People, first: Growth Summit 2026.

The setting felt fitting for a conversation about standards; what they truly mean, who sets them, and who rises to meet them - now, and well into the future. With 200 people across sales, property management and operations, BresicWhitney's 2026 Growth Summit opened with a reflective question: what does it actually mean to lead? Simple yet powerful, it's a question that continues to shape the group's ethos, and will increasingly shape the industry moving forward. 

BresicWhitney Chief Executive Officer and President of the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales, Thomas McGlynn, addressed that question directly. Drawing on the group's 20-year track record in Sydney real estate, he spoke about a convergence of forces, shifting consumer expectations, evolving legislative settings, and the broader economic pressures that are collectively lifting the bar for everyone in the industry.

"Leading is part of our BresicWhitney legacy, our present, and our future," he said. "It's a responsibility we all share. As industry standards and expectations rise this year, those who embrace integrity, humility, and a genuine commitment to long-term community value will be the ones who continue to lead."

But the Summit wasn't only about the view from the top. What distinguished the morning was its balance of vision with practicality – offering a sense of purpose together with strategies for both personal and professional life.

Performance coach Nam Baldwin brought a session on breath work, self-regulation and mental clarity. The tools were concrete: techniques for finding calm in a high-pressure day, matching mindset to the moment, and understanding the relationship between process and purpose. It was a reminder that performance, in any field, begins before the first step.

Belinda Sinclair, Vice President of Domain, the Summit's sponsor, explored the distinction between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and why that distinction matters so much in an industry where conditions, clients and conversations are always changing. Personal improvement, she argued, isn't incidental to professional success. It's foundational to it.

The experience itself was a reflection of BresicWhitney's investment in its own culture. The day was brought to life by BresicWhitney’s Operations team, with signature branded merchandise created and designed by the group's in-house Creative team.

 McGlynn closed with a thought that may resonate long after the event itself. "The quality of our daily culture, the experiences we create, the conversations we have — each of these reflect our commitment to our people. The Growth Summit showcases that our greatest competitive advantage isn't one strategy or a system. It's our people, and our willingness to invest in one another."

It's a sentiment that's easy to say and harder to sustain. But on the evidence of this year's Summit, BresicWhitney seems intent on making it both.