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Elite Agent
Matt Lahood – The Agency: There’s no COVID-19 manual but there is common sense
“It’s not like you can reach for a Coronavirus manual that’s sitting on the office shelf. The reality is we have to step up as leaders and an industry, and it’s a lot about common sense.” Over the past few weeks, Matt Lahood has been implementing a raft of changes in The Agency that are designed to protect the welfare…
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Elite Agent
Auctions busy, but clearance rate slows
This week proved the second busiest for auction activity in 2020, however the preliminary clearance rate took a hit as a result of continued uncertainty around COVID-19. According to the latest figures from CoreLogic, this weekend saw 2,539 homes taken to auction across the combined capital cities, returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 61.3…
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Real Estate News
Auctions continue to defy doom and gloom
Auction markets remain strong despite coronavirus concerns, with 2220 properties taken to auction across the capitals this week, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 70.6 per cent. CoreLogic notes this figure is well above last week’s national volume when 1,494 auctions returned a final clearance rate of 68.6 per cent. “After the remaining results are collected it is likely that…
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Real Estate News
Long weekend sees lower auction volumes yet solid clearance
With a number of states and territories enjoying a long weekend, auction volumes were significantly lower than last week, but the preliminary clearance rate remained a healthy 74.8 per cent. That’s largely attributed to lowered interest rates yet flies in the face of bleak headlines about coronavirus and the global economy. About the grounds, a total of 1,456 auctions were…
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Real Estate News
Movers and Shakers
New offices, brand expansion and experienced agents taking on fresh roles…it’s been a couple of weeks of movers and shakers. Here’s a quick run down of recent moves and changes across the country.
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Real Estate News
Take a stand for your health: VariDesk
According to the World Health Organization, the average adult spends about a third of their life at work, and in a sedentary era ruled by technology, chances are much of that is spent sitting. In real estate it’s no exception and it’s little secret that’s no good for your health. “The term ‘sitting disease’ is a phrase that is being…
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Real Estate News
Super Saturday lives up to its auction market promise
The busiest auction day of the year lived up to its name, with Super Saturday seeing 2,933 auctions in the capitals, delivering a preliminary clearance rate of 77.1 per cent.
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LEADERSHIP
The ultimate human upgrade
When Digital Live founder Steve Carroll put out the call for real estate agents to ride with him across Thailand in support of orphaned children, he was overwhelmed by the positive response. Last April, 30 riders from all walks of life, with all levels of fitness, enthusiastically embraced the challenge, raising $250,000 in the process. Now, the event is set…
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Real Estate News
Major turnaround for McGrath
McGrath has reported a major turnaround with half-year results indicating a revenue increase of 15 per cent to $48.9 million on the back of strategic initiatives, improved market sentiment and strong clearance rates. Releasing their FY20 first half results this week, McGrath CEO Geoff Lucas said the turnaround on the prior year was significant and reflected the adoption of a…
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Elite Agent
Wired, weird and wonderful at CES
A smorgasbord of gadgetry, gimmicks and grand new technology, CES has just concluded in Las Vegas. Showcasing everything from the latest smart home tech to robots, computers and so much more, this year the line-up of prototypes, concepts and real products was as awe-inspiring as ever. So without further ado, tell Siri to silence all…
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FEATURE INTERVIEWS
Hungry, humble and smart: how Upstate gives customers a five-star experience
When experienced agents Pete Mosedale and Lachlan Yeates decided to start their own real estate brand, it wasn’t a move they took lightly. For 15 years they had enjoyed the comforts of a franchise system, appreciated the support provided, and valued the strength of a network. “It was the right time in the market,” Pete…
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Real Estate News
Auction clearance rate up on the back of increased volume
The national clearance rate is sitting just below 80 per cent after a weekend which saw Canberra, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne all achieve exceptional results. According to the latest data from CoreLogic auction markets showed a strong result of 78.6 per cent on the back of higher volumes as the number of properties taken to…
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Real Estate News
