Success for Hunter agencies at NSW real estate awards

LJ Hooker offices have reinforced their standing in the state’s real estate market, earning two honours at the 2025 REINSW Awards for Excellence.

The event, held at Darling Harbour, brought together New South Wales’s leading real estate professionals to recognise best practice, innovation and community contribution across residential, commercial, property management, sales and strata sectors.

Two awards were taken out by two separate offices, both located in the Hunter region:

• LJ Hooker Cessnock was crowned 2025 REINSW Small Agency of the Year.
• Eddie Toubia from LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie was named the winner of the 2025 REINSW Award for Excellence Property Marketer.

It is the second time LJ Hooker Cessnock has taken out the title of Small Agency of the Year, having previously won the award back in 2022.

The agency is owned by Bryce and Mellissa Gibson (pictured above right), both delighted that their hard work had been recognised by a peak industry body.

“It means a lot to our agency; we are a small six-member team led by Mellissa, and without her dedication and consistency, the office wouldn’t be able to achieve some of our great feats,” Mr Gibson said.

LJ Hooker Cessnock has increased its focus on client communication for both sales and property management. The business has also been active in fundraising and charity work within their local community, including utilising the Mr Hooker Bear.

“Being a small family-run business, we’ve tried to be as personalised as possible and have concentrated on creating high-quality marketing,” Ms Gibson said.

“If I had to summarise our motto into one word, that would be consistency. By producing high levels of communication, we’ve been able to not only deliver for our customers but also grow our business.”

It is the first time Mr Toubia (pictured above left) has won an REINSW Award for Excellence, and he couldn’t be more excited, having previously been a three-time finalist in 2021, 2023 and 2024. The Property Marketer of the Year recognises strategy, creativity, integrity and innovation.

“It has been a goal of mine for some time, so to finally achieve it is such a proud moment,” Mr Toubia said.

“Marketing is often treated as ‘the support act’ in real estate, but I’ve always seen it as the driver of real results, and I’ve worked hard to raise its profile within the industry. To me, it’s never just about creating pretty campaigns — it’s about strategy, detail, and the behind-the-scenes work that makes sure every listing performs at its best.

“Campaigns should be exciting, in some cases cheeky, and of course engaging, because if I am not enjoying it and finding it meaningful, others won’t either.”