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The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) has announced today (22 May 2025) that CEO Kelly Ryan has resigned from her position, with current president Jacob Caine stepping in as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
Since her appointment in May of last year, Kelly Ryan has helped to lead the REIV through several thresholds, such as the renewal of the institute’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO) status and relocation of the REIV’s headquarters to a new facility.
The REIV board expressed its sincere gratitude to Ryan for her service as CEO and for helping to strengthen the institute’s communications with the government, media, and the broader community.
Ryan said her resignation was motivated by her desire to pursue other ventures and thanked the REIV for the support they offered during her tenure.
“It has been a difficult decision to make as I have been fortunate to work with some incredibly talented people across the industry,” Ryan said.
"However, the desire to pursue my own business interests has been an ambition for some time, and the opportunity has now arisen to take advantage of this moment.
“I would like to thank the board, staff, and broader industry for supporting me across my time.”
In Ryan’s absence, current REIV president, Jacob Caine, has been appointed interim CEO, and will take a leave of absence from the institute’s board while in this position.
Over Caine’s two decades of leadership experience in real estate and strategic governance, he has cultivated insights within previous roles such as the CEO of Ray White CRE, and time as a director of the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA).
The REIV said that Caine’s understanding of industry dynamics, public policy, and member needs would provide “strong continuity” during the transition period.
The institute also noted that its current vice president, Sam Hatzistamatis, will accordingly step into the REIV president role while maintaining his current position as the head of property management operations at the agency Besser & Co.
While the REIV’s operations will continue as usual, a national search for the institute’s next CEO will commence shortly.
