Cassandra Charlesworth
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Feature Interviews
Property Management is where the heart is
A real estate professional of over 20 years, Lia Jagielka says her heart has always been in property management. “I don’t know anyone who aspires to be a property manager when they grow up – no-one says when I’m an adult I want to collect rent and conduct inspections,” she reflects. But when she landed…
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Business Leadership
You ain’t seen nothing yet: Ray White Norwood
In Adelaide’s affluent east, Ray White Norwood has quickly established a reputation as a growing agency that people want to sell with and agents want to work for. Talk to owners Sam Brincat and Jason Spagnuolo, and it soon becomes apparent this renown is no accident. It’s equally likely they’ve only just begun to make their mark. Early…
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Business Leadership
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…
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Real Estate Industry News
Stu Benson to spearhead Box+Dice national growth
Melbourne-based CRM software provider Box+Dice is preparing to go national with well-known auctioneer Stu Benson set to spearhead their push for growth. Box+Dice General Manager Ashley Blakey explained the business had established a clear market leadership in Victoria and was now looking to expand their market share on a national level. “At the moment our…
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Real Estate Tech & Social
The new frontier of auctioneering
David Scholes has carved out a hugely successful career as a real estate auctioneer. His former business AuctionWorks handles over 70% of commercial property auctions on the Australian Eastern Seaboard and David has personally called about 35,000 transactions. But he didn’t necessarily start with aspirations to be in real estate, nor in auctioneering. Instead, the…
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Elite Agent
Zig while others zag – Manos Findikakis
For years the industry has been hearing the agent is now more important than the brand. In 2015, Eview founder Manos Findikakis took that philosophy to a whole new level. Now he will share his recipe for success at the Business of Real Estate 2019. Eview Group founder and CEO Manos Findikakis readily admits when…
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Elite Agent
The Agency reports strong growth
Industry newcomer The Agency has notched up an impressive year of growth, with financial results indicating annual group revenue increased 86 per cent during the 2018/19 financial year to $31.3 million. It follows on from 75 per cent growth and 70 per cent growth during the prior two years. Across the board, The Agency figures…
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Business Leadership
The domino effect
Ask Maria Carlino about her goals for the years ahead and she’s crystal clear in her response. “Ten thousand-plus property managements is my goal for The Agency in the next three years, with a presence in every state,” she declares. That’s no small target for a brand that was founded less than two-and-a-half years ago.…
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Business Leadership
A whole lotta love: Scott Harman on leadership in a challenging market
Scott Harman isn’t afraid to knock on doors. His path to real estate began as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. He’s not fazed by picking up the phone either. Most of his 31-year career has been spent dealing with high-rise owners in the tough market that is the Gold Coast where many of his sales were…
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Elite Agent
Three steps to reinvigorate your PM department
When property management coach Cathie Crampton was tapped on the shoulder to assist Place real estate increase their rental division’s profitability and efficiency, it wasn’t a mission she took lightly. A growth specialist with 15 years’ experience in property management and coaching, she knew there would be personal investment involved. Her challenge involved steadying a…
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Elite Agent
Transformation through innovation a winner for Noosa agency
Twenty minutes from the hustle and bustle of Noosa’s Hastings Street, Cooroy is a quintessential Queensland country town with one foot firmly planted in the future. Here, the focus is a vibrant community navigating the transition from farming and timber industries to a thriving residential and rural area that is in demand for families, treechangers…
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Business Leadership
Make it then break it: John Percudani on meeting the agile challenge
Realmark might already be a hugely successful and highly-awarded agency, but Managing Director John Percudani is set to pull apart his business model then reassemble it piece by piece in a bid to improve the customer experience. When Realmark Managing Director John Percudani talks of ‘agile business’ and the ‘customer journey', he’s not just paying…
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Brand Editorial
Better buyer engagement: 30 minutes with DIAKRIT’s Dick Karlsson
We’ve heard it time and again, content is king of the digital realm. But in real estate, it’s not just any content that counts. In a slowing market, the buyer is in the driver’s seat, and they’re more educated, time-poor and expectant of service than at any time in the industry’s history. “It’s no secret…
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Elite Agent
The road less travelled
Mark Taylor has lived and breathed real estate his entire life. A third-generation agent, his family have been stalwarts of the industry since his grandfather first opened an agency in Sydney’s Inner West in 1926. Along the way, they have witnessed all the market highs and lows of the past century – The Great Depression,…
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Elite Agent
Clock’s tickin’ – Qld and SA in recovery as NSW continues its decline, according to Herron Todd White
