Elite Agent

  • South Coast agent named one of Raine & Horne’s best

    South Coast agent and Raine & Horne Mollymook/Milton Principal Ben Pryde has been named the ‘Top Salesperson (Principal) – Number of Sales’ at the 2020 Raine & Horne Awards.  Held virtually for the first time in the property group’s 137-year history, this year’s awards saw Mr Pryde edge past Raine & Horne Double Bay principal Ric Serrao to take out…

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  • Barry Plant auction to support childhood cancer

    For the third year in a row, Barry Plant is teaming up with Simonds Homes and Satterley developers for the ‘Home for a Cure’ campaign, raising much needed money to support the My Room Children’s Cancer Charity. The past two years have seen Jim Hatzimoisis, Director at Barry Plant Taylors Lakes auction off house and land packages, raising over $1.3…

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  • Perth vacancy rate drops to a 12-year low

    The Perth rental market’s vacancy rate has dropped to 1.6 per cent, the lowest rate since March 2008. The Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) warns that a vacancy rate of around 3 per cent strikes the ideal balance between supply and demand, but there are currently 50 per cent less properties for rent on reiwa.com than in July, 2019…

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  • Turning lockdown lessons into productivity hacks

    Ever since COVID-19 came along and changed the way we all work, every trainer, coach and franchise organisation has begun engaging in a wide variety of online training materials. From motivational content to real estate-specific skills, business development, personal resilience, team building and customer service alternatives, there’s been a host of information absorbed. We’ve been sponges because we know that…

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  • ACT tax rebate for landlords extended

    The ACT Government scheme which awards a land tax rebate to landlords who slash their tenants’ rents by 25 per cent has been extended until December. Over 750 landlords are currently involved in the scheme. “We understand this is a difficult time for many Canberrans, particularly those who have suffered a significant reduction in their income,” ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay…

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  • Illawarra, Launceston, and Ballarat the hottest regional markets

    CoreLogic’s latest quarterly regional review analysed 25 of Australia’s largest non-capital cities, and while people seem to be leaving the capitals in droves, elsewhere in Australia there is a far more rosy outlook. Illawarra has recorded both the largest rise in housing values, and the biggest jump in home sales over the past 12 months. Illawarra’s annual growth rate sits…

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  • MBA calls for HomeBuilder extension, plus new $3.8b scheme

    Master Builders Australia (MBA) has released its Pre-Budget Submission, which calls for an extension of HomeBuilder, plus a further stimulus measure named CommunityBuilder which would inject a further $3.8 billion into the industry. The submission

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  • Winning ways

    I am often asked the question, “What does it take to be an award-winning office?” I think people expect the answer to be simple but if the answer were simple, nothing would separate the good from the great.  Cultivating an award winning team or being an award winning individual is about consistency and doing more than what’s expected. Sounds easy…

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  • Regional NSW vacancy rates drop

    The REINSW Vacancy Rate Survey results for July 2020 shows that overall vacancies in Sydney increased for the fifth straight month, while many regional areas have dropped. The total vacancy rate in Sydney sits at 5.0 per cent, up 0.5 per cent from June, and up 2.0 per cent since March. Surprisingly, while the rest of the state seems to…

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  • Award-winning agents launch Belle Property Double Bay

    Agents Peter Starr and Alain Waitsman are bringing their 60 years of combined experience to Belle Property, opening a new Double Bay office. “We are thrilled to welcome Peter and Alain to Belle Property as they are completely aligned with what our brand stands for and what it strives to achieve for its clients,” explained Peter Hanscomb, CEO of Belle…

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  • Vendors adjusting asking prices suggests a broader slowdown: Domain

    Almost 15 per cent of listings on the Sydney property market were reduced in price during July as vendors struggled to sell, according to a report from Domain. These figures have been reflected nationwide, with the larger capitals being much harder hit than smaller cities and regional areas. Sydney’s 14.7 per cent is down from a June high of 15.2…

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  • Brownlow Medallist ‘Aker’ joins Ray White Ascot