First home buyers surge to decade high
First home buyers are back and ready to buy, with the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicating new loans to first time buyers have hit their highest level since 2009 in seasonally adjusted terms. Releasing their figures on Tuesday, the ABS said the value of new loan commitments to first home buyers rose 6.2…
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Real Estate News
Berlin’s radical rent freeze to tackle housing affordability
NSW might have new rental reforms, but nowhere is the gaping chasm between landlord and tenant interests more obvious than in Germany’s Berlin. In the city once divided by the wall, the government is set to deliver new legislation that is fiercely polarising tenants and landlords. From this month, Berlin’s property market will be subject…
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FEATURE INTERVIEWS
Property Management is where the heart is
A real estate professional of over 20 years, Lia Jagielka says her heart has always been in property management. “I don’t know anyone who aspires to be a property manager when they grow up – no-one says when I’m an adult I want to collect rent and conduct inspections,” she reflects. But when she landed a job in the industry…
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Elite Agent
You ain’t seen nothing yet: Ray White Norwood
In Adelaide’s affluent east, Ray White Norwood has quickly established a reputation as a growing agency that people want to sell with and agents want to work for. Talk to owners Sam Brincat and Jason Spagnuolo, and it soon becomes apparent this renown is no accident. It’s equally likely they’ve only just begun to make their mark. Early next year business partners Sam…
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LEADERSHIP
Leah Jay – The quiet achiever
At 4.40am on May 22, 2017, Leah Jay looked out at the curvature of the earth from the top of Mt Everest. It marked the achievement of a major personal milestone, drawing on “30 per cent physical ability and 70 per cent mental strength”. Leah describes summiting the world’s tallest peak as much the same as building a business. It…
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Real Estate News
Stu Benson to spearhead Box+Dice national growth
Melbourne-based CRM software provider Box+Dice is preparing to go national with well-known auctioneer Stu Benson set to spearhead their push for growth. Box+Dice General Manager Ashley Blakey explained the business had established a clear market leadership in Victoria and was now looking to expand their market share on a national level. “At the moment our numbers indicate we have about…
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TECH + SOCIAL
The new frontier of auctioneering
David Scholes has carved out a hugely successful career as a real estate auctioneer. His former business AuctionWorks handles over 70% of commercial property auctions on the Australian Eastern Seaboard and David has personally called about 35,000 transactions. But he didn’t necessarily start with aspirations to be in real estate, nor in auctioneering. Instead, the self-confessed country boy started in…
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FEATURE INTERVIEWS
Zig while others zag – Manos Findikakis
For years the industry has been hearing the agent is now more important than the brand. In 2015, Eview founder Manos Findikakis took that philosophy to a whole new level. Now he will share his recipe for success at the Business of Real Estate 2019. Eview Group founder and CEO Manos Findikakis readily admits when…
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Elite Agent
The Agency reports strong growth
Industry newcomer The Agency has notched up an impressive year of growth, with financial results indicating annual group revenue increased 86 per cent during the 2018/19 financial year to $31.3 million. It follows on from 75 per cent growth and 70 per cent growth during the prior two years. Across the board, The Agency figures…
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Elite Agent
The domino effect
Ask Maria Carlino about her goals for the years ahead and she’s crystal clear in her response. “Ten thousand-plus property managements is my goal for The Agency in the next three years, with a presence in every state,” she declares. That’s no small target for a brand that was founded less than two-and-a-half years ago. But chances are Maria will…
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Elite Agent
A whole lotta love: Scott Harman on leadership in a challenging market
Scott Harman isn’t afraid to knock on doors. His path to real estate began as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. He’s not fazed by picking up the phone either. Most of his 31-year career has been spent dealing with high-rise owners in the tough market that is the Gold Coast where many of his sales were…
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Elite Agent
Three steps to reinvigorate your PM department
When property management coach Cathie Crampton was tapped on the shoulder to assist Place real estate increase their rental division’s profitability and efficiency, it wasn’t a mission she took lightly. A growth specialist with 15 years’ experience in property management and coaching, she knew there would be personal investment involved. Her challenge involved steadying a drifting ship, improving divisional morale…
