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Real Estate News
Scott Morrison names six priority areas in $1.5 billion plan to boost manufacturing
The federal government is selecting six priority areas for support in a $1.5 billion manufacturing plan Scott Morrison will outline in a pre-budget address. They are resources technology and critical minerals processing, food and beverage, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence, and space. The plan will also focus on…
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Real Estate News
Common COVID-19 cleaning mistakes in the workplace
Lisa Macqueen reveals the eight common health and safety mistakes that workplaces are making on their premises
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Elite Agent
Economics academics say the Reserve Bank should do more
Former prime minister Paul Keating isn’t alone in wanting the Reserve Bank to do much more to ensure economic recovery.
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Elite Agent
The easing of regional Victoria’s restrictions signals hope for Melbourne too
Regional Victoria will take the third step out of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Elite Agent
Why COVID-19 might not change our cities as much as we expect
What will be the normal way of urban living when the COVID-19 crisis passes? What aspects will remain with us and what will disappear? The coronavirus pandemic has thrust us into a moment of rapid change. Like all change, it is difficult to predict. But lessons from history provide us with two important insights. First, temporary change sometimes has remarkably…
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Elite Agent
Ultraviolet light can make indoor spaces safer during the pandemic – if it’s used the right way
Ultraviolet light has a long history as a disinfectant and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is readily rendered harmless by UV light. The question is how best to harness UV light to fight the spread of the virus and protect human health as people work, study, and shop indoors. The virus spreads in several ways. The main route of transmission is through person-to-person…
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OPINION
After COVID, we’ll need a rethink to repair Australia’s housing system and the economy
A new report from the New South Wales Productivity Commission (NSWPC) announces that “[higher] housing costs […] impose broader economic costs”. That chimes with our own newly published research. The implication is that Australia’s heavily capitalised housing market will weigh down economic recovery from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic. A niche group of economists and epidemiologists had warned the world for decades that a…
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Elite Agent
Have we just stumbled on the biggest productivity increase of the century?
One of the most striking responses to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the sudden shift of around half the workforce to working at home. In many cases, this was combined with an equally sudden shift to home schooling. Contrary to what might have been expected, working from home was one part of the pandemic response that went remarkably smoothly. Most…
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Elite Agent
House hunters are rarely told the home energy rating
Most Australian homes have been built to notoriously poor standards. The energy performance of existing homes in Victoria, for instance, averages 1.8 stars – 6 stars is mandatory for newly built homes under the 10-star Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NaTHERS). Decision-makers typically fail to appreciate the importance of a low star rating, even though it have profound impacts on households’ health and…
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OPINION
Trouble at the mall as landlords and tenants ponder mutually assured destruction
“This is not a bluff,” Scott Evans, the chief executive of Mosaic Brands, has said of his threat to permanently close 300 to 500 stores in Australia unless landlords reduce rents. Mosiac’s network of about 1300 apparel stores includes Katies, Noni B, Rivers, Rockmans, Millers and Crossroads. With stores shuttered temporarily due to COVID-19 restrictions, it posted a A$170.5 million loss in the…
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OPINION
Why more companies are going dog friendly
Bringing pet dogs into the workplace is becoming increasingly common. Large companies like Google, Ticketmaster and challenger bank Monzo are just a few that have joined companies in the pet sector (like Pets at Home) that allow employees to bring their dogs to work. Dogs are even being labelled as a new “must-have accessory” in smart offices. But research shows that 64 per cent of workplaces do not…
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Real Estate Content
‘Meanwhile’ building use: another way to manage properties left vacant by the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily shut down cities across the globe, resulting in abandoned buildings and deserted streets. How might we better use our own vacant buildings during the crisis and beyond? We can learn from the benefits and challenges of the UK’s “meanwhile” building use sector. Sometimes referred to as meanwhile housing or property guardianship in its residential forms, it’s a recognised property tenure solution for vacant…
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OPINION
When houses earn more than jobs: How we lost control of Australian house prices and how to get it back
Real home prices across Australia have climbed 150 per cent since 2000, while real wages have climbed by less than a third. Sydney and Melbourne rank among the most expensive cities in the world. Australia-wide, home ownership levels have fallen from 70 per cent to 65 per cent in the last 20 years and home equity levels have fallen from 80 per cent to…
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Real Estate News
More urban sprawl while jobs cluster: working from home will reshape the nation
