LJ Hooker has celebrated the network’s highest achievers during a series of annual gala award ceremonies held around the country, following a stellar year for the iconic real estate brand.
The coveted Night of the Stars Awards concluded with a black-tie event held at Perth’s Crown Casino last weekend following similar events in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. It was attended by more than 2,000 LJ Hooker employees.
The state-based awards recognise the ‘best of the best’ across a range of categories, including sales performance, property management and support, with categories including Top Executive Assistant, Top Office Support, Best Rising Talent, Top Property Manager and Excellence in Marketing.
LJ Hooker General Manager of Network, Stephen Mutton, said when assessing Business Owner of the Year for each state/territory, it is always very difficult to choose a winner as there are so many offices epitomising the strict selection criteria.
“This includes a strong direction in growth, increased productivity, plus a focus on recruitment and retention,” Mr Mutton said.
“It has been a busy year for the real estate industry with changing market conditions. All our winners of Business Owner of the Year showed themselves to be very driven leaders, level-headed and laser-focused on their business and leading their teams through times of change.
“Always in times of adversity and change, you see the true character of people, and we are very proud of what our network has achieved right throughout the pandemic and moving forward.”
This year’s LJ Hooker Business Owner of the Year winners are:
New South Wales/ACT - Joe Bechara, LJ Hooker Granville, Guildford & Merrylands
Victoria /Tasmania - Michael Ziegler and Melissa Burtt, LJ Hooker Devonport
QLD/ Darwin - David Loy, LJ Hooker Darwin
South Australia /Alice Springs - Sam Linn, Principal LJ Hooker Alice Springs
Western Australia - Brent Spooner, LJ Hooker South West WA
Principal of LJ Hooker Alice Springs, Sam Linn, who won the prestigious title of Business Owner of the Year for South Australia and part of the Northern Territory, said it was wonderful to be recognised by the network. It comes just two years after Mr Linn, an experienced sales agent, took on the top job at the busy regional office.
“I’m fortunate my staff are so passionate about what they do, so I owe this award to them too,” he said.
“As nice as it was to win Business Owner of the Year, you can’t do that unless you have the right people working alongside you.”
Mr Mutton said after lockdowns, border closures, natural disasters and shifting economic conditions, it is wonderful for the network to come together for a sit-down event for the Annual Night of the Stars ceremonies.
“Everyone enjoyed themselves more on the night than what they have in the past, and I think this is also a reflection of the hard work they have put in over the past two and a bit years – it was well deserved from everyone,” he said.
The LJ Hooker Pinnacle Awards Night, an international awards event, will be held on November 7 at Cairns Convention Centre.
