Cassandra Charlesworth
-
Industry News
Housing markets tell a stronger tale of resilience: PM Scott Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has responded to recent data that reveals a record slump in new home loans, noting the drop was not unexpected and the Australian property sector remains resilient. Speaking on the Australian Bureau of Statistics data which indicated new loan commitments for housing dropped 11.6 per cent in May, Mr Morrison said…
Read More » -
Industry News
New home loans slump to lowest number on record in May
As expected, new home loans have fallen sharply in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures indicating the value of new loan commitments for housing dropped 11.6 per cent in May. Noting this was the largest fall in the history of the series, ABS Chief Economist Bruce Hockman, said…
Read More » -
Real Estate Industry News
Victorian lockdowns do little to dampen buyer enthusiasm
Two additional postcodes have been added to the list of locked down suburbs in Victoria, with Kensington, Flemington, Hotham Hill and North Melbourne joining the restricted areas as of midnight Saturday. They add to a lengthy list of suburbs already subject to restrictions due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the Victorian capital. According…
Read More » -
Industry News
Preliminary clearance rate improves while fewer homes taken to auction
Preliminary clearance rate improves while fewer homes taken to auction As is traditionally the case, school holidays had a direct impact on auction volumes this week across the capitals, with a total of 1185 homes scheduled for auction compared to 1485 last week. While volumes were lower, the clearance rate trended higher, according to CoreLogic…
Read More » -
Brand Editorial
EBM RentCover stresses importance of following rent freeze process
EBM RentCover is stressing the importance of following the government’s rent freeze process after receiving an influx of inquiries from landlords relating to COVID-19. EBM RentCover Managing Director Sharon Fox-Slater explained while there hadn’t been a notable rise in insurance claims during the past couple months, there had been a significant uptick in inquiries from…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
30 minutes with Daniel Lee – Plum Property Brisbane
Only 10 seconds into a video depicting an Indooroopilly home, it’s hard not to break into outright laughter. On screen is Plum Property principal Daniel Lee looking for all intents and purposes like a dodgy used car salesman espousing the virtues of a true “renovator’s delight”. It’s irreverent, it’s downright amusing, and it’s nothing like…
Read More » -
Industry News
Seller confidence on the up as clearance rate holds steady
Seller confidence continues to improve with the capitals reporting the highest number of auctions in nine weeks on Saturday, along with volume and clearance that exceeded this time a year ago. CoreLogic reported 1424 homes went to auction at the weekend, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 64.5 per cent. “This was the highest number…
Read More » -
Real Estate Tech & Social
Real estate industry invited to contribute to PropTech future
The real estate industry is being invited to have its say on the future of PropTech after REACH Australia unveiled a group of Australasian PropTech providers who could revolutionise the sector both locally and overseas. Known collectively as the REACH Australia Class of 2020, the companies included in the cohort range from property management platforms…
Read More » -
Industry News
Clearance rate continues to climb on the back of higher volumes
Both auction volumes and the clearance rate lifted this week, with 1262 homes scheduled for auction in the capitals, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 66.1 per cent. CoreLogic reported this was up from the 63.3 per cent preliminary clearance rate returned last week across 1181 auctions, which later revised down to 59.3 per cent…
Read More » -
Productivity & Best Practice
Top tips for business success
After a rollercoaster couple of months, the real estate sector is now looking to get back to business as usual. But like it or not, the playing field has shifted markedly since the beginning of the year, and agencies large and small are being forced to re-evaluate, reconsider, and reposition. To assist, we’ve assembled some…
Read More » -
Feature Interviews
Laura Shooter of SJ Shooter Real Estate named Transform 2020 winner
SJ Real Estate Managing Director Laura Shooter has been named the winner of Elite Agent’s Transform challenge for 2020. Receiving the welcome news on Friday, Ms Shooter said was “very excited,” and “quite surprised” to take out the title over a field of 306 participants who completed this year’s 30-day virtual course. “I didn’t go…
Read More » -
Industry News
Preliminary auction clearance rate rises as volumes increase