For most of us the experience of working from home this year has, on balance, been positive – enough that it may well become the norm after the COVID-19 crisis ends. But modelling by Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies shows there will be costs alongside the personal benefits, with more urban sprawl, job flight to the biggest cities and…
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Elite Agent
Shorter meetings but longer days – how COVID-19 has changed the way we work
One of the many things COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on is the way many of us work. Those fortunate enough to be able to work from home have been able to adapt to this new reality – and it certainly has been “new”. Perhaps the biggest question for both employers and employees is whether working from home has…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Unused buildings will make good housing in the world of COVID-19
We are entering an era of profound change in how we work, learn, socialise and live with COVID-19. Many people will adjust to this new world order and work remotely at home if they don’t have to attend an office or other workplace. This, in turn, will create an opportunity to adapt unused buildings, which were needed for the previous…
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Elite Agent
Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire return to lockdown: why we need to be vigilant
Philip Russo, Monash University and Brett Mitchell, University of Newcastle Metropolitan Melbourne and the shire of Mitchell will returned to Stage 3 stay-at-home restrictions as of midnight Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced, after 191 new cases were recorded in the state overnight – its highest ever daily case total. The lockdown means for the next six weeks, people in…
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Elite Agent
HomeBuilder a potential win-win across six key areas
The federal government’s new HomeBuilder scheme offers eligible Australians money to renovate or build a home. While it’s attracted controversy, HomeBuilder does offer a much-needed opportunity to make old homes more energy-efficient. Research released in March showed the energy performance of housing must improve by an average 44-48% in the next decade for Australia to reach net…
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Elite Agent
How a pandemic could improve the traditional workplace
Having had to rapidly adjust to working from home due to COVID-19, many people are now having to readjust to life back in the office. Many will have enjoyed aspects of what is sometimes called “distributed work”, but some may be dreading the return. So is there a middle ground? Could hybrid work arrangements, known for boosting well-being and productivity,…
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Elite Agent
Australia is under sustained cyber attack, warns the government. What’s going on, and what should businesses do?
By Mahmoud Elkhodr Lecturer in Information and Communication Technologies, CQUniversity Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison had some alarming news for Australians this morning: we are under cyber attack. He informed the nation the attacks “hadn’t just started”, and that Australian businesses and governments are being widely targeted. It is unclear why the government chose today to make the announcement, or…
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Elite Agent
HomeBuilder misses a chance to make our homes perform better for us and the planet
The Federal Government’s new A$688 million HomeBuilder package might protect residential construction jobs but according to academics, it’s a missed opportunity to deliver sustainability benefits that would save owners money in the long run. In an article in The Conversation, senior lecturers Trivess Moore of RMIT and Tony Matthews of Griffith University argue the A$25,000 grant for new homes and renovations could have…
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Elite Agent
Housing policies need change as COVID-19 widens renter-owner divide
The renter-owner gap will widen Despite concerns about house prices plummeting, the spread of COVID-19 is exposing a widening gap in housing markets between those who own zero housing wealth (renters) and those with substantial housing wealth (owners). Australians with little to no housing wealth were already experiencing at least three key types of vulnerabilities before the pandemic in the…
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Elite Agent
A two-step strategy for sheltering everyone
This article was co-authored by Bevan Warner, CEO of Launch Housing and Ron Wakefield, Professor of Construction, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, International, and Dean, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, and was originally contributed to The Conversation. The original title was The need to house everyone has never been clearer. Here’s a 2-step strategy to get it done.…
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Elite Agent
The options so far for rent relief in Australia
What if I can't pay my rent? These are the options for rent relief in Australia Mark Giancaspro, University of Adelaide and David Brown, University of Adelaide You’ve lost income because of the coronavirus crisis and finding it hard to pay the bills. What if you can’t pay your rent? The short answer, if you…
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Elite Agent
Federal Government comes out swinging in round 2 of COVID-19 stimulus plan
Following on from last week’s initial stimulus package, the Federal Government yesterday came out swinging with a second round of initiatives designed to support business through the challenge of COVID-19. Last week the Government announced support for business which included 50 per cent cashback on Pay As You Go Withholding (PAYGW), along with incentives to keep apprentices and trainees employed.…
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OPINION
How will coronavirus affect property prices?
