Ray White members hit the phones for fast-paced appraisal drive

Ray White runs its Real Estate of Origin events three times a year to create friendly rivalry and banter between the states and New Zealand, with 340 offices and 3,247 people registered for the second event of 2026.

“The best agents don't wait for opportunities to appear, they create them,” said Ray White CEO - Performance and Value Thomas McGlynn.

“Every appraisal, every listing and every future client relationship starts with a conversation.

“In a world of automation, algorithms and endless marketing tools, the phone remains one of the most powerful business development tools an agent has.

“Real Estate of Origin is about getting back to the fundamentals that have always driven our industry.”

The 21st event was a 12-hour marathon celebrating teamwork, energy, and results. And the results were exceptional. The network made a whopping 126, 773 calls and booked 10,021 appraisals.

Ray White chief strategy officer (real estate) Mark McLeod said appraisals were the lifeblood of real estate.

“Wherever you are across Australia and New Zealand, Real Estate of Origin has never been more important,” he said.

“The market has had some challenges, but we rose to those challenges and united as one to provide a service to our communities across Australasia.

“Every vendor in the market place wants to know what’s going on, and REOO provides the perfect opportunity to talk and connect with our communities and provide a service that many people need, no matter what’s happening in the market.”

New Zealand led the charge, securing top honours across sales agents, sales associates, BDMs and property managers, with 3,242 appraisals. Queensland followed with 2,613, and NSW|ACT contributed 1,599, collectively driving momentum that will fuel listings and sales in the months ahead.

No strangers to the top spot at REOO, Ray White Manukau claimed the Top Appraising Office title with 905 appraisals, while the broader Ray White AT Realty Group earned Top Appraising Group with a total of 1,078. Individually, Charlie Brothers of Ray White Manukau topped the leaderboard for sales agents, while Cooper McGrath of Ray White Mt Gravatt took out the Top Appraising Sales Associate.

The Top Calling Office award also went to Ray White Manukau with 5,280 calls, while their broader team also took out the number one spot for Top Calling Group. The top calling sales person was Charlie Brothers of Ray White Manukau, while Rumtin Abedi of Ray White Oatlands was the top calling sales associate, making calls for a huge 12 hours throughout the event.

Supporting from behind the scenes with a music theme, Concierge completed 3,594 calls for 36 agents, generating 312 appraisals at an impressive 25.3 per cent lead rate.

“Concierge didn’t just turn up the volume for the Ray White Real Estate of Origin, we absolutely blew the roof off the place!” Ray White Concierge operations and team performance manager Mikayla McManus said.

“We hit play from Concierge HQ, and by close of business, our rockstar crew had delivered an absolute stadium-status performance.

“We crushed 3,594 calls in perfect harmony with 36 agents across Australia and New Zealand, generating 312 appraisals. That equates to one appraisal for every 3.9 phone calls!

“What a phenomenal, mic-dropping crescendo to our strongest Real Estate of Origin yet.

“We’ve officially set the tone and laid down the ultimate track, now it’s game on for the year ahead.”

In New Zealand, Ray White Austar Realty head of growth Cameron Brain said REOO was an important day on the team’s calendar.

“At Ray White Austar, we view Real Estate of Origin as much more than a prospecting event. It's an opportunity to bring our entire team together, create energy, strengthen culture, and build momentum across the business,” Mr Brain said.

“Each event is themed differently to keep it engaging and fun. Today's World Cup-themed REOO saw four team captains randomly selected, with each team competing throughout the day for calls made, conversations held, and appraisals booked.

“We've taken the initiative to build on the Ray White corporate REOO concept by incorporating eight dedicated events into our annual calendar.

“These events have become an important part of our growth strategy, helping drive accountability, collaboration, healthy competition, and ultimately better outcomes for our clients and our people.

The atmosphere today has been fantastic, with teams encouraging one another, enjoying some great banter, and embracing the competitive spirit that makes these events so successful.

“We believe initiatives like REOO play a significant role in aligning our business, creating momentum, and fostering a high-performance culture.”

The Ray White Glenelg | Brighton team in South Australia (pictured above) are using the momentum of REOO to set themselves up for the next three months.

