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INDUSTRY NEWS
First National Real Estate top Victorian and Tasmanian Agents Honoured
First National Real Estate’s Victorian and Tasmanian agents were presented with their General Excellence and Marketing Awards at a dinner hosted last week. The awards brought recognition to the best of both states’ real estate performances throughout last year, which according to First National Victoria Chairman, Rob Westwood, contributed to First National Real Estate winning Canstar Blue’s ‘Most Satisfied Customers’ award…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Former McGrath sales director now the Agency’s new CEO
Ausnet Financial Services has appointed Sydney-based Matt Lahood as the Agency’s first CEO, effective immediately, the company told the ASX in a statement on Monday. Lahood who most recently held the position of director of sales for McGrath real estate comes with more than 28 years’ of industry experience, the company said. “I am very excited about my new role at the Agency as…
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Real Estate News
Laing+Simmons Parramatta donates $23,400 to Westmead hospital
Real estate agency Laing+Simmons Parramatta has donated $23,400 to Westmead Medical Research Foundation (WMRF) after a successful fundraising ceremony conducted by the office last year. As part of its agency’s 21st anniversary celebrations held last year, the agency decided to partner with WMRF to raise much-needed funds for medical research and critical care at the Westmead hospital. The campaign was…
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Real Estate News
APRA tightens rules around interest-only loans
In a bid to calm the hot property market, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has announced several measures to clamp down on interest-only loans. All lenders have been informed by APRA that they should limit the flow of new interest-only lending to 30 percent from the total new residential mortgage lending, and to have strict internal limits on the volume…
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Real Estate News
How an agent made the transition to principal after 15 years
New principal of Ray White Werribee Michelle Chick opened her own business seven weeks ago, and in that time her team has sold ten properties, listed another 15, launched a property management division and recruited two new members into her team. Chick, who has been in real estate sales operations for the last 15 years decided to take the leap…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
WA and Victoria records improved results for home sales: HIA
There was little movement in the total new home sales last month, but Western Australia (WA) and Victoria scored positive results, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) said in a recent statement. HIA chief economist, Dr Harley Dale said the association’s latest homes sales report comprising a survey of Australia’s largest home builders – revealed a bare movement of only…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Agents Get Together For The Second Time For Real Estate Sleep Out
Auctioneer Damien Cooley is calling for the real estate industry to sleep on the iconic Bondi Beach for one night on July 24 to help raise $500,000 for charity. Known as the Real Estate Sleep Out and held for the second time, this year’s event is looking at getting 500 agents to raise half a million dollars for Father Chris…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Bye Bye Banks And Hello New 1.5B Foreign Investor Fund
Chinese buyers with no Australian residency or local family connection can still get property loans here thanks to a newly established billion dollar fund that caters specifically towards their needs. Victorian-based brokerage firm Lending HQ launched its funding options on Monday at Investorist’s China Connection Roadshow in Shanghai and Shenzhen held from March 27 – 31 with in excess of…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
NSW state government still has its work cut out, says Property Council
Despite the good work, the New South Wales (NSW) government still has its work cut out for them when it came to all things housing, Property Council of Australia has said. The council’s executive director Jane Fitzgerald said the government should be congratulated for strong economic growth, infrastructure investment and a renewed focus on the regions, yet housing affordability, a…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Century 21’s owner now Property Connect chairman
ASX-listed Property Connect has appointed the chairman and owner of Century 21 Australasia Charles Tarbey into the same role in its organisation, effective immediately. Tarbey’s appointment as chairman of Property Connect comes together with an agreement that several Century 21 offices in Victoria and Western Australia will undertake a trial of the LiveOffer technology in Australia from April 2017. In…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Regional Queensland is the next hotspot for investors says Raine & Horne
Regional Queensland’s property affordability, high-yielding returns and low vacancy rates meant that it was time for investors to ditch Sydney and Melbourne and start looking at investing in the sunshine state, Raine & Horne Queensland said. Its general manager Steve Worrad said towns such as Rockhampton, Nanango, Bundaberg, Kingaroy and Hervey Bay had loads of quality rental properties as low…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Ausnet expands its foothold by acquiring Beaufort Realty
