“Be a trailblazer - not a follower!” That's Antonia Mercorella's advice for standing out by 2032. As the CEO who modernised a 100-year-old institution, she knows something about thinking differently. Antonia Mercorella didn't follow the traditional path to becoming Australia's most influential real estate institute CEO. As Queensland's first female and youngest REIQ leader, she's spent 10 years proving that sustainable change starts with solid foundations – not flashy initiatives. From theatre stages to courtrooms to boardrooms, her unconventional background equipped her with the negotiation skills and communication expertise that transformed a century-old institution into Australia's most forward-thinking industry body. Essential Insights for Real Estate Leaders Why "boring" governance work creates competitive advantage The member vs non-member decision that changed everything AI implementation guidelines with legal safeguards – consent-based approaches that protect your business Cross-industry learning strategies for staying ahead of market shifts (why real estate agents should study medicine and other sectors) Leadership development pathways for women in real estate (practical mentoring approaches that work) Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 00:03:33 Antonia’s Early Career and Pivot to Theatre 00:06:14 Lessons from Theatre, Communication, and Negotiation 00:15:38 Modernising the REIQ: Foundations and Governance 00:20:44 Innovation, Technology, and Realworks Platform 00:24:47 Seller Disclosure Law Reform and Compliance 00:30:35 Mandatory CPD and Elevating Professionalism 00:34:50 AI, Data Privacy, and the Future of Real Estate 00:40:30 Preparing for the Future: Olympics, Trends, and Trailblazing 00:44:09 Women in Leadership and Mentoring the Next Generation 00:48:16 Final Reflections and Takeaways 🎯 Who this is for: Agency principals ready to build foundations for the next decade, not just chase this year's trends. Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT - AI assistant for content creation and analysis (http://openai.com/chatgpt) RealWorks - An e-signature and forms platform supported by real estate institutes, used by nearly every practitioner in Queensland for compliance and contracts. (https://www.realworks.com.au/) Training & Education: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Training: A type of training focused on conflict resolution, negotiation skills, and mediation that Antonia found incredibly beneficial. Mandatory CPD (Continuing Professional Development): Compulsory training for real estate professionals in Queensland, covering risk/compliance and other flexible topics like negotiation and marketing. Steve Jobs' University Address: Antonia references a famous speech by Steve Jobs about connecting the dots in one's career journey. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BSbOc5VYY8) Organisations & Government Bodies Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) - QLD's peak real estate industry body, representing the profession for more than 100 years. (https://www.reiq.com/) The Forgotten Women Charity: An organisation for which Antonia serves as an ambassador to champion diversity. (https://www.theforgottenwomen.org.au/) Connect with Antonia Mercorella LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonia-mercorella-8b516a43/ Discover More From Elite Agent & Samantha McLean Join the Spark Community for Innovation in Real Estate: https://spark.eliteagent.com Sign up for The Brief for Daily Real Estate News: https://thebrief.eliteagent.com Explore AI Tools, Prompts and Workflows for Real Estate: https://aipoweredagents.com Connect with Elite Agent on Socials Instagram: @eliteagentmag Twitter/X: https://x.com/eliteagentmag LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eliteagentmag/ #EliteAgent #ThoughtLeaders #RealEstateAI #PropTech #AustralianRealEstate #RealEstateLeadership #WomanInRealEstate #LeadershipDevelopment

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