<\/p>\n
PHOTO:\u00a0\u00a0Laing+Simmons\u2019 Leanne Pilkington<\/strong><\/p>\n Australia\u2019s leading real estate professionals travelled to Melbourne last week for the Annual REA Excellence Awards (AREAs).<\/p>\n People from every state were in the Victorian capital where 21 awards were presented to recognise excellence and best practice in innovation, service and marketing excellence, and community.<\/p>\n \u201cThe AREAs celebrate the success and achievements of our customers and partners across the property and media industry,\u201d REA Group CEO Owen Wilson said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is just wonderful to get the recognition,\u201d Ms Pilkington told Real Estate Business.<\/p>\n She has been lucky in her career to have worked for incredible people who have allowed her to progress her profession with reassuring support.<\/p>\n Although there is a large number of women in the real estate industry, the balance in leadership roles is male-dominated. But Ms Pilkington believes if women break through their own barriers, they can be industry leaders, too.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you surround yourself\u00a0[with] the right people and put your mind to it, you can achieve what you want to achieve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She acknowledged that some of the barriers she had to overcome were self-inflicted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first joined the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales board, I had to be asked,\u201d\u00a0she said. \u201cIt didn\u2019t occur to me that I had a voice that could be of value.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Pilkington supports these industry events and believes they are essential for the industry to come together and recognise achievements.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important women can come and see other women be recognised and say, \u2018If she can do it, I can do it, too\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE VIA REA\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n