Linda Baker, who is the director of Barry Plant Norwood in South Australia, is one of two finalists who have been nominated for Association Professional of the Year. The other nominee is Louise Carrigg, the director of both Barry Plant Heathmont and Barry Plant Ringwood in Victoria, who is one of ten finalists vying for Principal of the Year (Metropolitan).
“Linda and Louise being nominated for the REB Women in Real Estate Awards is exciting for them personally and for everyone in the Barry Plant network,” said Mike McCarthy, Director and CEO of Barry Plant. “Both women lead the way in terms of their professionalism, commitment, and going the extra mile in everything that they do. These nominations are a reward for the hours of hard work and effort they put in every single day.”
The inaugural REB Women in Real Estate Awards is Australia’s first national awards program to recognise the contribution of women in real estate.
“I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve had the opportunities that I’ve had in such a short time in real estate,” said nominee Louise Carrigg, who has worked just eight years in real estate with nearly five of those years as a director. “My passion is for our team and the community and neighbourhoods in which we work. We all measure success differently, but for me, I think it’s about creating a positive culture, one of sustainable growth and learning, diversity and drive.”
Louise’s Principal of the Year nomination recognises the principal from metropolitan Australia that has built the most successful real estate office or group of interconnected offices. They look for outstanding sales results, a solid rent roll and a winning culture that will attract talent. Louise’s offices have these attributes in spades.
“When I first came into the industry, the female director of the small Barry Plant Heathmont office gave me a chance to prove that a mother of two young kids could work as a sales agent part-time,” said Louise. “Then, when I wanted to buy the business from her three years later, the Barry Plant Head Office fully supported me and had confidence that I could do it. I think that it takes courage to take on a real estate business or any business for that matter, but with that courage comes great opportunity.”
“Barry Plant is such a great group, and we are so aligned with the values of really looking after our clients and going the extra mile,” said Linda Baker, who has been nominated for Association Professional of the Year. This award recognises the association representative within the Australian real estate market who has most effectively shaped their association’s performance and delivered value to their organisation.
Linda is a director of Barry Plant Norwood. Established just over three years ago, the growth, presence, and results of the Norwood office have been nothing short of exceptional.
“We really pride ourselves on doing things that other agents don’t do and taking care of our clients from top to bottom. I just think doing all the extra things, and really paying attention to what the client really needs and knowing how to advise them in this market, which is a tough market, is so important. Sometimes you’ve got to give information that’s hard for clients to hear, but you deliver it in a way that is empathetic and that they can easily understand,” said Linda.
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony held on June 27th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney.