Elite Agent

  • Weekend Auction Wrap: Positive signs for the market in 2020

    It was a huge weekend of auctions across the country with Sydney again leading all comers, as buyers are continuing to make aggressive moves in a bid to get deals done by Christmas. Sydney’s preliminary auction clearance rate came in at 82.3%, which was up sharply on up on last week’s final clearance rate of…

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  • Elite Agent The News Source for Real Estate Professionals

    RISE2020 – A conference with a conscience

    A stellar line-up of some of real estate’s top performers will gather in Melbourne next April to put their weight behind a new initiative to support good mental health.  RISE2020 is more than just a real estate conference. It’s a conference with a conscience. Proceeds from the event will go towards seed funding for a mental health resource for the…

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  • Five tips for renovations and flipping over Christmas

    Flipping and renovating in Australia can be an effective way to generate wealth, especially if it’s done strategically. In fact in 2016, Roy Morgan’s research showed that over 8.4 million Australians worked on a home improvement project, and this number is continually growing. I’ve often argued that the Christmas season is the best time to get flipping and this year…

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  • Accepting responsibility

    A famous Winston Churchill quote says you must never waste a good crisis. For many, the past 12 months in real estate terms have been a crisis. Much of the pressure may have been successfully navigated post-election, but have agents learnt from the situation, or will they face similar malaise when another crisis hits? And it will hit. Over the…

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  • Conquering digital mastery in real estate – and educating disadvantaged kids at the same time

    It’s no secret that the digital world can be confusing, competitive and relied on methods of leads and visibility can change in a heartbeat. In an ever-changing market driven by digital, it’s more important than ever that the real estate industry masters digital media.  And with big players of the industry changing the interaction between consumers and agents, agencies need…

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  • We’re more connected than ever, but are we better off?

    Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. It’s a saying my team has heard me say more times than they can count. The people we spend the most time with shape who we are. They affect our way of thinking, our self esteem and our decisions. While we may think…

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  • Property at forefront of NSW trillion-dollar future

    The Property Council of Australia has backed the NSW 2040 Economic Blueprint released this week, which says creating liveable and connected cities is a key aspiration for the state. The landmark NSW 2040 Economic Blueprint: Investing in the State’s Future presents a 20-year economic vision for the state, predicting New South Wales will be the first trillion-dollar economy in Australia.…

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  • 6 tips for property managers to thrive in the customer experience economy

    The CX economy is already here. Let’s begin by stating the obvious: the property management industry is in flux right now. Owners have more options than ever and expect more value from property management services as a result. Agencies can no longer compete realistically on price, with margins already wafer-thin across the industry. Add difficult market conditions and marketplace disruption,…

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  • Elite Agent The News Source for Real Estate Professionals

    Cost of insurance for real estate agents drops

    SME retailers and professionals, including real estate agents, have seen price reductions on their Public Liability insurance. The news comes despite inflation and despite the fact prices have remained steady across other products and occupations. In the last quarter, the annual inflation rate in Australia rose to 1.6 percent, with food inflation at its highest in five years and transport…

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  • Knight Frank’s top predictions for commercial real estate in 2020 and beyond

    The Australian commercial real estate market will see further growth in capital values and strong returns, as the impact of lower interest rates flows through and creates the conditions for yield compression, according to the latest research from Knight Frank. Ben Burston, Knight Frank's Chief Economist said "The Australian economy should gradually regain momentum in 2020…

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  • It can be hard to know where to cut costs

    Jo-Anne Oliveri: Win the cost war

    When it comes to your property management business, there are good costs and bad costs. Good costs provide a return on investment (ROI), while bad costs negatively impact your profitability. Here are some of the most common costs and why they are good or bad expenses. GOOD COSTS TRAINING Training is a good cost and a good investment. Effective training…

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  • It’s not about you: Four tips for confident presenting in front of an audience

    There’s no single thing or magic formula that is a panacea for a lack of confidence when presenting. There are no short cuts, however, I would say that people who lack confidence should consider a change of approach. Begin by writing a slogan in big letters: It’s not about me, it’s all about my audience! And then try the following…

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  • Weekend Auction Wrap: Sydney and Melbourne buyers getting aggressive

    It was another busy weekend for auctioneers across the country, with the 2,571 homes taken to auction making it the second busiest weekend of the year. Melbourne saw another strong result this weekend with 77 per cent of homes selling based on preliminary clearance data from CoreLogic., while Sydney was also strong coming in at 77.2 per cent. While volumes…

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  • Steve Carroll: Reinventing and reimagining your capabilities

    Originally from England, it was Steve Carroll’s lifetime ambition to move with his family to Australia and work in the media industry. At the time, Steve held a position in Europe’s largest media company, EMAP, based in London. Eventually, an opportunity came up in their Sydney office – and when opportunity knocks, Steve answers. He was confident that if he…

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  • The highlight reel from Street MBA Brisbane

    Great weather, great food and great company: Street MBA headed to Brisbane in October and it was nothing short of amazing.  We visited some of the best in the business: Coronis, Image Property and Place, and the tour highlighted how three very different businesses share common goals and core beliefs.   Our largest tour yet made for great company, comprising of…

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  • Elite Agent The News Source for Real Estate Professionals

    Five Australian cities among world’s best for luxury residential price growth

    Five Australian cities have ranked in the top 30 cities around the world for luxury residential price growth, according to the latest global research from Knight Frank. The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index – Q3 2019, which tracks the movement in prime residential prices across 45 cities worldwide, revealed Sydney was ranked 17 for luxury price growth, followed by Melbourne…

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  • The do’s and don’ts of landlord insurance

