Thank You For An Incredible Year

RET Founder Nic Fren | Thank you for an incredible year

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to step out from behind the publication for a moment and speak directly.

What Real Estate Today has become in such a short period of time is something I feel deeply grateful for, and it would not exist without the industry choosing to embrace us.

In less than twelve months, the publication has moved from a new entrant to a central voice in Australian real estate media. That shift did not happen because of clever positioning or ambition alone. It happened because people opened their inboxes, read the stories, shared their experiences and trusted us with their voices.

When Real Estate Today entered the Australian market on 6 January 2025, it followed eighteen months of rapid growth in New Zealand. Even with that momentum, what unfolded exceeded anything we expected. The pace at which the industry welcomed us was both humbling and affirming.

Independent AI analysis ranked Real Estate Today as Australia’s most influential real estate industry publication by May. Later in the year, Google AI identified it as the most engaged platform in the sector, and by year end, LinkedIn Analytics reflected the same conclusion.

While those acknowledgements matter, they were never the goal. They are simply signals that the publication resonated.

What mattered more to me were the conversations.

Being invited into offices, conferences, webinars and awards rooms across Australia and New Zealand.

Travelling the country, meeting readers face to face, listening to ideas and hearing what people felt had been missing from industry media. That access is something I do not take lightly.

From the outset, my belief was simple. Everyone in this industry deserves a voice, a spotlight and a platform. For too long, coverage followed familiar patterns and familiar names. I wanted Real Estate Today to reflect the industry as it actually operates, not just how it has traditionally been presented.

That belief shaped everything we did this year, from launching with our Top 25 Under 25 in 25 to closing the year with our Trailblazer Awards finalists. Both were about recognising contribution, not connection.

Some of the most meaningful moments for me had nothing to do with performance metrics.

One Rising Star reached out after being featured and told me it was the first time his work had ever been acknowledged publicly. He sent the article home to his family overseas as a point of pride. Another finalist shared that recognition arrived during a medically difficult year, lifting her spirits when she needed it most.

Those moments stay with you.

Change is never universally welcomed. Some competitors engaged constructively. Others were dismissive, even openly critical. I chose not to engage in that space. My focus has always been on building something that lasts, quietly and deliberately.

What has become clear is that the industry wants media that feels more open, more representative and more human.

Real Estate Today has been welcomed into that space, and I am genuinely thankful for the trust that made that possible.

As 2026 approaches, the publication is entering its next chapter, with meaningful developments underway that will be shared when the time is right.

To everyone who has read, contributed, shared a story, opened an email, attended an event or simply given us a chance, thank you. I don’t take a single part of this for granted.

I wish you and your families a safe and restful festive season, and I look forward to catching up with you in 2026.