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South Australia’s peak real estate body has changed president, with the new incumbent highlighting the importance of technology and change.
Alexander Ouwens, 37, has become the youngest president in the history of the Real Estate Institute of South Australia after replacing Greg Moulton.
Mr Ouwens, who is director of Adelaide agency Ouwens Casserly, has served on the REISA board for the last two years and was vice-president of REISA in 2014.
Ouwens Casserly has shown a willingness to embrace change by investing in virtual reality technology – and Mr Ouwens said he would use his presidency to stress the importance of new ideas.
“We’re really making a big effort to make sure that REISA is upskilled in all the current trends in real estate,” he told REB.
“We’re heading into the age of disruption and digital changing the real estate landscape. I think in my 10 years in real estate there’s been a greater change in the way real estate has been conducted than in the history of real estate.”
Mr Ouwens said that while change can be difficult, it is preferable to losing market share and being driven out of business.
Real estate is still about prospecting, listing and selling, but the manner in which agents do those things has been rapidly evolving, according to Mr Ouwens.
“While we’re very much respectful of the past and there are still some fantastic older agents out there, what we’re focusing on is what the industry is going to look like in five or 10 years’ time and how we get really good people into the industry, while also making sure that our existing members have an opportunity to upskill themselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, Greg Moulton, who served as president from October 2014 to October 2015, after an earlier stint from 2011 to 2013, will remain on the board as immediate past president.
Sean Connors from Harcourts Sheppard Property has been elected vice-president, while the two board director vacancies were filled by Andrew Edwards from Elders Real Estate and Christine Bertram from Bertram and Co Conveyancers.
The other directors are Phil Harris from Harris Real Estate, David Beattie from Beattie Real Estate and Andrew Turner from Commercial SA, while the independent directors are Rod Jones from Piper Alderman and Nick Storer from Bentleys Adelaide.
[Related: Ouwens Casserly at centre of police siege]
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