumes about the strength of our advocacy and our commitment to the REIQ membership.”

Neville Sanders, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, said that the group is still in discussions with REIQ. "The REIA board has been aware of the impending resignation for some time and working with them," said Sanders.

Michael Davoren, Managing Director of RE/MAX Australia and RE/MAX New Zealand and a past president of both REIQ and REIA, accused the Queensland association of being "extremely short-sighted" in thinking that it can handle national and international affairs on its own if it does go ahead with plans to leave the REIA. "This decision to separate from the REIA is not in the interest of REIQ members and also disconnects REIQ members from their industry peers in other states," he said. "I am opposed to the move because the issues that impact on and influence the real estate industry in Australia, and therefore the real estate industry in Queensland, are increasingly coming from outside state and often national boundaries. Foreign investment review, federal taxation, money laundering, and ASIC and ACCC regulatory guidelines and laws are just the tip of the iceberg. All the more reason for the industry needing a national unified front."