The preliminary clearance rate lifted to 63.3 per cent this week as volumes also showed further signs of increasing. Across the capitals, CoreLogic reported 1164 properties were scheduled for auction; the busiest week for auctions since the week ending 19 April. Last week, there were 711 scheduled auctions with a preliminary clearance rate of 59.8…
Read More » -
Industry News
Auctions soften over long weekend
The long weekend delivered both a lower volume of auctions and a softer clearance rate as most states and territories kicked back to enjoy the Queen’s Birthday public holiday. This week, CoreLogic reported 694 capital city homes were scheduled for auction, with preliminary results returning a 59.8 per cent clearance rate. The previous week saw…
Read More » -
Industry News
Clearance rate and auction volumes continue to strengthen
Auction volumes have continued to strengthen this week as the capital city clearance rate remains a heartening 65.9 per cent. Although the volume is still tracking at just over half that recorded during the same time in 2019, this week 867 capital city homes were scheduled for auction. The previous week saw 612 homes scheduled…
Read More » -
Industry News
Clearance rate hits pre-Covid high as volumes continue to lift
The combined capital city clearance rate has rebounded to its highest level since early March, surpassing the 70 per cent mark as volumes also show signs of improving. This week, 613 auctions were scheduled across the capitals, marking an increase on previous weeks and returning a promising clearance rate of 70.9 per cent. CoreLogic notes…
Read More » -
Cover Stories
Creativity and innovation
A few years ago, second-generation real estate professional Suzannah Toop was lucky enough to enjoy a coffee with Google Australia Head of Engineering, Alan Noble. When she asked him about the role of real estate in the future, his response struck a chord. “He just looked at me, and I’ll never forget it,” Suzannah says.…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Clarity in a crisis – Realmark Whitfords
“We appreciated very early on that as a business we would be measured in the future by our response to Covid-19,” Paula and Jonathan Alsford – Realmark Whitfords When panic surrounding Covid-19 began to filter through the West Australian real estate market, Realmark Whitfords owners Paula and Jonathan Alsford made a conscious decision – communication…
Read More » -
Industry News
Clearance rate strengthens on the back of eased restrictions
Relaxed social distancing regulations are showing early signs of positively impacting the auction market, with Sydney this week bouncing back to a preliminary clearance rate of 73.4 per cent. The welcome bolster to Sydney’s results helped lift the capital city clearance above 60 per cent, but CoreLogic is urging caution when analysing the results, with…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
Clearance rate lifts as on-site auctions ready for return
As auctions prepare to welcome back the public on-site, the clearance rate has enjoyed a boost. CoreLogic notes this week’s preliminary clearance bounced back to 64.5 per cent, marking the first time it has exceeded 60 per cent since late March. Volumes on the other hand, remain subdued. The past weekend saw 473 auctions scheduled,…
Read More » -
Industry News
Auction volumes to remain low for foreseeable future
Auction volumes are likely to continue at a lower rate for the foreseeable future, according to CoreLogic, with just 590 properties scheduled for auction across the capitals this weekend resulting in a clearance rate of 59.6 per cent. Volumes were up slightly on the week prior when 413 homes were scheduled for auction and a…
Read More » -
Industry News
Property searches on the up: REA
Online property searches are proving a popular pandemic pastime according to realestate.com.au, with their latest data revealing both buy and rent searches have increased significantly on this time a year ago. According to their latest figures, search activity for properties to buy is up 5.3 per cent in the past week and is now 37…
Read More » -
Industry News
Auction activity slows for Anzac Day
A combination of Anzac Day commemorations and ongoing on-site auction restrictions saw just 431 properties go to auction across the capitals this week, with results only available for 223 of the properties as of Monday. CoreLogic results indicate volume was down on the 1,922 properties auctioned the previous week as the nation stopped to remember…
Read More » -
Industry News
RBA offers sobering outlook for Australian economy
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe has pulled few punches when it comes to the immediate future of the Australian economy, noting “over the first half of 2020 we are likely to experience the biggest contraction in national output and income that we have witnessed since the 1930s”. In a tough-love speech responding to…
Read More » -
Industry News
Property experts share COVID-19 market predictions
