Barry Plant Named REB Innovator of the Year for the Second Consecutive Year

For Barry Plant, innovation has become a pattern, not an isolated event. That commitment to continually finding new and better ways of doing things has once again set the network apart, with Barry Plant named Innovator of the Year – Major Network at the 2026 REB Innovation Awards for the second consecutive year.

The recognition follows Barry Plant's success at the 2026 REB Awards, where the network was also named Major Network of the Year – 40 or More Offices for the second year in a row.

Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell said winning back-to-back innovation awards was particularly meaningful because it reflected a culture of continuous improvement rather than a single standout initiative.

"Anyone can have one good idea, but true innovation is about consistently challenging yourself to improve," Lisa said.

"This award recognises that innovation is embedded in the way we think, the way we collaborate and the way we approach every opportunity to improve our business."

Lisa said Barry Plant had built a culture where innovation was driven by listening, collaboration and a willingness to rethink established ways of working.

"We never want to become comfortable with 'the way we've always done it'. Markets change, customer expectations evolve, and technology moves quickly, so we have to keep pushing ourselves to stay ahead."

"That means constantly looking for smarter ways to support our franchisees, create better experiences for our customers and give our people the tools they need to succeed."

Over the past 12 months, that commitment has seen Barry Plant continue investing in its HQ support team, strengthen operational excellence through new benchmarking tools, proactively prepare the network for anti-money laundering reforms with a network-wide My Databoss partnership and launch the Barry Plant App, transforming the way vendors engage with their sales campaign.

Lisa said every innovation shared the same purpose.

"We don't innovate for the sake of innovation," she said.

"We focus on solving real problems first. Whether it's making compliance simpler for our offices, giving directors better business insights or creating a better experience for vendors, every initiative has to make a meaningful difference."

The Barry Plant App is a strong example of that philosophy. Developed following collaboration through the CEO Advisory, the app gives vendors secure, real-time access to buyer interest, campaign performance and agent feedback in one easy-to-use platform, improving transparency while reducing administrative work for agents.

Lisa said the CEO Advisory had become one of the network's greatest strengths because it ensured innovation came from across the business.

"Some of our best ideas come from our network. The CEO Advisory gives our directors a genuine voice in shaping the future of Barry Plant, and that collaborative approach has led to some of our most significant innovations."

"The Barry Plant App, our website transformation and many of the improvements we've introduced over the past year all started with people asking, 'How can we do this better?'"

Lisa said the network's second consecutive Innovator of the Year award, alongside back-to-back Major Network of the Year honours, demonstrated that Barry Plant's commitment to excellence extended well beyond results.

"These awards are wonderful recognition, but they're not the finish line," she said.

"They reinforce that we're on the right path, but innovation doesn't stop because you've won an award. If anything, it raises the bar."

"I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together as a group, and even more excited about what's next because I know this network will continue to challenge itself, embrace change and keep finding better ways to lead our industry."

Lisa thanked everyone across the Barry Plant network for contributing to another award-winning year.

"This recognition belongs to every office, every director and every team member who continues to bring fresh ideas, embrace change and strive for excellence every day. That's what makes Barry Plant an innovative network, and that's what will keep us at the forefront of our industry."