At the Barry Plant 17^th Annual Awards for Excellence, held on the 22^nd of September at Crown Palladium, Nathan Ricardo, a Senior Portfolio Manager from Barry Plant Coburg, took out the award for Property Management Manager of the Year. Nathan’s ability to relate to clients, whether they own multiple properties or just one, and his empathy and tact in resolving sensitive issues puts clients at ease and has earned him their respect. His knack for identifying and developing his team members’ strengths, as well as his contagious motivation, makes him an outstanding team leader. Nathan commenced with Barry Plant Coburg seven years ago. Engaged to oversee the development of the Property Management Department, he works closely with directors, Rocco Siciliano and David Devlin to ensure that the department is run efficiently and effectively. In the four years since he was first tasked with growing and training the rental team, they have increased the number of properties they manage by a staggering 400. In addition to his leadership role, Nathan also manages a large portfolio of properties himself, with a growth of around three properties per month – 75% of those coming from referral business. Nathan has earned the respect of his directors and colleagues for leading one of the City of Moreland's most successful rental teams. At the Gala Awards Event, his achievements were acknowledged in the presence of more than 920 people from across the Barry Plant network, who gathered to celebrate another year of phenomenal achievement. The Barry Plant Group is Victoria’s number one real estate network, selling and managing more properties than any other group in the state. “One of the reasons Barry Plant is the leading group in Victoria is the quality and dedication of our people, and the commitment that each of them shows to our customers,” said Group CEO, Mike McCarthy. “When you combine this commitment with the positive brand reputation that Barry Plant has in the community, it’s no surprise that we are achieving outstanding results both as a group and at individual level, as is evident in this year’s awards.”