Cohen Handler’s Justin Dixon Named Finalist for Buyer’s Agent of the Year at the 2026 REIWA Awards for Excellence
Cohen Handler’s Perth buyers agent Justin Dixon has been named a finalist for Buyer’s Agent of the Year in the 2026 REIWA Awards for Excellence, the annual awards run by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia to recognise the standard-setters in WA real estate.
The winner will be announced at the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner at Crown Perth on Wednesday 11 November 2026. For Perth buyers, the nomination is a useful marker of something harder to see from the outside: which buyers agents the state’s own peak body regards as operating at the top of the profession.
What the REIWA Awards for Excellence Recognise
REIWA is the peak professional body for real estate in Western Australia, and its Awards for Excellence are the state’s principal industry awards. The Buyer’s Agent of the Year category recognises excellence in buyer’s agency practice by an individual practitioner.
REIWA framed the 2026 program around a broader definition of excellence than a single standout result: leading through challenges, delivering exceptional service, supporting colleagues, introducing better ways of working and contributing meaningfully to clients, community and the profession. Finalists are assessed against that standard, not on sales volume alone.
That distinction matters for anyone choosing a buyers agent in Perth. Transaction numbers show how busy an agent is. They say little about the quality of advice a client receives, or whether that advice holds up when a purchase does not go to plan.
Three Decades Across Three Property Markets
Justin brings more than 30 years of real estate experience across the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, having worked as an agent, a broker of record and an agency owner before specialising in buyer representation. Having sat on the selling side of the table for much of that career, he knows how listing agents run a campaign, and where a buyer’s leverage sits within it.
He is a REIWA-accredited buyer’s agent and serves as Chair of the REIWA Buyers’ Agent Network Committee, where he has contributed to the development of industry standards and continuing professional development (CPD) material for buyers agents across Western Australia.
“Being named a finalist is a reflection of the clients who trusted us with some of the biggest decisions of their lives. Perth has moved quickly over the past few years, and buyers need someone in their corner who will give them a straight answer — including when the right answer is to walk away.”
The REIWA nomination is Justin’s second major finalist recognition this year. He was also named one of eight finalists, from more than 40 national submissions, in the Social Impact & Community Contribution category at the inaugural 2026 Australian Buyers Agent Awards.
Where the Perth Market Sits Right Now
The recognition arrives at a turning point for Perth property. According to Cotality’s Home Value Index, Perth dwelling values rose 15.6 per cent over the 12 months to 31 August 2026 — the strongest annual growth of any Australian capital city — taking the median dwelling value to $999,987. Over the past five years, Perth values have risen 79.7 per cent.
The momentum has since turned. Perth values fell 0.8 per cent in August and 3.2 per cent over the winter quarter, and are now 3.2 per cent below their April 2026 peak. Rental conditions remain firm: Perth has recorded the largest rent increase of any capital over the past five years, up 56 per cent, and gross rental yields sit at 3.9 per cent.
For buyers, a market shifting from rapid growth to softening values changes the negotiation. Vendors who set expectations on early-2026 sales are now meeting buyers with more time and more choice. That is where experienced representation earns its fee: knowing which comparable sales still reflect current value, which campaigns are carrying an inflated price guide, and when a property is worth securing before it reaches the open market.
Why Recognition Matters When Choosing a Perth Buyers Agent
In Western Australia, buyers agents must hold a real estate licence, but the quality of representation varies widely. Independent recognition from a peak body is one of the few external signals a buyer can use to separate experienced practitioners from newer entrants.
A short checklist for assessing any Perth buyers agent:
- Are they licensed and accredited? REIWA accreditation signals a commitment to professional standards and ongoing training beyond the minimum licence requirement.
- Who recognised them? Peer and peak-body recognition carries more weight than self-published rankings.
- Do they act only for buyers? A buyers agent who also sells property carries an obvious conflict of interest.
- Can they access off-market stock? In a tightly held market, the best property often changes hands before it is advertised.
- Will they tell you not to buy? An agent paid only to transact has little incentive to advise against a purchase.
This kind of standing is exactly why REIWA and industry media regularly seek input from Cohen Handler’s Perth team on how the market is moving.
The Road to 11 November
The 2026 Awards for Excellence winners will be announced on stage at the Gala Dinner at Crown Perth on Wednesday 11 November, with finalists drawn from agencies across Western Australia. Whatever the result on the night, the finalist recognition reflects the standard Cohen Handler’s Perth office holds itself to — the same process-driven, buyer-only approach clients receive from every Cohen Handler office nationally.
Justin works with owner-occupiers and investors across Perth, from the western suburbs and the coastal strip to Fremantle and the northern corridor. If you are looking for a buyers agent in Perth with deep local knowledge and three decades of experience on both sides of the transaction, our Perth buyers advocate team is ready to help.
Looking to buy property in Perth? Whether you’re a first home buyer, an investor, or upgrading to your next family home, Cohen Handler’s Perth specialists can help you navigate this market with confidence.
Talk to our Perth team today →
Frequently Asked Questions
Cohen Handler’s Justin Dixon has been named a finalist for Buyer’s Agent of the Year in the 2026 REIWA Awards for Excellence, run by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia. The category recognises excellence in buyer’s agency practice by an individual. The winner will be announced at the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner at Crown Perth on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
The REIWA Awards for Excellence are Western Australia’s principal real estate industry awards, run annually by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, the state’s peak body for real estate. The 2026 awards recognise excellence in leadership, client service, team support, better ways of working and contribution to community and the profession. Winners are announced at a gala dinner, held in 2026 at Crown Perth on 11 November.
Perth dwelling values rose 15.6 per cent in the year to 31 August 2026, the strongest annual growth of any Australian capital, according to Cotality’s Home Value Index. However, values fell 3.2 per cent over the June–August quarter and are 3.2 per cent below their April 2026 peak, with the median dwelling value at $999,987. The shift from rapid growth to softening values generally gives buyers more negotiating leverage than they had earlier in the year.
A Perth buyers agent represents the buyer, not the seller, throughout a property purchase. That includes defining the brief, searching listed and off-market property, assessing value against recent comparable sales, negotiating or bidding on the buyer’s behalf, and coordinating due diligence through to settlement. Cohen Handler’s Perth buyers agent Justin Dixon, a 2026 REIWA Buyer’s Agent of the Year finalist, brings more than 30 years of real estate experience across the UK, Canada and Australia to that role.
Check that the buyers agent holds a WA real estate licence, is REIWA accredited, and acts only for buyers rather than also selling property. Independent recognition, such as being named a finalist in the REIWA Awards for Excellence, is a useful external signal of standing within the profession. Ask how they access off-market property and whether they have ever advised a client not to proceed with a purchase.
Buyers agent fees in Perth are typically structured as either a fixed fee or a percentage of the purchase price, often split between an upfront engagement fee and a success fee payable when the purchase is secured. The total cost depends on the brief, the price point and the level of service required. Confirm exactly what is included — search, negotiation, auction bidding and due diligence coordination — before engaging any buyers advocate in Perth.