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Peter Matthews has officially taken over as president of the Real Estate Institute of NSW, beginning his two-year tenure today.
A leading auctioneer and the co-founder and CEO of proptech platform Realtair, Mr Matthews takes over from outgoing president Leanne Pilkington, CEO and co-owner of the Laing+Simmons network, who will continue to serve as a member of the board.
While he was elected to the role in November of last year, Mr Matthews’ tenure is only officially beginning today, 4 November 2021.
He has stated that his first priority will be to focus on collecting member feedback to ensure that the issues most important to them are represented during his dealings with the government, especially as the sector looks to learn from recent lockdowns.
“Agents have been focused on navigating the COVID environment in recent times. Now, with operating conditions returning to normal, it’s a matter of getting to work on what the future of the industry looks like,” Mr Matthews said.
“As the peak body for real estate in the state, REINSW will work directly with our members to ensure the challenges, opportunities and priorities as they see them are our priority too,” he added.
He’ll also continue to push for the reforms that have been a priority for REINSW under Ms Pilkington’s leadership, such as the appointment of a dedicated regulator for the industry and strengthened strata laws, particularly in relation to accessibility.
Mr Matthews noted that his focus would be on bridging the disconnect he feels exists between regulation compliance and being able to deliver on consumers’ expectations, commenting that REINSW wanted “reform with the potential to deliver better consumer outcomes”.
In taking the reins, Mr Matthews expressed his gratitude for Ms Pilkington’s support in his transition into the role, as well as her excellent stewardship of the organisation throughout her time as president.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with Leanne with the REINSW over the past few years, and it’s a testament to her talent, commitment and influence that she’s so admirably led the industry through one of the most challenging periods in our history,” Mr Matthews said.
“On behalf of the REINSW, including our members, we say thank you.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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