Meet Our New Judging Panel
We’re pleased to introduce a new judging panel for the 2025 Awards Season – a group of highly respected professionals bringing deep industry knowledge and expertise to the table. With their experience and insight we know the judging process is in exceptional hands.
David Palfreyman
Real Estate Trainer, Consultant & Auctioneer
David Palfreyman is a highly respected independent auctioneer and real estate trainer with a career spanning nearly two decades. Having worked across multiple brands and offices nationwide, he brings a unique, industry-wide perspective to his work. Through his consultancy, David supports a broad range of agents and agencies, providing practical training, strategic guidance, and performance coaching. As a busy auctioneer, he remains close to the coal face—maintaining a sharp understanding of current market dynamics and the realities agents face day to day. His impartiality, insight, and commitment to excellence make him a valuable contributor to the REINZ Awards judging panel.
Richard Hern
Partner, Wynn Williams
Richard is a Partner in Wynn Williams’ national Insurance practice. He is recognised as one of New Zealand’s best insurance lawyers. A seasoned advocate and an experienced trial lawyer, Richard specialises in professional indemnity insurance, acting for Insurers across a range of professional indemnity claims in real estate as well as for financial advisers and solicitors. Richard also regularly acts on matters relating to complex property, business interruption and material damage claims, and defamation; and is further engaged to provide indemnity advice on matters concerning Insurance fraud. Richard has longstanding relationships with many of the real estate firms across the motu.
Sharon Bradley
Education and Training Consultant - Property Management
With a career in education and vocational training since the mid-90s, and nearly 20 years in the Property Management industry Sharon now works as an Education and Training Consultant, partnering with businesses across Aotearoa to elevate performance, leadership, and service delivery. She also serves as an Assessor for the NZ Certificate in Residential Property Management (Level 4), supporting the professional growth of those entering and advancing in the industry. She is passionate about raising industry standards, empowering professionals through high-impact learning, and helping shape the future of Property Management in Aotearoa.
The REINZ Awards for Excellence uphold the highest standards of judging, ensuring integrity, fairness, and industry expertise throughout the process.
For categories primarily focused on quantitative metrics, such as highest commission or sales volume, rigorous assessment criteria are applied to determine excellence.
In contrast, categories like Marketing, Innovation and Community Service rely on a qualitative assessment. Nominees provide detailed responses to specific questions, allowing our judges to delve into the nuances of each submission. To maintain consistency, nominations undergo a review process where our expert panel will assess entries, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation.
For Residential Property Management award categories a combination of quantitative key performance indicators and written responses form the basis of evaluation for judging.
Through this meticulous approach, the REINZ Awards for Excellence aim to honour exemplary achievements within the real estate industry, serving as a benchmark of recognition and inspiration for professionals across the industry.
For further information please view the General Terms and Conditions of entry here, or contact our events team, events@reinz.co.nz