OPINION
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3 Steps to take if you have a ‘Tomic’ Employee – by Pam Macdonald
There have been many stories about Bernard Tomic and that interview at Wimbledon, along with the fine he has now received for faking an injury. People have expressed shock, dismay and judgement at how such a talented young man could make the comments he has. How many business owners and leaders have looked around their teams and seen talent that…
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Time for swift action on building products and safety: Andrew Cocks
There’s an important lesson to be learned from the agreement reached between the South Australian Government and Tesla to build the world’s largest lithium-ion battery, and it’s got nothing to do with climate change, sustainability or energy security. It’s about the speed at which it has progressed from an idea on Twitter to an actual signed agreement with completion date.…
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How agents can get traction on Facebook: Josh Pyatt
For a modern real estate agent, Facebook marketing is highly important. It attracts plenty of business if utilised correctly. But are you maximising and using Facebook to the best of its ability? Real estate coach Josh Pyatt has seen many agents’ Facebook pages with an audience and followers who aren’t relevant to them and their market and examines the pro’s and…
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Spot the Disrupter: Mark McLeod
It’s only when we understand and acknowledge where the pain points really are for our customers that will we have any opportunity to meet disrupters head on, says Mark McLeod. There is an image I saw recently of Fifth Avenue, New York, in 1900. The photo shows a busy street, full of horses and carts. The caption reads, “Spot the…
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Stamp duty concessions are reverse engineering supply and demand: Douglas Driscoll
Starr Partners CEO Douglas Driscoll is calling for more justification around the NSW Government’s solution for housing affordability after it revealed no concessions would be afforded to buyers making property purchases over $800,000. The measures, taken to cabinet last week, proposed stamp duty would be abolished on all homes up to $650,000 and relief to buyers of homes up to…
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Stamp Duty changes to affect buyer demand: Tim Lawless
The decision last week by the News South Wales Government Premier Gladys Berejiklian to provide first home buyers with a stamp duty exemption for properties with a price tag under $650,000 is likely to boost demand for this under-represented segment of the market, according to Tim Lawless. Based on recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, first home buyers comprised…
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Tilting not juggling: Why its better to be deliberately out of balance
Work-life balance, it’s kind of unicorn-ish isn’t it? Forget the latest designer handbag, for many women (and men) the concept of work-life balance is the “new black” in terms of status symbols, worn a bit like a medal. But is being able to perfectly balance your work and personal life really real? ‘Having it all’ seems to have become ‘doing…
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The Market – Generous one day, brutal the next: Haesley Cush
Last week, I was again reminded that the ‘affordability crisis’ is not a nationwide issue when I spent time with agents in Perth. Our Western Australian friends have faced a massive downturn in the market and there is no talk of frivolous breakfasts laden with avo and lattes with our comrades in the West. In speaking with the agents over…
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Savvy 20-year-old property investor makes smart decision to renovate after watching Channel 9’s TV series ‘The Block’
A smart young Queensland property investor I know holds multiple properties in ‘The Groves – Lawnton’. After watching the highly popular TV series, ‘The Block’, and meeting with both myself and RE/MAX Northern Realty Business Development Manager Cristel Stenhouse, she made the tricky decision to renovate. We advised that a small update to her property would assist her to capitalise…
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6 Things Every Young Commercial Real Estate Professional Should Know
Since he started in real estate in 2008, Hudson Dale from Raine & Horne Commercial in Brisbane has picked up multiple awards, sealed deals on amazing properties – and learned a lot. These are the six biggest lessons he says he has learned to date: 1. Turn up and work hard. I’ve always believed that if you’re a hard worker you never have…
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Don’t Gamble With Your Business: Michael Davoren
SPECIALISATION IS ON the rise in the real estate industry, and it is a future born of necessity. RE/MAX Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Michael Davoren explains. A scientific research study conducted by Innermetrix Incorporated last year concluded that agent performance and success had more to do with the degree of specialisation than any other single variable considered. After…
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Don’t push first homebuyers to the wrong places: Haesley Cush
With the Federal Budget handed down last week, Brisbane Agent and Auctioneer Haesley Cush reflects on the state of the market for first home-buyers I had dinner with an agent this week. She is a young lady in her 20s and she is selling units in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. We were discussing the cost of 1 bedrooms apartments…
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Property investors to lose in budget changes, says Bradley Beer
The 2017 Federal Budget, handed down by Treasurer Scott Morrison this week includes proposed changes which will affect residential property investors Australia-wide. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) allows owners of income producing property to claim depreciation deductions for the wear and tear that occurs to a building’s structure and the plant and equipment assets within. The proposed changes relate to…
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The Eight Best Budget Moments from #Budget17: Sarah Bell
The 2017 Federal budget has been mostly received well judging from commentary by property pundits so far. A goldilocks attempt to temper the forces of supply and demand; of foreign investment and affordable housing without causing economic shockwaves. But, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison or #ScoMo as he is trending was going to have a difficult time pleasing everyone. “The government is…
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Budget housing measures fair and responsible with some welcome innovation says R&W chief
Scott Morrison’s 2017/18 Budget passes the test for fairness and responsibility whilst offering some innovative opportunities that will support and encourage affordable housing for those most in need, according to Andrew Cocks, Managing Director of Richardson & Wrench, Australia’s oldest real estate group. Mr Cocks said the Treasurer had outlined a number of measures that would directly assist first home…
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2017 Budget preview – What’s in it for housing: Andrew Cocks
Scott Morrison’s 2017-18 Federal Budget would have to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Speculation about its content has generated enormous media coverage, as well as a lot of angst in response to the leaks and red herrings on the subject of housing affordability. It’s all the more remarkable given that the Commonwealth Government has limited means…
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What to expect from the 2017 Federal Budget (for property people): Sarah Bell
