The Board of the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has today (15 December 2021) elected leading Western Australian agent Hayden Groves as REIA’s new President.

Mr Groves, who joined the REIA Board in 2015, succeeds Adrian Kelly who served as REIA President from 2018 – 2021.

“As someone with a long-standing commitment to furthering best practice and professionalism of real estate agents and agencies through the work of Real Estate Institutes, I am honored to be appointed as President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia.”

“The people of Australian real estate must be at the heart of REIA’s strategy as trusted brokers of property transactions.”

“Your local real estate agent deeply cares about their communities, values their own reputation and integrity and plays a vital role in securing the financial future of Australians.”

“Successful agents rely on their community and customer connections to build their businesses and expand their professional standing across society. This will be all the more important as real estate markets respond to the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“I look forward to working closely with all State and Territory Institutes, their members, the Federal Government, Opposition, other allied stakeholders and of course the REIA team in driving REIA into its next phase.”

Mr Groves was REIA Deputy President and Chair of REIA Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and is the immediate Past President of the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA).

A licenced agent and auctioneer with a Bachelor of Politics (Hons) from Monash University, Hayden owns leading Fremantle agency, dethridgeGROVES, which has been decorated with the REIWA Large Agency of the Year 2020, Marketing and Communications Award 2020 and 2021; REIA Marketing and Communications Award 2021 and Rate My Agent Agency of the Year, Fremantle 2020 and 2021.

Mr Groves also welcomed the appointment of two real estate industry leaders as REIA office bearers.

“I am delighted to announce joining the REIA Board leadership team is Deputy President Leanne Pilkington, CEO of Laing+Simmons and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee Richard Simpson, a partner at W. B. Simpson & Son.”

Mr Groves paid tribute to outgoing President Mr Adrian Kelly following three highly successful and innovative years which saw significant and productive change.

“I am deeply grateful for the contributions of Adrian over the past three years.” “Few leaders of our industry have had the challenges Adrian has faced during his tenure as President.”

“Adrian navigated a Federal election where the potential loss of negative gearing threated the fundamentals of Australia’s private property market, he coordinated the industry’s crisis response to the pandemic and led a strategic reset of REIA including the appointment of a new CEO and launching REIA’s Getting Real.”

At the REIA AGM, Mr Kelly was awarded REIA’s highest accolade of Diploma of Fellow as a result of his outstanding contribution to the real estate industry. Mr Kelly will remain on the REIA Board.

REIA will also gain new board member Damian Collins, REIWA President and Managing Director of Momentum Wealth and Chairman of Westbridge Funds Management.

At the AGM, REIA’s 2021: Year in Review was tabled which can be viewed at https://reia.asn.au/about/annual-report/ REIA’s full Board of Directors can be viewed: https://reia.asn.au/about/our-board/