Article | Intelligent Investment
Business Insights | Instinct and Influence
How sound judgement and strong relationships help Senior Managing Director, Capital Markets – Private Wealth, Ingrid Filmer lead strategic business growth, be a trusted advisor to clients, and make her mark in the private wealth sector.
12 October 2026
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From a foundation in retail property management Ingrid Filmer has used her knack for making strong connections and delivering on considered strategy to build a career as a highly experienced investment specialist and business leader as CEO of Burgess Rawson.
But that wasn’t always her plan.
“I think if I look at my younger self, there is no way I thought I would ever own, build and grow what ended up being the largest privately owned commercial real estate agency in Australia,” she explains referring to Burgess Rawson, which was acquired by CBRE in July 2025.
“Women didn't run businesses like this in the early 2000s. It just didn't happen. So, it wasn't even on my radar.”
But that wasn’t always her plan.
“I think if I look at my younger self, there is no way I thought I would ever own, build and grow what ended up being the largest privately owned commercial real estate agency in Australia,” she explains referring to Burgess Rawson, which was acquired by CBRE in July 2025.
“Women didn't run businesses like this in the early 2000s. It just didn't happen. So, it wasn't even on my radar.”
Sliding doors moments
Landing the role as Head of Asset Management for Burgess Rawson in 2005 put Ingrid on the path to a pivotal moment. Two years later, after initially resigning, Ingrid was offered the chance to buy into the business which changed the trajectory of her career.
“I remember it so clearly because that was my sliding doors moment,” Ingrid says. “I could have gone down the path of having a strong, quality institutional career or I could own my own company. The offer from Chris Burgess and Gerald Rawson was only for me to buy 5% of the business but I saw it as the stepping stone. I thought I am going to own this,” she adds.
Ingrid bought into Burgess Rawson in 2007 and so began the next phase in her career.
Together with her business partner, Raoul Holderhead, Ingrid says the decision to play to their strengths early on has made for an exceptional business partnership.
“Raoul is a true salesman, he’s a connector. I like detail, numbers, strategy, and process. So, we decided I would run the business and he would sell. It is quite a unique approach and it was a defining moment because at the time most businesses were run by their top salesman,” Ingrid explains.
As CEO of Burgess Rawson, Ingrid’s focus was on building the business as well as marketing, strategy, process, HR, and finance.
“I sought very quickly to automate as much as possible so I could focus on growth,” Ingrid explains.
“Negotiating the sale of Burgess Rawson to CBRE was really the culmination of years of strategy and positioning the business for its next chapter,” she adds.
“I remember it so clearly because that was my sliding doors moment,” Ingrid says. “I could have gone down the path of having a strong, quality institutional career or I could own my own company. The offer from Chris Burgess and Gerald Rawson was only for me to buy 5% of the business but I saw it as the stepping stone. I thought I am going to own this,” she adds.
Ingrid bought into Burgess Rawson in 2007 and so began the next phase in her career.
Together with her business partner, Raoul Holderhead, Ingrid says the decision to play to their strengths early on has made for an exceptional business partnership.
“Raoul is a true salesman, he’s a connector. I like detail, numbers, strategy, and process. So, we decided I would run the business and he would sell. It is quite a unique approach and it was a defining moment because at the time most businesses were run by their top salesman,” Ingrid explains.
As CEO of Burgess Rawson, Ingrid’s focus was on building the business as well as marketing, strategy, process, HR, and finance.
“I sought very quickly to automate as much as possible so I could focus on growth,” Ingrid explains.
“Negotiating the sale of Burgess Rawson to CBRE was really the culmination of years of strategy and positioning the business for its next chapter,” she adds.
Learning to lead
Ingrid says she’s been fortunate to have “incredible mentors” throughout her career who recognised her potential and offered guidance which fuelled her progression.
It’s one of the reasons she is happy to mentor others and learn all she can about leadership.
“I think leadership is a skill that you need to learn and practise. Too many people get given leadership roles and get called a leader, but they don’t know how to be one,” she says.
“People think leading comes naturally. But having difficult conversations, inspiring a team, and getting them to work in a high-performance culture are skills that you deliberately learn.
“I have learnt to be very transparent and prioritise communication. High performance needs to be called out as does low performance. My people know exactly where they stand with me, because I’ve told them.
“If you build the right culture in your team and you have trust, you and your team can have those conversations without fear.”
It’s one of the reasons she is happy to mentor others and learn all she can about leadership.
“I think leadership is a skill that you need to learn and practise. Too many people get given leadership roles and get called a leader, but they don’t know how to be one,” she says.
“People think leading comes naturally. But having difficult conversations, inspiring a team, and getting them to work in a high-performance culture are skills that you deliberately learn.
“I have learnt to be very transparent and prioritise communication. High performance needs to be called out as does low performance. My people know exactly where they stand with me, because I’ve told them.
“If you build the right culture in your team and you have trust, you and your team can have those conversations without fear.”
What’s next for private wealth?
Ingrid says the next decade is going to be transformational for private wealth in Australia.
“We are approaching the largest intergenerational wealth transfer the country has seen and, importantly, women are expected to become custodians of more than 65% of that wealth. That represents a significant shift in who is owning, controlling, and making decisions about wealth, and I think that will also influence the way people invest and engage with the industry,” she explains.
For Ingrid, the best part of private wealth is how intrinsic relationships are to doing business which sets it apart from other sectors and different types of investment.
“I’ve worked with some clients since my earliest days at Burgess Rawson,” Ingrid explains. “This type of business is long term and very loyal. I actually know my clients, I know their goals, what they own, what they're trying to own, and I know why they're doing it.
“The other unique thing about private wealth is they’re nimble, energetic and strategic. An institution might have a mandate for a year where they say ‘we are investing $500 million in office’ but private wealth can jump to anything. You can work with a private wealth client in so many ways, on valuation, consultancy, and sales.”
Ingrid sees a significant opportunity for the real estate industry to engage with private wealth clients.
“I think private wealth has been serviced at a banking level and an accounting level but not at a real estate level. The specialisation, platform, and data that we have at CBRE is really responding to the new needs of private wealth as this money grows,” Ingrid adds.
“We are approaching the largest intergenerational wealth transfer the country has seen and, importantly, women are expected to become custodians of more than 65% of that wealth. That represents a significant shift in who is owning, controlling, and making decisions about wealth, and I think that will also influence the way people invest and engage with the industry,” she explains.
For Ingrid, the best part of private wealth is how intrinsic relationships are to doing business which sets it apart from other sectors and different types of investment.
“I’ve worked with some clients since my earliest days at Burgess Rawson,” Ingrid explains. “This type of business is long term and very loyal. I actually know my clients, I know their goals, what they own, what they're trying to own, and I know why they're doing it.
“The other unique thing about private wealth is they’re nimble, energetic and strategic. An institution might have a mandate for a year where they say ‘we are investing $500 million in office’ but private wealth can jump to anything. You can work with a private wealth client in so many ways, on valuation, consultancy, and sales.”
Ingrid sees a significant opportunity for the real estate industry to engage with private wealth clients.
“I think private wealth has been serviced at a banking level and an accounting level but not at a real estate level. The specialisation, platform, and data that we have at CBRE is really responding to the new needs of private wealth as this money grows,” Ingrid adds.
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