Legacy: the long-standing impact someone might have on a time, on a place, on people.
With Peter Brewer’s tenure as REIQ Chair now concluded, he has rightfully been recognised and celebrated for his contribution near and far. From last weekend’s REIQ Awards for Excellence, by the Board with whom he worked tirelessly for a decade (8 of those years as Chair), and by his vast network of colleagues and friends.
And as the (magic) dust settles on these accolades, the Tenancy Skills Institute, and our parent organisation, inCommunity Inc., wish to take a moment to reflect on Peter’s impact on our organisation (so far!).
Just like him, it’s been dynamic, full of energy, and driven by genuine care for people.
Long Lunches
At the foundation of the Tenancy Skills Institute is our belief that we can create better rental outcomes together, especially between the community sector and the real estate industry. And so does Peter!
In the early days, the Tenancy Skills Institute team was building inroads with the real estate industry, slowly but surely. The REIQ understood our role and its importance. In 2019, they generously made space for us at their zone events and statewide roadshows, enabling us to share details about our education offering with property managers near and far.
And it was at a roadshow in Mackay, where REIQ Chair, Peter Brewer, responded enthusiastically to our messaging, “I like what you’re doing, it’s real!”
Another meetup at the next REIQ Summit in March 2020 consolidated this connection, and from there, Peter and the Tenancy Skills Institute team set to work. Launching a series of long lunches, returning to Mackay to get started!
The aim was to bring together property managers and community service organisations. An opportunity to meet over lunch, find our commonalities and start to unpack ways that we can work together. We realised that if we tapped into both Peter’s and the Tenancy Skills Institute’s networks, we could cast our invitations far and wide to make a real impact. By July 2021, it was happening!
That first lunch series was a huge and lasting success (Channel 7 came to the first one!), with cross-sector relationships created that remain impactful to this day.
Fast-forward to May this year, at a fireside chat at the National Housing and Homelessness Forum. Peter shared with the community sector audience his recollection of that lunch, “all the misconceptions about each other were left at the door. Understanding we were there to do one thing, how do we work together to put roofs over Queenslanders’ heads?”
Showing Up (again and again!)
The other lasting connection made during the long lunch series in Mackay was between our organisation and Peter, or PB, as we would come to know him. Sharing a commonality of authenticity, drive, and practical outcomes, the partnership we built that day has endured and grown, yielding extraordinary momentum.
Peter has travelled with us on our path over the years and, at every opportunity, has shone a light on the Tenancy Skills Institute and our role as the national leader in homelessness prevention and early intervention using an education and cross-sector partnership framework.
He has congratulated Tenancy Skills Institute graduates at significant milestone events, like the 20,000th student celebration with the schools of Coomera in 2024. He has shared real estate insights with the community sector across Australia. And he has delved deeply with us into cross-sector collaboration with peak industry bodies, real estate corporates, related businesses, and individual property managers, especially during his time as our Strategic Partnerships Ambassador.
Peter has been an unwavering supporter of the Tenancy Skills Institute, and he has brought many along with him. As he says often about the real estate industry and community services sector, “We actually have more in common than we have apart.”
A Trusted Partner, A Life-Long Friend
At our organisation’s recent annual conference, Peter spoke to the entire inCommunity team about how to approach change with confidence and curiosity. Drawing on his wealth of experience, he freely shared his knowledge and tips, just as he always has with our team.
Peter is now embarking on his next adventure, and it is one that we think he’s well-equipped for. It’s also the perfect time for us to recognise his uplifting contribution to the Tenancy Skills Institute, where he has been vital in creating conduits for us to do our work, especially delivering on cross-sector collaboration.
In practice, this means building relationships with the real estate industry that have delivered tangible results in tenancy education and sustainment. Ultimately, keeping roofs over people’s heads in the private rental market and preventing them from becoming vulnerable to homelessness.
It’s what we set out to do together back in Mackay, it’s what we’ve worked on tirelessly since, and it’s what we envisage for the future.
Congratulations, PB, and a heartfelt thank you from the Tenancy Skills Institute and the broader inCommunity team.