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Elite Agent
Transformation through innovation a winner for Noosa agency
Twenty minutes from the hustle and bustle of Noosa’s Hastings Street, Cooroy is a quintessential Queensland country town with one foot firmly planted in the future. Here, the focus is a vibrant community navigating the transition from farming and timber industries to a thriving residential and rural area that is in demand for families, treechangers…
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Elite Agent
Make it then break it: John Percudani on meeting the agile challenge
Realmark might already be a hugely successful and highly-awarded agency, but Managing Director John Percudani is set to pull apart his business model then reassemble it piece by piece in a bid to improve the customer experience. When Realmark Managing Director John Percudani talks of ‘agile business’ and the ‘customer journey’, he’s not just paying lip service to two of…
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Brand Editorial
Better buyer engagement: 30 minutes with DIAKRIT’s Dick Karlsson
We’ve heard it time and again, content is king of the digital realm. But in real estate, it’s not just any content that counts. In a slowing market, the buyer is in the driver’s seat, and they’re more educated, time-poor and expectant of service than at any time in the industry’s history. “It’s no secret in the last 12 to…
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Elite Agent
The road less travelled
Mark Taylor has lived and breathed real estate his entire life. A third-generation agent, his family have been stalwarts of the industry since his grandfather first opened an agency in Sydney’s Inner West in 1926. Along the way, they have witnessed all the market highs and lows of the past century – The Great Depression, World War II, a ’60s…
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Elite Agent
Clock’s tickin’ – Qld and SA in recovery as NSW continues its decline, according to Herron Todd White
The Sunshine Coast and Bathurst are among areas sitting at the top of the property clock, bucking a trend which sees most of New South Wales in a steady decline, while much of regional Queensland begins its recovery. These are the latest insights from independent valuation and advisory firm Herron Todd White who also had some good news for much…
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Real Estate News
Ray White Norwood steps in to avert a “grinding” halt
Most real estate agents will tell you about the value of getting involved in their local community. In South Australia, Ray White Norwood recently took that commitment to a whole new level when they stepped in to assist after a workplace accident saw their favourite café “grinding” to a halt. Ray White Norwood principals Jason Spagnuolo and Sam Brincat explain…
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Elite Agent
Top 10 Takeaways from AREC 2019 – Day 1
Todd Duncan – High trust selling Takeaway 1: “When you create trust, have confidence, and connect emotionally, you have less pricing pressure and greater sales growth.” In a keynote speech on high-trust selling that covered everything from confidence to finding the right clients, US sales entrepreneur and real estate broker Todd Duncan noted trust was an agent’s “superpower”. “Trust is…
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AREC 2019
Top takeaways from AREC 2019 – Day 2
Barbara Corcoran – The common traits of great superstars Takeaway 1: “Real estate is an entirely fair business. The better you are, the more you are paid. You are not getting anything you don’t deserve.” Day 2 of AREC kicked off with a lively satellite presentation from New York real estate queen Barbara Corcoran, who offered her insight into trust,…
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Elite Agent
Thriving in the face of challenge: Ruma Mundi
A couple of months ago Ruma Mundi finally drew a line under what by anyone’s measure had been a stressful year. Personal circumstances and a series of business events had required the talented salesperson to draw on every ounce of resilience and tenacity she had. At her darkest moments Ruma admits she even pondered the prospect of giving up on…
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Elite Agent
Cindy Kennedy – A flair for real estate
For many, finding a body in a bathtub in your first week in real estate might just be enough to put you off a career in the industry for good. But for McGrath partner and Sydney Inner West sales agent Cindy Kennedy it taught her there’s always more to the story when it comes to selling a home. A natural…
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Elite Agent
Finding her confidence: Kylie Charlton
In Sandringham, Victoria, Hodges Real Estate director and sales agent Kylie Charlton has carved out a successful 28-year career based on the simple philosophy of placing herself in her client’s shoes. Now, she’ll share an insight into the lessons learned along the way at AREC 2019. Kylie Charlton freely admits she knew “absolutely nothing” about real estate other than the…
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