    Brownlow Medallist, and three-time AFL Premier Jason Akermanis has joined Ray White Ascot, in the role of sales agent and auctioneer. The former Brisbane Lions player enjoyed a stellar 248-game career, kicking 263 goals over the years. Now he is returning to the state that made him famous, but in an entirely different role. “Having a professional purpose, the ability…

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  • Alex Pearson: Work hard, stay humble

    What was your first job?Fresh out of ‘school’ I worked as a bricklayer’s labourer in the summer and spent my winters playing cricket in the UK. Working on the shovel all day certainly wasn’t enjoyable…

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  • Positivity always wins

    There’s no denying the COVID-19 pandemic has battered Australians around. It’s had a significant emotional and financial impact on our lives and businesses. But if you look closely, there are some important takeaways from this period of chaos that we can use to improve the way we do business going forward. A silver lining of sorts. PEOPLE CAN CHANGE AND…

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  • Wage growth slumps to new national low

    Wage growth is now at the lowest point on record, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reporting the national wage price index (WPI) increased by only 0.2 per cent in the June quarter, up 1.8 per cent over the past year. “After a steady period of wage growth over the previous 12 months, wages recorded the lowest annual growth…

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  • The Sydney suburbs with the most million-dollar mortgages

    A study of Sydney’s housing market has revealed that 20 per cent of homeowners across the city are currently facing mortgage debt of over $1 million. According to findings by Digital Finance Analytics (DFA), over 20,000 homeowners have mortgages in the millions, a figure higher than anywhere else in Australia. It is also a historical record. The research, based on…

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  • Australia starting to feel the HomeBuilder effect

    The last two months of data suggests that HomeBuilder has been successful in bolstering new builds and protecting jobs in the short term. And although HIA are cautious of over interpreting data from only two months, they believe these two months are “a clear indication that HomeBuilder will help protect jobs in the sector in the second half of 2020…

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  • Global commercial real estate investment takes a dive

    COVID-19, and all the associated economic and geographic headaches it brought to the world, has led to a major slump in commercial real estate investment volumes, which fell across all three global regions during the first half of 2020. Commercial real estate investment fell 29 per cent globally, to $321 billion in the first six months of 2020 compared to…

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  • Stage 4 building restrictions a ‘financial and emotional burden’ on Victorians: HIA

    COVID Stage 4 building restrictions a Burden on Victorian Families "Restrictions on building sites in Victoria that limit trades people to just three sites a week could leave thousands of average Victorians and their families…

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  • The leadership workout

    Real estate is a fast-paced, relationships-based industry, where you get to work your own hours and set the sky as the limit for growth and earning. Hard work is rewarded, competitive streaks are stroked, and tangible achievements make it an exciting, lucrative career for anyone who considers themselves a ‘people’ person. KEY CHALLENGESThe current coronavirus pandemic has created even more…

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  • Melbourne topples Sydney as largest CBD office market

    Three recent office completions have helped tip the scales, making Melbourne the largest CBD office market in the country. JLL Research notes that, with the completions of Victoria Police Centre, The Lendlease Two Melbourne Quarter, and Dexus 80 Collins Street, the Melbourne CBD now boasts 5,107,840sq m of office space, surpassing Sydney’s 5,024,240sq m. “The completion of these three projects…

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  • REIQ: Rental market facing “tightest conditions since GFC”

    Seventy per cent of Queensland’s rental market currently faces tight conditions, according to the latest quarterly rental vacancy rate report. Eighteen per cent of Queensland regions are experiencing less than 1 per cent vacancy at present, with areas like Maryborough (0.4 per cent), Mount Isa (0.5 per cent), Rockhampton (0.7 per cent), and Gympie (0.9 per cent) close to impossible…

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  • Queenstown rents take a hit as tourism dries up

    As average rent prices climb across New Zealand in spite of the pandemic, tourist town Queenstown has seen its rent prices plummet by 10 per cent since the same time last year. According to MBIE’s data, average rents for NZ rose by 4.8 per cent in the three months to June since the previous year. Surprisingly, rent prices in many…