ASX-listed Ausnet Financial Services Limited is expanding its reach in Western Australia with the acquisition of Mount Lawley real estate agency, Beaufort Realty. Ausnet’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Ausnet Real Estate Services entered into a share sale agreement to acquire all of the issued shares in Beaufort Realty from its shareholders Jonathan Adams and Pamela Herron, Christine Kirkness and Dosta Buckovska. The exchanged…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
RE/MAX agent launches book, available for free on website
A Gold Coast property agent has launched a book for consumers with a title that encapsulates her indomitable spirit. “Fighting for YOU’ by RE/MAX agent Lana Faulkner is an easy-to-read ‘insider’s look’ at how to best position property to sell, including her tips for consumers to sell their property at the highest price in any market, based on more than…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Ray White Indonesia celebrates 20 years of success
The Ray White Indonesian network recently celebrated its 20th anniversary this month, recognising the 160 offices that turned this notable Australian franchise into a market leader across the country. Led by the original founding partners, Johann Boyke Nurtanio and Sari Dewi, Ray White Indonesia were pioneers in establishing auctions since it first started trading under the brand name in 1997.…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Bob Wolff gives his take on the challenges facing real estate businesses today
Bob Wolff, one of the very first speakers from the first AREC is due to return for AREC’s 20th Anniversary, providing more tips and strategies to achieving superstar success. Bob Wolff from the US was the very first speaker at AREC in 1997 where he shared his strategies that have become the foundation for many real estate agents in Australia…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
LocalAgentFinder survey finds 2017 is a good time to buy and sell properties
62 percent of Australian property owners say 2017 is a good year to buy 73 percent say it’s a good year to sell 81 percent of NSW residents and 82 percent of Victorians believe 2017 is a good time to sell Research commissioned by LocalAgentFinder has found that homeowners believe that 2017 is going to be a good year to…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
ANZ joins 13 other lenders by raising interest rates
ANZ has become the latest Australian bank to join the bandwagon of lenders who have decided to raise interest rates despite it being at an all-time historic low of 1.5 percent. On Friday, the bank announced that its new interest rates would be up by 0.36 percent and would only apply to property investors and not owner occupiers. Mozo director…
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Real Estate News
REIA celebrates its most outstanding performers
The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) recognised the industry’s most outstanding talents at its 12th annual REIA National Awards for Excellence held at a 5-star hotel in Canberra last Thursday. REIA president Malcolm Gunning said more than 250 real estate professionals showed up at the event to celebrate winners across sixteen categories. “Competition was fierce across all award categories…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Tougher home lending conditions not the answer for WA
The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) and Urban Development Institute of Australia WA Division (UDIA WA) have slammed talks of authorities wanting to tighten home lending conditions across the country. REIWA President Hayden Groves said this was a knee-jerk reaction to market conditions on the east coast, in particular, the Sydney and Melbourne markets, and did not take…
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Elite Agent
Landchecker, helps buyers do due diligence on properties for free
A Melbourne-based company Landchecker has created a free tool for anyone looking to do their due diligence on Victorian property. Developed two years off the back of the government’s initiative to foster innovation through open source data, Landchecker is a user friendly, colour coded map that updates with property planning information such as planning zones, planning overlays, permit activity, bushfire…
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FRANCHISE NEWS
LJ Hooker agent ups the ante with his very own TV commercial
Zed Nasheet of LJ Hooker Hampton Park has released a television commercial to advertise the importance getting the right agent to sell one’s home. Nasheet who recently applied to be recognised as the world’s fastest-selling agent by the Guinness World of Records after selling a Melbourne property in January for under 15 minutes, said the 30-second commercial would be aired on…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Aussie long-term rental start-up Cubbi.com gets fresh new round of funding
Melbourne-based Cubbi.com, which offers tenants long-term rentals anything ranging from three months to two years, has just announced a $300,000 seed round of funding from a consortium of investors led by 1Form co-founder Chad Stephens. Co-founder and co-Ceo Jason Gilbert who runs the company with his older brother Michael told Elite Agent that the seed funding received from Stephens was…
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Elite Agent
REISA’s awards night honours SA’s best real estate agents
The Real Estate of South Australia (REISA) awards ceremony will recognise some of the state’s best agents, and this year with two new initiatives. REISA’s chief Greg Troughton said the awards first new initiative would be through the introduction of a mystery shopper while the second one would look at placing a requirement for sales professionals to provide the judges…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Transitioning from agent to principal: how Eric Li of Ray White made it work