A group of property experts have shared their views on how COVID-19 will impact Australia’s property market, with most indicating the greatest effect will be felt within three to 12 months but many still believe by this time next year prices could be higher than they are at present. As part of a survey by…
Read More » -
Industry News
Higher auction volumes again weighed down by withdrawals
Scheduled auction volumes increased this week, almost trebling in numbers after the Easter weekend, but as seen in previous weeks the results were weighed down by withdrawals, with the clearance rate coming in at 39.1 per cent. Across the capitals 1848 properties were listed for auction compared to 634 the week prior, according to CoreLogic’s…
Read More » -
Elite Agent
REEF applies for industry award variation for commission-only salespeople
With COVID-19 likely to heavily impact commission-only agents, the Real Estate Employer’s Federation (REEF) has applied for a variation to the Industry Award in a bid to postpone next year’s annual Minimum Income Threshold Amount (MITA) reviews. REEF CEO Bryan Wilcox said the application to the Fair Work Commission was filed by REEF and the…
Read More » -
Industry News
Subdued Easter auction market
The Easter long weekend delivered subdued auction results, with just 636 homes slated for auction across the combined capitals, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 29.3 per cent. CoreLogic noted the clearance rate was again dragged down by withdrawn properties, with 57 per cent of listings pulled “as the auction market continues to face challenges…
Read More » -
Industry News
Jon Snead of The Agency: The value of unexpected kindness
As more and more COVID-19 social restrictions came into play, Jon Snead of The Agency Neutral Bay found himself increasingly preoccupied with ways he could help – not just as an agent but as a member of his community. Ultimately, he created ‘rescue packs’ comprising essential items for the vulnerable. Beautiful in its simplicity, it has gone viral as a…
Read More » -
Industry News
Clearance rate weighed down by withdrawn auctions
Over 3000 properties were slated to go under the hammer this weekend. But according to CoreLogic 45 per cent were withdrawn from sale and a further 84 per cent of auctions sold prior to the event, resulting in a preliminary clearance rate of 48 per cent.
Read More » -
Franchise News
Gower Buchanan of Ray White NZ – Never more relevant than now
In New Zealand, the response to Coronavirus ramped up quickly, with the country given just 48 hours to prepare for full lockdown. Wherever people stayed the night of March 25, they were told to remain. All but essential services shut down. All businesses except supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics and lifeline utilities closed their doors. Ray White…
Read More » -
Industry News
Safety, certainty and empathy: How real estate agents can help buyers and sellers during COVID-19
As part of our suite of tools for managing the business of real estate during COVID-19, Claudio Encina and Matt Lahood joined Sam McLean to share their insight into how agents can help buyers, sellers and their communities during COVID-19
Read More » -
Industry News
REIA president Adrian Kelly calls on stakeholders to step up over rent relief
As the real estate sector awaits a government announcement on rent relief, REIA president Adrian Kelly has issued an open letter to all stakeholders, urging them to step up and consider all sides of the equation. Addressing tenants, property owners, landlords, lobby groups, the industry and State Governments, Mr Kelly minced few words as he…
Read More » -
Industry News
JobKeeper payment announced to help business retain employees
The Federal Government has injected a further $130 billion into the economy through the establishment of a JobKeeper payment in a bid to keep businesses operating and their employees in work. Announced on Monday, the latest tranche of support funding is specifically targeted at keeping people employed and is designed to support an estimated 6…
Read More » -
Industry News
A six-month moratorium on rental evictions, but still no support for agents
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has formally announced a six-month moratorium on evictions for commercial and residential tenants. The announcement came late Sunday as cabinet continues to work on the release of a full rent relief package. Mr Morrison said the issue of commercial and residential tenants in distress had been further discussed at today’s national…
Read More » -
Industry News
High volumes, lower clearance as auctions go online
Auction volumes were high, but as expected, the preliminary clearance rate took a hit across the capitals this week, falling to 61.3 per cent amid continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. It wasn’t for lack of innovation, however as agents worked hard to adapt to a fast-changing environment. This week was the first to see all auctions…
Read More »