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  • Buy a private QLD island for less than $400K

    If you’re the type to have your Desert Island Discs list ready and waiting in case the BBC call you up to appear on their show, then you’ve probably already considered the joys of living on a secluded island. For everyone else, Worthington Island is just a half hour boat trip from Gladstone Airport, just off the coast of the…

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  • Eview set their sights on the south-side of Sydney

    The Eview Group, has set their sights on the south-side of Sydney, launching an unapologetically sleek and fearless partnership.With almost four decades of combined real estate expertise, Danny Fox and Jed Wood are ready to inject leading industry innovation, as they commit to high-end, client-centric service through their savvy, bold brand, Fox & Wood. “It’s been nothing but pure delight,…

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  • Survey: Aussie property investors buy an average of 300km from home

    Gone are the days when property investors go and ‘kick the tyres’ themselves, so to speak. A new study by MCG Quantity Surveyors shows an abundance of Aussie-based property buyers are looking further afield for their investments, with 300km being the average distance between owners and their investment properties. Mike Mortlock, director of MCG Quantity Surveyors, analysed depreciation reports commissioned…

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  • Billion-dollar buildings may become stranded assets

    A new report released by the Australian and New Zealand Green Building Councils today warns that billions of dollars of industrial buildings face becoming ‘stranded assets’ if they cannot prove that are low or zero carbon. Green Star in focus: The case for sustainable industrial buildings finds Green Star certified buildings reduce emissions by two-thirds at a minimal 2 per cent…

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  • Chris Helder

    Five ways to shift your mindset when times are tough: Chris

    Life is complicated. In fact, it’s more complicated than ever with everything that society is going through with COVID-19, due to the lack of uncertainty of what life will look like coming out the other side. It is now more important than ever to think usefully. Here are five tips to help you do exactly that. 1. Positive thinking doesn’t…

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  • Report: REA Group resilient against ‘unprecedented market conditions’

    REA Group has announced its results for FY20, and considering the state of our economy, the figures are very pleasing.They report revenue of $820.3m, down only 6 per cent, with operating expenses of $328.2m, down…

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  • Westfield malls fall 10% in just six months

    Owner of the Westfield malls, Scentre Group, has seen the value of Australia’s largest shopping centre portfolio plummet in value by 10 per cent, over the past six months. The official report will be released on August 25, but they have stated the ‘expected fall’ was “principally due to the estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”. Scentre released figures last…

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  • What does Stage 4 lockdown mean for real estate?

    Barry Plant Group CEO, Mike McCarthy has issued a market update, hoping to clarify some of the confusion surrounding what the real estate industry can and cannot do. “The next six weeks will be an eternity for some and for others, it will be over before we know it. But we can do this, if we all stick together and…

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  • Shane Beaumont: Make passion your pay check

    What’s a special place in your local area?My aunty’s old deli, that she owned for more than 30 years. It was my first job stacking shelves and started at the age of about five. It certainly taught me hard work! Did you choose real estate or did real estate choose you?I came back from the UK, after spending some years…

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  • Five ways to get your cash flow back in shape

    Pre-pandemic seems such a long time ago. We had a set and stable economy, rules in play that we understood and had learned to abide by. In the space of a few short months we now have a new normal which has managed to turn what we have known on its head. Decimated bank accounts have been a big source…

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  • How to build a stress-free dream team

    In these unprecedented times, many employers are fighting harder than ever to remain profitable, and employee performance is one of the most influential drivers when it comes to business success. Employee well-being directly affects how employees think and feel about their job and their organisation, and research has consistently shown that it predicts job attitudes, execution, efficiency, energy levels, and…

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  • Family business takes leap of faith

    The coronavirus crisis has caused some to run for the hills, overwhelmed by what appears to be a risky time for new ventures. But the opposite is true for Queensland-based agents Lou Cooper and her daughter Ambre Perry who are set to shake up Buderim and its Sunshine Coast surrounds with their new agency, ‘Perry Cooper’. And what better way…

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