Eric Li was only two years into his real estate career when he opted to take the challenge to take charge of Ray White Sunnybank Hills last November and has hit the ground running and sold seven properties in his first month as a principal. In five months, the office has grown from three team members to 11, and Li…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Stone real estate to expand to 30 offices by year-end: CEO Peter Mumford
Sydney-based Stone Real Estate plans to grow its offices from current 13 to 30 by the end of the year, its CEO and founder Peter Mumford has said. Mumford, a former McGrath agent who started the business two years ago with the first office set up in Lane Cove, said this year’s expansion plans would be executed throughout various parts in…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Let foreign buyers purchase Australian properties like the good old days says iBuyNew
ASX-listed online property agency iBuyNew Group Limited said the federal government plans to restrict foreigners from buying more than half the homes or apartments in any new development will only discourage offshore developers from doing business in Australia. iBuyNew founder and chief executive Mark Mendel said the proposal pitched as one of a raft of possible measures in the May…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Demand for Darwin rentals returning to all-time highs
Demand for Darwin rental properties appears to be booming, with Raine & Horne Darwin saying they have leased more than 60 properties in February this year. “This result follows the 60 properties we leased to tenants in January,” Glenn Grantham, General Manager, Raine & Horne Darwin said. “Consequently, rental yields for Darwin houses have improved and are currently 5.1 percent, which…
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Real Estate News
New Zealand Real Estate GM Wins Global Award
RE/MAX New Zealand general manager Corinna Mansell has ousted real estate leaders from regions around the world to win the RE/MAX Director of the Year Global Award. Mansell was announced the winner in February at the RE/MAX R4 Convention in Las Vegas, which drew more than 6000 delegates from around the world, and was presented with her award by Larry…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Let first home buyers access their super says REIA
Australians should be given a choice to access their super account for home buying purposes, said Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) president Malcolm Gunning. Gunning said Australians being allowed into to purchase their first home was not a radical idea as the use of retirement savings for a first home purchase has already proven to be successful in Canada,…
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Real Estate News
Purplebricks launches into Perth’s real estate market
Flat fee real estate agency Purplebricks has landed on West Australia shores and commenced trading on Monday. The UK-headquartered real estate tech disrupter which charges a flat fee of $4,500 for any home sale transaction said it expects to save residents in Perth close $10,000 per sale in commissions, giving locals the first ever alternative to expensive commission fees when…
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INDUSTRY NEWS
More banks to follow suit on rate hikes after NAB and Westpac
It is just a matter of time before all top Australian lenders such as CommBank and ANZ start increasing their interest rates and passing on the extras to consumers, Mozo director Kirsty Lamont has opined. Hot on the heels of NAB’s out of cycle home loan rate hike last week, Westpac has just announced that it borrowers too will be…
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FRANCHISE NEWS
First National Real Estate WA recognises its top agents
First National Real Estate’s Western Australian agents were recognised with general excellence and marketing awards at the Perth Flying Squadron Yacht Club last week. The awards brought recognition to the best of Western Australia’s real estate performances throughout last year, which according to First National WA chairman, Allan Griffiths, contributed to the company winning the Canstar Blue’s ‘Most Satisfied Customers’…
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Real Estate News
realestate.com.au puts property first with Front Page
Major real estate website realestate.com.au is putting property first with Front Page, giving agents the opportunity to advertise their properties front and centre on its homepage. With the realestate.com.au home page receiving 16 million average monthly visits, Front Page provides a level of exposure for properties like never before. “Front Page provides our agents with unprecedented reach to showcase our…
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FRANCHISE NEWS
New Raine & Horne Kingsford and Kensington in Sydney Run By Two Experienced Eastern Suburbs Agents
Raine & Horne has continued its aggressive expansion to Sydney with the launch of a new office in Kingsford, in the city’s east by two experienced Eastern suburbs real estate agents Sam Karatasas and Andrew Yong. “Sam (Karatasas), who worked for one of our inner Sydney offices in the mid-1980s, currently holds some street sales records in Kensington and Kingsford,”…
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Real Estate News
Real Estate Industry Heads Down The Professional Path
The Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) has lauded the New South Wales government for provided the institution with the education foundations to pursue a profession recognition. REINSW president John Cunningham said the need for greater accountability and transparency in the ever increasing complexities of property transactions has led to a clear need for recognisable property professionals who…
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