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VMCH ‘s Retirement Living Senior Sales Manager Anne Lewis has been crowned national Salesperson of the Year in the 2025 National Retirement Living Awards.
Anne leads the sales team for a world-class $250m retirement precinct St. Clare, currently under construction and set to open in Melbourne’s Kew in late 2025.
She was among a high-calibre group of five state sales professionals vying for the title at the National Retirement Living Summit held in Brisbane in February.
The Salesperson of the Year recognises those who “achieve outstanding results in leading and driving sales of retirement living units/apartments”.
“Thank you to VMCH, our Board, CEO Sonya Smart and our Executive team for trusting me with this legacy project, St. Clare,” Anne said upon receiving her award.
“We did things a bit differently (in the sales process) and I’m so glad it reaped the rewards. We collaborated from the get-go with all stakeholders, internal and external, and we did not waver from that. We deviated from business as usual; instead of just ‘building it and they will come’, we really researched and investigated deeply, asking the customer what they wanted – and we’ve been rewarded with amazing sales rates as a result.”
St. Clare, due to open in early summer this year, has almost 75 per cent of residences already reserved.
“We have a consistently high and unparalleled customer journey and it’s just so much fun,” Anne said. “Most importantly, we’ve loved doing this as a team. VMCH is a not-for-profit organisation, we do what we do to help others, and to do this and have this outcome and these results means we can help others, and that’s what I love most about it.”
Whisper campaign a success
VMCH Chief Marketing Officer Kym Molineux said Anne is “extremely deserving” of the recognition.
“One of the hallmarks of Anne’s success with St. Clare has been a ‘whisper campaign’, which created significant word-of-mouth referrals very early on. Almost 50 per cent of St. Clare reservations have come from referrals, a testament to Anne’s rapport building skills and strategic sales mindset.”
Kym also thanked Anne, who has 14 years of sales experience, for her dedication in training and mentoring sales team members, empowering them to excel.
VMCH CEO Sonya Smart said Anne’s recognition as Salesperson of the Year was a proud moment for all at the organisation.
“Anne’s ability to lead with integrity, connect authentically with prospective residents, and deliver exceptional results is inspiring,” Sonya said.
“Anne’s work on St. Clare has been outstanding, and we’re grateful for the energy and care she brings to her role. This achievement also reflects the strength of the team around her, and the collaborative spirit that drives our success.”