Guest contributor: Nigel Stapledon, is a Research Fellow in Real Estate, Centre for Applied Economic Research, at UNSW The bottom line is it will be negative – prices will go down. People, up until now, have been talking about the property market developing a bit of momentum, with the interest cuts we had last year and the easing in credit…
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OPINION
The Australian Government is writing cheques to small business owners… this is how much you’ll get
Governments around the world are quickly responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. Italy has basically shut down it’s entire country. India has closed the borders and suspended all tourist visas. Both demand and supply chains are being disrupted, with many economists fearing the virus could trigger the next economic recession. In order to stave off a…
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Sponsored Content
2020 – New decade, new challenges: How to stay relevant in the digital age
If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the real estate industry is changing – and it’s happening fast. The rate of change is only accelerating and without a doubt will continue to do so in the decade ahead. Driven by new expectations of competitive pricing yet 24/7 personalised service, the sector sits at a junction where implementing…
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Real Estate News
R&W legend scoops the Directors’ Trophy at annual awards
Keiran Speed is what you’d call old school. Would never swear in front of a lady. He’ll tell you to your face what a place is worth, and he’d be right. Never raises his voice or talks himself up. Others will happily do that for him. Legend, or even icon, is how R&W chief auctioneer Peter Baldwin describes him, and…
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BEST PRACTICE
Financial wellness for agents: Mikaela Patterson
What’s the difference between success and financial wellness? In real estate, success is different from one individual to the next. It could mean pulling up at a listing presentation in the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster or opening an office in the adjoining postcode. For others, it’s taking every second Friday off to play golf. So what’s financial wellness? Equally, it’s different…
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Brand Editorial
Photoelectric smoke alarms: A clearer picture
How can you tell the difference between smoke alarms? They don’t seem different when they are on the ceiling. Recent changes in the Queensland legislation state that all rental properties in Queensland are required to have smoke alarms that meet the new standard upgraded before 1 January 2022. In Queensland, photoelectric alarms must be used for compliance under the new…
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Elite Agent
No limits to real estate success in bush country: Troy Kearney
One of Century 21’s leading regional agents, Troy Kearney, believes that geography is no limitation for success in real estate. He shares his top tips for operating in the bush. Mr Kearney opened his office, Century 21 Bathurst Region, two years ago and during that short period achieved prestigious Double Centurion status, placing him amongst the top one per cent…
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Elite Agent
How to Succeed as a Real Estate Rookie: Jamie Smith
Coming from a small village in the south of England to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland with little more than a surfboard bag and some board shorts, it hasn’t taken Century 21 agent, Jamie Smith, very long to establish himself as a real estate identity in the Sunshine Coast region. Taking out the Rookie of the Year award at the Real…
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Elite Agent
Negative Gearing: A Balancing Act
Bruce Oliver from Xynergy Realty in Melbourne says that while negative gearing doesn’t necessarily help the affordability for first home-owners, it cannot be scrapped completely. The contentious topic of negative gearing is one that doesn’t seem to disappear, with the biggest question being what to do with negative gearing where housing affordability is an issue that is affecting many. It’s…
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Brand Editorial
Cyber Liability Insurance: the Safety Net Real Estate Agents Need
At long last, the wider public is starting to realise that hackers aren’t hooded movie villains – they’re real people doing real damage across the globe, especially in Australia and especially to small businesses. Real estate agents, in particular, are prime targets for cyber-criminals due to a combination of factors, including the amount of valuable client data they hold, a…
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