Tom Gunness named Ray White Queensland's Head of Auctions. The auctioneer moves into a corporate leadership role with the network's 10,000-auction ambition in his sights. At a glance Tom Gunness has been appointed Head of Auctions for Ray White Queensland, bringing five-plus years' Ray White experience and a focus on agent mentoring into the state-wide role. For agents, his stated priority is supporting the network to hit 10,000 auctions by leveraging the auctioneer panel across metro and regional Queensland - directly tied to creating buyer competition and lifting property values. Tom Gunness has stepped up into the role of Head of Auctions for Ray White Queensland, moving into the corporate leadership team after a year with the state network and more than five years across the broader Ray White group. The appointment brings someone with a background in high-stakes negotiations, strategy and agent mentoring into a state-wide leadership position, with a brief covering both metro and regional markets. Tom said his move from selling into auctioneering came from what he enjoyed most on the auction floor. "Three years ago, I came into this space bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," Tom said. "As an agent, I sold a lot of properties via auction, and I realised that the negotiation on the auction floor and the moment the deal came together was what I enjoyed most. "I asked myself how I could do that every single day, and becoming an auctioneer was the answer." In the new role, Tom said his focus would be on supporting agents across Queensland to create competition among buyers. "It's extremely humbling, and I feel incredible excitement stepping into this role," Tom said. "It's a huge responsibility given the current state of the market and our fundamental duty to be best in market as competition creators. "My ultimate goal is to help our network reach our ambition of 10,000 auctions, leveraging our talented panel of auctioneers to support every corner of Queensland." Ray White Queensland CEO Jason Andrew congratulated Tom on the appointment, pointing to his mentoring of agents and his ability to develop sales strategies that track real-time market conditions. "Tom has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic acumen, and an innate ability to drive success for sales teams," Jason said. "Auction is in the DNA of Ray White, and having someone of Tom's calibre leading the charge ensures our clients continue to achieve maximum property values through genuine competition." Ray White called 40,256 auctions across Australia and New Zealand last year, according to the group.

Mike Hay and David Conolly launch Ray White Noosa. The co-principals bring what they describe as 15 years of national top-tier success to the launch, betting on Ray White's capital city buyer databases to capture Noosa's interstate migration market. At a glance Veteran agents Mike Hay and David Conolly have joined Ray White, launching Ray White Noosa after 15 years running their own operation. They're banking on Ray White's capital city databases to tap interstate migration - the platform instantly exposes local properties to affluent buyers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane before public listing. Mike Hay and David Conolly have joined Ray White, launching Ray White Noosa and bringing what they describe as 15 years of national top-tier success to the network. Co-principal Mike Hay said the move wasn't something they'd been actively pursuing, but the scale of the Ray White brand made the decision straightforward. "We have always been very aware of the strength of the Ray White brand, Noosa is a national hotspot, heavily driven by interstate migration. We are now directly plugged into Ray White's massive capital city databases. "Our clients' homes are instantly exposed to affluent buyers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane before it even hits the public market," Mr Hay said. Culture was equally important in the decision, according to co-principal David Conolly. "Visiting the Ray White head office in Sydney, we were struck by how positive, loyal, and long-tenured the staff were, with many team members having been there for decades. That sense of stability and pride really resonated with us." For clients, Mr Hay said the day-to-day experience will stay anchored by the same local team, now backed by additional systems. "Clients will benefit from stronger systems, marketing reach, and more streamlined communication, while still working with the same trusted local team they know. "The business will immediately integrate with Ray White's cutting-edge technology suite, including Profit Pulse, Concierge, and its advanced database systems," he said. "This will unlock a massive advantage: the ability to seamlessly cross-flow buyers and sellers between Noosa and Ray White's massive capital city networks, capturing the lucrative interstate migration market." Mr Hay said the local market itself remains a drawcard. "The Noosa market continues to perform strongly, supported by an incredible lifestyle that attracts buyers from across the country," he said. "With consistently low property availability, demand remains very strong and the market continues to show resilience and depth." Ray White Queensland CEO Jason Andrew said the move gives the pair room to grow. "This is a best in market move, the team has already secured an additional high-profile office location to broaden their physical footprint," he said. The network's plans for the Noosa business include actively recruiting talent, expanding property management capabilities and broadening its specialised service offerings across the Noosa Shire.