Annual Awards: A Calendar Year Unlike Any Other
On the weekend, the new incarnation of the Laing+Simmons Annual Awards was held, with the first quarter event celebrating the performance of the network’s best teams and talent through 2020 – the first time the calendar year has been the focus of the awards.
Nevertheless, there were some familiar names among the winners.
Ray Fayad of Laing+Simmons The Parramatta Group was named Principal of the Year, while D’Leanne Lewis of Laing+Simmons Double Bay was the Top Income Producer and winner of the Top Auction Listings Individual Award.
In other highlights, the Highest Number of Transactions Individual Award went to Sonny Tran of Laing+Simmons Cabramatta, and the Excellence in Property Management Individual Award went to Jacinta Cally of Laing+Simmons Regents Park | Berala.
The coveted Office of the Year Award went to Laing+Simmons Mount Druitt. The main individual honour, the Doug Laing Memorial Award, was presented to Nick Efrossynis of Laing+Simmons Kingsford.
With 220 attendees, the Laing+Simmons Annual Awards was the first gala event to be held at the new Crown Sydney at Barangaroo and the Studio 54 theme – 2021 is the 54th birthday of the Laing+Simmons brand – brought out some colourful and striking ensembles.
A standout performance by Jimi the Kween of The Voice fame ensured the evening remained rocking and upbeat, while mentalist Phoenix had the enthralled crowd engaged, occasionally baffled and regularly in stitches.
Laing+Simmons CEO Leanne Pilkington congratulated all the winners on the night.
“As a network, we used the unique and challenging experience of 2020 to re-imagine the way we do things, including honouring calendar year performance among our best and brightest,” Ms Pilkington said.
“It was a year that asked new questions of agents and the answers some of our leaders came up with turned the year, at least from a real estate perspective, into a major success.
“All of our award winners, both individual and team, should be proud of their achievements, as should everyone in the network for not just surviving but thriving through 2020,” Ms Pilkington said.
Major office award winners on the night included:
Office of the Year
Winner: Laing+Simmons Mount Druitt
Top Auction Listings Team Award
Gold: Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Silver: Laing+Simmons St George | Carss Park
Bronze: Laing+Simmons Rosebery
Highest Number of Transactions Team Award
Gold: Laing+Simmons Cabramatta
Silver: Laing+Simmons Port Macquarie
Bronze: Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Top Income Producing Office Award
Gold: Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Silver: Laing+Simmons St George | Carss Park
Bronze: Laing+Simmons Port Macquarie
Excellence in Property Management Team Award
Gold: Laing+Simmons Quakers Hill | Schofields
Silver: Laing+Simmons Mount Druitt
Bronze: Laing+Simmons St Marys | Ropes Crossing
The major individual winners were:
Doug Laing Memorial Award:
Winner: Nick Efrossynis, Laing+Simmons Kingsford
Principal of the Year
Winner: Ray Fayad, Laing+Simmons The Parramatta Group
Top Exclusive (Non-Auction) Listings Award
Gold: Paul Abassi, Laing+Simmons St Marys | Ropes Crossing
Silver: Ray Fayad, Laing+Simmons Parramatta
Bronze: Basel Nahas, Laing+Simmons Mount Druitt
Top Auction Listings Individual Award
Gold: D’Leanne Lewis, Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Silver: Sonny Tran, Laing+Simmons Cabramatta
Bronze: Chris Skarlatos, Laing+Simmons Rosebery
Highest Number of Transactions Individual Award
Gold: Sonny Tran, Laing+Simmons Cabramatta
Silver: Paul Abassi, Laing+Simmons St Marys | Ropes Crossing
Bronze: Ray Fayad, Laing+Simmons Parramatta
Top Income Producer (Non-Principal) Award
Gold: Daniel Hulston, Laing+Simmons Penrith | Caddens
Silver: Kent Pilkington, Laing+Simmons Quakers Hill | Schofields
Bronze: Joshua Girgis, Laing+Simmons St George | Carss Park
Top Income Producer Award
Gold: D’Leanne Lewis, Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Silver: Steven Zoellner, Laing+Simmons Double Bay
Bronze: Ray Fayad, Laing+Simmons Parramatta
Excellence in Property Management Individual Award
Gold: Jacinta Cally, Laing+Simmons Regents Park | Berala
Silver: Sandy Platt, Laing+Simmons Quakers Hill | Schofields
Bronze: Lisa Moore, Laing+Simmons Miranda