Thought Leaders – Real Estate Re-imagined (formerly The Elevate Podcast) Follow Your Dreams Sounds Like Cliché - Here's Why It's Not | Antonia Mercorella
“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
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