    When you are in a highly-regulated industry such as real estate, things can change quickly and get complicated. Throw in the complexities of insurance, and we wouldn’t blame you if you started pulling your hair out. START AT THE BEGINNINGTo keep your locks intact, it is a good idea to know your rights and responsibilities as a property manager and…

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  • Holly Komorowski – growth and gratitude

    What’s your most memorable moment/career highlight for 2019?It is difficult to identify just one moment or highlight. The year has been full of affirmations and amazing experiences. I am most proud of the culture that is home.byholly. I believe culture stems from the top and I foster culture leading by example. I embrace my team members as my equals and…

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  • 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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  • Cathy Baker – Building relationships over counting transactions

    What’s your most memorable moment/career highlight for 2019?My most memorable highlight from 2019 was being offered the Belle Property Franchise and Belle Property Escapes Franchise for the entire Central Coast Region. This, coupled with getting to spend a week on Necker Island with Richard Branson at a leadership conference, changed my life. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt this year?The…

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  • Sally Cameron- Changing with the market conditions

    What’s your most memorable moment/highlight for 2019?I have had some very memorable sales this year, but the most noteable is when I was showing a Singapore-based family through a beautiful home in College Park at 7.30 am on a Sunday. The family left, and as they drove off the next-door neighbours backed out of their drive to go to their…

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  • Weekend Auction Wrap: Sydney’s second busiest weekend of the year

    Once again, Sydney was the market leader for auction results over the weekend, coming in with a preliminary clearance rate of 81 per cent. According to the latest data from CoreLogic, Sydney had 931 homes taken to auction making it the second busiest weekend of the year. In Melbourne, however, there was also a surge in volumes, but the clearance…

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  • Whose goal is it anyway?

    What do dresses, my parenting skills and real estate have in common? You’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you – goal setting. More to the point, collaborative goal setting and the ability to know when to take over and when to co-operate. I came to the sudden realisation recently that collaborative goal setting may not be as simple and automatic…

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  • Together with technology

    One day, in the not too distant future, instead of booking a photographer you might find yourself launching a flying drone into a property. It will scan the house in a few minutes and allow you to upload three 3D portal images directly to realestate.com.au. Maybe it won’t be you who does the launching. Maybe you’ll post the drone to…

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  • Jeremy Wilkinson- More than successful sales

    What's your most memorable moment/highlight for 2019?I know it’s not about the dollars, but for 10 years my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) was to crack $1 million GCI. I went over this by $250. What's the biggest thing you've learnt this year?On the back it not all being about the money, it’s really important…

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  • Design-23

    Well, well: the rise of ‘wellness homes’

    With so many threats to our health and well being posed by the changing environment and pollution, fresh air and clean water are no less than a luxury today. People are looking for new ways to ensure that the air they breathe and the food they consume is pure and while simultaneously trying to reduce…

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  • Betty Ockerlander – systems and sales

    What’s your most memorable moment/highlight for 2019? I think my career highlight for this year was winning the REINSW Sales Agent of The Year. I was humbled to receive it, especially as I was up against such tough competition. I was lucky to have my team with me too, which felt amazing. They play a big part in what I do.…

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  • fatigue

    How to beat real estate fatigue: Joel Davoren

    Career fatigue is not often talked about openly in our industry. But career fatigue is real. As agents, we tend to be conditioned to accept tough outcomes, rejection and negativity, and react by getting on with things.

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  • How to stay productive in the lead up to the silly season

    Q: It’s almost the end of the year and I am feeling overwhelmed. I don’t know where the year has gone. Help! Ain a society where consistent connection into the matrix has become the new normal, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. As we head towards the end of the year, it is wise…

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  • Blood, Sweat and No Tears

    Debt collection and resolving disputes in court are not usually at the top of employees’ most-loved work tasks. But Simone Firns is different. The Network Pacific Owners Corporation Manager loves the jobs others despise. “The legal component of my role is one of my favourites,” she enthuses with genuine passion. “I like doing debt collection and I like going to…

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  • Weekly Auction Wrap: Lower volumes but strong sales

    There was a lower number of homes going to auction over the weekend, thanks to the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. But that didn’t stop Sydney and the rest of the country from putting in another solid performance. The auction clearance rate in Sydney remained at a very upbeat 79.4 per cent, while Melbourne dipped to 73.3 per cent on…

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  • Finding your inner futurist

    I’ll never forget the moment the managing partner of the mid-tier accounting firm I was working for looked up at me standing in his doorway for our scheduled 4 pm meeting. He peered over the top of his reading glasses and beckoned me forward. I felt like Melanie Griffith’s character in Working Girl, suffering a major case of imposter syndrome…

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  • Gen Z and home-ownership: How might the future look

    The real estate industry needs to take notice of the rising trend of Generation Z turning into homebuyers while they are still in their 20s. An idea which would be unthinkable of 5 years back is gaining prominence, as Generation Z steadily starts flitting towards the real estate market.  At this point of time, the…

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  • Starr Partners opens office in Sydney’s North West

    As Sydney's Hills District continues to grow with the development of major residential and commercial precincts, Australia's leading boutique real estate group, Starr Partners, opened a new office in North Kellyville on the weekend. The Starr Partners office, located at 13/21 Hezlett Road, North Kellyville, was opened by Raj Bhandari, who previously managed the Starr Partners' Fairfield…

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  • 10 ways to future proof your real estate business

    IT CAN BE HARD TO KNOW where to start when implementing technological changes in your business. Futurist Gihan Perera has done the head-scratching for you and explains what to do now to remain relevant for tomorrow’s consumer. Australia is perfectly positioned for growth in this “Asian Century”, and Australian real estate will be highly-sought and…

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