“REOO is an opportunity to keep yourself accountable,” Ray White Glenelg | Brighton sales executive Chloe Martin said.

“By prospecting amongst peers, we are all pushing through a volume of calls together.

“It’s easy to feel reluctant or struggle for motivation, but the atmosphere of REOO is motivating and inspiring to keep going and making calls.

“Why does this benefit us? In 90 days, the product of our activity today will be evident. Every appraisal booked, is a new opportunity to meet a potential client, get a referral or build on a relationship.”

Ray White TMG principal Matt Micallef said REOO was a strategic and purposeful event designed to drive meaningful real estate activity, focusing on the actions that directly influence listings, appraisals, and successful home sales.

“By leveraging REOO, the aim is to build consistent momentum in prospecting, strengthen pipeline opportunities, and ensure agents are actively engaging with homeowners who are considering selling,” Mr Micallef said.

“This approach is about more than just making calls - it’s about creating structured, high-impact activity that translates into real outcomes in the market, including new listings, stronger vendor relationships, and increased transaction flow.

“By maintaining discipline and volume in prospecting, agents position themselves to convert conversations into appraisals, and appraisals into signed listings.”

For TMG as an agency, competitiveness is part of the culture - a team built on drive, accountability, and a strong focus on results, Mr Micallef said.

“Ultimately, initiatives like REOO are designed to ensure a strong third-quarter performance and set the foundation for a successful spring selling season, where increased activity, buyer demand, and well-prepared listings come together to deliver strong outcomes for clients and the agency alike,” he said.

Ray White Victoria and Tasmania chief auctioneer Luke Banitsiotis said Real Estate of Origin couldn't have come at a better time, particularly for agents battling the mid-winter slowdown in Melbourne.

“It's freezing and many agents put appraisals on the back burner at this time of year," Mr Banitsiotis said.

"We ran a high energy, high impact day of calls across our five Playbook offices. It was like panning for gold.”

The footy-themed competition was held at REA Group's headquarters in Richmond, with more than 50 Ray White members from SouthBank, Berwick, CRE, Pascoe Vale and South Morang taking part.

"We took it back to basics. There are three pillars of success in real estate at the moment: appraisals, auctions, and vendor education,” Mr Banisiotis said.

“For many senior agents it was like going back to day one and getting on the phones. Days like Real Estate of Origin remind us why we all got into this industry.”

Mr Banitsiotis also picked up the phone himself, winning a few appraisals from about 50 calls.

Across Victoria and Tasmania, Ray White members collectively made 4000 calls and booked 230 appraisals. CRE and SouthBank each exceeded 1000 calls for each team, an extraordinary effort for a single day.

"I hope the day ignites a fire under Ray White agents right across Australia and New Zealand," Mr Banitsiotis said.

In NSW, Ray White Castle Hill general manager Sonya Grosso said there wasn’t a better opportunity to set your team up for success for the months ahead than Real Estate of Origin day.

“We participate because it works,” Ms Grosso said.

“This time we were offsite at the Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence, we had our entire sales team connecting with their clients for the whole day with absolutely zero distractions - other than when the Eels were on the training field! The results? Outstanding.

“Beyond the incredible numbers and full pipelines, REOO day was the perfect arena for the team to connect, support, compete, and have fun.

“Watching everyone feed off each other’s energy, push the leaderboard, and back each other up on the phones reminded us exactly why we love what we do.”

Ray White Upper North Shore associate development manager Ashley Van Deyk said prospecting, performance and accountability were already at the core of their team’s culture.

“So naturally we love an event that focuses on those areas. What makes Real Estate of Origin special for our team, however, is the perspective it provides,” she said.

“Many of our associates work in smaller office environments where there may only be one or two people in a similar role.

“When we bring our people together across all ten offices, it's a powerful reminder that they're not doing it alone - we're all in this together, working towards the same standards and goals.

“The best part is that REOO takes that one step further. It's one of the few times each year where we get to zoom out and realise it's not just Upper North Shore and Northern Beaches that operate with a high-performance mindset.

“Those standards, that accountability and that drive exist right across the Ray White network.

“It's a fantastic opportunity for our team to benchmark themselves against some of the best in the country while also recognising they're part of something much bigger than their individual office.”