First National Real Estate’s South Australian and Northern Territory estate agents were presented with their General Excellence and Marketing Awards at Adelaide’s Intercontinental Hotel on Friday night.

The awards recognised the best of First National’s SA/NT agents throughout 2018, with the top 10 individuals and offices now competing for national GEM Awards, which hold the chance of an expenses paid trip to the National Association of Realtors conference in San Francisco this November for top 10 national winners.

Acting SA/NT State Chair, Zeta Bennett, says the results show how skillfully the network’s salespeople and property managers negotiated 2018 conditions, which were particularly tough in the Northern Territory, to produce such excellent results. 

‘Adelaide offered great affordability throughout 2018 but needs more projects to create a more unified marketplace, while Darwin and Alice Springs continue to grapple with falling prices’ said Ms Bennett.

‘The employment and economic outlook for Adelaide, however, is exceptionally positive, and we anticipate affordability will combine with good rental yields to create great opportunities for first home buyers and investors throughout the Northern Territory in 2019’.

On the night, Sales Office of the Year was awarded to First National Real Estate Peoples’ Choice (Gawler) for a second consecutive year. 

The Top 10 Offices included:

1. First National Peoples’ Choice, Gawler (SA) – Sales Office of the Year 
2. First National O’Donoghues, Darwin (NT)
3. First National Framptons, Alice Springs (NT)
4. First National Burton Groves, Tea Tree Gully (SA)
5. First National Taylor’s, Para Hills (SA)
6. First National Lewis Prior, Warradale (SA)
7. First National Riggall, Prospect (SA)
8. First National Nitschke, Mt. Barker (SA)
9. First National Copley, Normanville (SA)
10. First National Broken Hill, (NSW)

The Top 10 SA/NT Property Management Departments were:

1. First National Taylor’s, Para Hills (SA) – Property Management Department of the Year 
2. First National Framptons, Alice Springs (NT)
3. First National O’Donoghues, Darwin (NT)
4. First National Lewis Prior, Warradale (SA)
5. First National Nitschke, Mt. Barker (SA)
6. First National Riggall, Prospect (SA)
7. First National Murray Bridge (SA) 
8. First National Burton Groves, Tea Tree Gully (SA)
9. First National Broken Hill (NSW)
10. First National Barrett, Moonta (SA)

Roger Tebeck of First National Framptons (Alice Springs, NT) was named SA/NT Commercial Property Manager of the Year, and Michael Bongiorno of the same office was named SA/NT Residential Property Manager of the Year. 

The Top 10 SA/NT Salespeople included:

1. Grant Fielke, First National Peoples’ Choice, Gawler (SA) – SA/NT Salesperson of the Year
2. Andrew Doyle, First National Framptons, Alice Springs (NT)
3. Jakub Ratajczak, First National Taylor’s, Para Hills (SA)
4. Mitchell Halpin, First National Broken Hill (NSW)
5. Brett Lewis, First National Lewis Prior, Warradale (SA)
6. Michael Nitschke, First National Nitschke, Mt. Barker (SA)
7. Michael Keith, First National O’Donoghues, Darwin (NT)
8. Dominic Miller, First National Framptons, Alice Springs (NT)
9. Bradford Stevens, First National Riggall, Prospect (SA)
10. Grant Foster, First National Murray Bridge (SA)

A range of specialist awards were also announced, with: 

SA/NT Sales Rookie of the Year being awarded to Drew Hendriks from First National Framptons, and SA/NT Property Manager Rookie of the Year being awarded to Kelly Pengilly from First National Burton Groves. 

Other specialist awards included:

• Spirit of Community Award – David Nitschke, First National Nitschke (Mt. Barker, SA)
• Administrator of the Year – Krista Eime, First National Lewis Prior (Warradale, SA)
• Receptionist of the Year – Danielle Allen, First National Salisbury (SA)