Just like The State of Origin night, Budget night draws a crowd of millions as the nation waits in anticipation to see what plays will be made by the rainmakers in their pin-striped suits….OK, that last bit is a stretch (*total lie)…but this is the hottest budget we have seen for a long time – and mostly because of the…
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Is a Price Guide Really the Answer? Haesley Cush
Last week in Victoria new legislation was released making it mandatory for agents to provide price ranges, or ‘statement of information’ forms, to all buyers. These forms will in most cases include what the agent deems to be three recent comparable sales. Consider that most agents are requested by their prospective vendors to show them that range before they chose…
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Shiny Slums: Three light bulb moments from the RBA Decision
The first Tuesday of every month marks the day when the board of The Reserve Bank of Australia sits down with its coffee and Tim Tams to decide what to do with the official cash rate. It is the RBA’s job to regulate and issue monetary policy to “contribute to the stability of the currency, full employment, and the economic…
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From Pubs to Penthouses: Bill Malouf
I grew up working in the family business in the hospitality industry. At 12 years old I would work during the school holidays picking up glasses, and then as I got older, I was given more responsibility. I really had to work my way up the ranks; I went from picking up glasses to working in the cellar, then behind…
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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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Housing affordability – a simple problem with a complex solution: Rob Ward
The exponential growth of median prices in our capital cities over recent years has seen the issue of housing affordability permanently embed itself in the headlines. It’s a hot topic for consumers, the property industry and governments alike. Di Jones Real Estate CEO Rob Ward asks: how will future generations ever afford their own homes? “Housing out of reach”, “The…
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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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Tightening in everyone’s interest
Richardson & Wrench Managing Director Andrew Cox says property investors need to are going brace themselves as interest rates are on the way up – irrespective of any moves by the Reserve Bank or APRA. NAB’s and Westpac’s lift in rates to investors last week, preceded by the Commonwealth Bank in January, may just be the beginning of nastier surprises…
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The interest rate decision and blaming the Kardashians for an impending economic crisis in Australia
The interest rate hold yesterday shows signs of a weak domestic economy, with household debt levels a significant factor. According to CoreLogic, the ratio of household debt to disposable income is at a record high of 186.9 percent. In other words, for every $100 we have to spend (after bills), we are spending $186.90! At that level, it is clear…
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Foreign investors leaving investment properties vacant
The full impact of foreign investment on Australia’s housing crisis is yet to be seen across the Eastern seaboard according to Douglas Driscoll, CEO of Starr Partners. Scores of foreign investors are acquiring property in desirable metropolitan areas only to leave them uninhabited, estimating the number of unoccupied dwellings in Sydney to be more than 200,000.We know that the current affordability…
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REIV chief: Concern for rental reforms
The state’s most disadvantaged tenants will be the hardest hit if proposed reform of the Residential Tenancies Act – the law that governs the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants – is adopted, says REIV chief Gil King. As many of the proposed reforms are designed to improve rental conditions for these very tenants, despite its intentions, the Andrews…
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As the Saying Goes: Andrew Cocks
There’s a reason why some aphorisms and proverbs stick around for centuries. In a few choice words they express timeless nuggets of wisdom; truths that could apply to any number of situations or people. In this vein there are three much-used proverbs the new Premier of NSW might bear in mind as she puts her stamp on government. A new…
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Has Your Business Lost Its Mojo?
When someone is on their game, the energy they exude is contagious. In the same way, when a real estate business is on its game you can feel it when you walk in the door – they are ‘on a roll’ and can do no wrong. But what if you’re not feeling refreshed and positive going into the new year?…
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The Interest Rates Crystal Ball: Phil Rice
When it comes to the finance market, almost everyone has an opinion on what may happen over the coming 12 months with regards to interest rates. So who do you believe? How will interest rate increases or decreases affect your business? If you were to listen to the banks, they will tell you that their costs of funds are increasing…
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An Old Dilemma with No Easy Answer: Andrew Cocks
The shock resignation of NSW Premier Mike Baird last month was illuminating in many ways, but most especially in its stark illustration of what will be an increasing demographic trend over the next couple of decades. And yes, it will have an impact on real estate, says Richardson + Wrench MD Andrew Cocks. Baby boomers reshaped whole economies when they…
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Veteran developer Harry Triguboff believes apartment prices may rise this year
The increase in house values in Sydney will only produce a flow-on effect on for apartment prices for the year said veteran developer and Meriton group founder Harry Triguboff. Triguboff who has built more than 70,000 apartments to date said that high house prices were driving demand for apartments from owner-occupiers and tenants, resulting in stronger than expected gains already…
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Three ways to solve the housing affordability crisis
Grant Harrod from LJ Hooker outlines three ways in which the New South Wales state government can address the much talked about housing affordability crisis for Sydneysiders who badly want to own a home. The appointment of Gladys Berejiklian as NSW Premier and her suggestion to review all options to address housing affordability should provide some optimism for a generation…
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Increasing professional standards a priority: REINSW
Increasing professional standards in the real estate industry has been recognised by agents and industry leaders who attended the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales’ fourth annual Industry Summit last month, as a priority. REINSW President John Cunningham said over 100 delegates gathered at the Sydney Opera House on 24 November 2016 to discuss and debate ‘The Path to…
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CoreLogic December 2016 Property Outlook: Tim Lawless
CoreLogic have released their property market outlook for December 2016 which includes valuable market insights from Head of Research Asia Pacific, Tim Lawless on the current trend of investment activity, growth values, affordability and interest rates heading into 2017. CAPITAL CITY PROPERTY VALUES UP BUT SLOWING Capital city property values increased by 0.2 per cent in November, according to the…
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