22 Jan 2026
Words Ian Crooks Informer

Onward, Upward, Forward.

Looking back on the 40 years since I started ResortBrokers, with little more than a smile on my face and a positive attitude, it’s very hard to argue against that tried and tested mantra …time flies! Where have the decades gone!

I still, to this day, remember talking my wife Karin into a move across the Tasman. “Let’s give it a year,” she said. If it had taken 40 years to make it work, I’d probably still be trying. Luckily, the commercial gods were shining on us, and we’ve gone from strength to strength to strength. What a journey it has been.

And the really exciting part is that I genuinely think we’re only just getting started! ResortBrokers continues to build on that momentum. Having my children Trudy, Carla and Tim join the team and work their way through the ranks has added an energy and pragmatism that I could never have dreamed of.

In typical ResortBrokers fashion, we celebrated our 40th anniversary with a monumental knees-up in Vietnam. I think the booking rep at the Sheraton in Da Nang nearly had a heart attack when we informed him we would need 87 rooms! But fill those rooms, we did!

I’d like to personally thank our sponsors of that unforgettable event, especially the individuals behind the incredible businesses we’ve worked hand in hand with over the years: DC Adolphe Legal, Green Finance Group, Holmans, Hotel Interiors, Mahoneys, McAdam Siemon, Mike Phipps Finance, Milicevic Lawyers, and Spranklin Legal.

To cap off an incredible 40th year and make it all the more special, we’ve been recognised by the accommodation industry with a slew of awards and nominations over the last 12 months, all of which we are incredibly humbled to receive.

In September, we maintained our dominance in the agency categories at ARAMA’s 2025 TOP Awards, the management rights industry’s ‘night of nights’, winning Sales Brokerage of the Year and Sales Broker of the Year (our great Sunshine Coast agent Chenoa Daniel). And what a night it was… well done, Trevor.

Also, my son, Tim, won the real estate category in The Urban Developer’s 2025 Urban Leader Awards. The cherry on top was ResortBrokers placing as a finalist in the 2025 REIQ Awards for Excellence, the Queensland real estate industry’s Oscars. The votes were obviously miscounted, but the nomination was special in itself.

We’re truly honoured to receive these industry accolades, but they wouldn’t be possible without the trust and support of our wonderful staff and incredible clients. Our great thanks to each and every one of you.

In keeping with our 40th birthday theme, our main story this issue is a trip down memory lane: a timeline of ResortBrokers’ four-decade evolution. It brought back a flood of memories; I can tell you!

The other thing it made me think of is the unstoppable march of time. In this edition of Informer, we’re delighted to welcome two new brokers. Steven Styles will fill the big shoes vacated by our great Townsville broker, Des Fagg (who’s retiring - we got you there eventually, Des). Also joining us officially as a broker is Sarah Hutchins, who’s been more than capably supporting our broker Russell Rogers (who’s also retiring) on the NSW South Coast since 2019. Welcome aboard, Steven and Sarah!

As we welcome our new recruits, we must farewell three of our longest-serving brokers and great friends: Russ and Des, already mentioned, as well as our Sunshine Coast senior mainstay broker, Glenn Millar. Des leaves us after 10 years, Russ after 15 years and Glenn after 20 years! All three have become like family to us, and we know many of you will be as sad as we are to see them go. We hope you enjoy our special tributes to these three ResortBrokers legends.

While I’m on the topic of change, you may have noticed this edition of Informer is sporting a brand-new look. We’re very excited to start rolling out our refreshed brand identity. As a ‘non-artistic person’, the tireless effort behind processes like this always blows me away. All I can say is that we’ve come a long way since our early 2000s lime green branding!

What makes this new branding so special to us is that it isn’t driven by trends but by our own lights. We took a step back and deconstructed who we are: what our brand means, what it stands for and how it should feel to us, our clients, our buyers and other stakeholders. From that, we built a brand identity that truly reflects ResortBrokers’ identity today.

As this is our last issue for 2025, let me wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2026! END