The Sunshine Coast and Bathurst are among areas sitting at the top of the property clock, bucking a trend which sees most of New South Wales in a steady decline, while much of regional Queensland begins its recovery. These are the latest insights from independent valuation and advisory firm Herron Todd White who also had…
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Real Estate Industry News
Ray White Norwood steps in to avert a “grinding” halt
Most real estate agents will tell you about the value of getting involved in their local community. In South Australia, Ray White Norwood recently took that commitment to a whole new level when they stepped in to assist after a workplace accident saw their favourite café “grinding” to a halt. Ray White Norwood principals Jason…
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Elite Agent
Top 10 Takeaways from AREC 2019 – Day 1
Todd Duncan – High trust selling Takeaway 1: “When you create trust, have confidence, and connect emotionally, you have less pricing pressure and greater sales growth.” In a keynote speech on high-trust selling that covered everything from confidence to finding the right clients, US sales entrepreneur and real estate broker Todd Duncan noted trust was…
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AREC 2019
Top takeaways from AREC 2019 – Day 2
Barbara Corcoran – The common traits of great superstars Takeaway 1: “Real estate is an entirely fair business. The better you are, the more you are paid. You are not getting anything you don’t deserve.” Day 2 of AREC kicked off with a lively satellite presentation from New York real estate queen Barbara Corcoran, who…
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Elite Agent
Thriving in the face of challenge: Ruma Mundi
A couple of months ago Ruma Mundi finally drew a line under what by anyone’s measure had been a stressful year. Personal circumstances and a series of business events had required the talented salesperson to draw on every ounce of resilience and tenacity she had. At her darkest moments Ruma admits she even pondered the…
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Elite Agent
Cindy Kennedy – A flair for real estate
For many, finding a body in a bathtub in your first week in real estate might just be enough to put you off a career in the industry for good. But for McGrath partner and Sydney Inner West sales agent Cindy Kennedy it taught her there’s always more to the story when it comes to…
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Elite Agent
Finding her confidence: Kylie Charlton
In Sandringham, Victoria, Hodges Real Estate director and sales agent Kylie Charlton has carved out a successful 28-year career based on the simple philosophy of placing herself in her client’s shoes. Now, she’ll share an insight into the lessons learned along the way at AREC 2019. Kylie Charlton freely admits she knew “absolutely nothing” about…
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Cover Stories
World-class service: Lisa Totaro
When Lisa Totaro first started in real estate fresh out of high school, she knew sales was the place she wanted to be. Now, just eight years after becoming an agent, Lisa is at the top of her game. Last year she was the only female to rank amongst SQM’s top 10 agents Australia-wide. This…
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Elite Agent
Mindset, marketing and knowledge the key to Steve Koerber’s success
In 2018, Ray White Remuera’s Steve Koerber reached a career milestone, clocking up a GCI of more than $2 million and ranking 7th internationally in the Ray White Group. It is a success that Steve attributes to a shift in thinking, pure hard work, and an unfailing passion for what he does. Now he’ll share…
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EPM
In too deep: How to manage property through natural disaster
Cassandra Charlesworth spoke to principals in Townsville and the Whitsundays to find out what that experience is like, and to understand the most effective strategies they implemented when dealing with these defining moments. Townsville Flooding: Ben Kingsberry, Harcourts As the rain continued to fall in Townsville on 31 January, Harcourts Kingsberry Principal Ben Kingsberry knew…
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EPM
‘Taylor-made’ service
Overlooking the azure blue of the Coral Sea and encompassing residential, rural and island communities, the Whitsundays is one of those laid-back lifestyle destinations where time tends to march at its own pace. Here the property market ebbs and flows in step with tourism highs and lows, construction ups and downs, and the on-again, off-again…
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Elite Agent
Real estate’s finest ready for the Ride to Provide
The challenge will see these real estate professionals cycle 500km across the rural countryside of Thailand, raising funds for Hands Across the Water. We caught up with just a few of the many agents taking part... What do you do in real estate when you hit the target you’ve been aiming for? You make the…
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Industry News
Online auction sees the industry’s finest coaching talent up for bids
Never one to shy away from a challenge, REA Director of Industry Relations and Digital Live founder Steve Carroll has upped the ante in his efforts to raise funds for disadvantaged children, with his eye now firmly fixed on a $100,000 fundraising target that will go to the charity Hands Across the Water. Last year,…
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Business Leadership
What are your agents worth? Andrew Acton
In 2017, the Macquarie Residential Real Estate Benchmarking Report found the national average commission had slid from 2.6 per cent in 2009 to 2.18 per cent in 2016. Meanwhile, agencies were ‘looking to get more value from their investment in salespeople’. How can I help you? As a second-generation real estate agent who has experience…
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Business Leadership
On her own terms: Michelle Kerr
From her newly opened agency in Nedlands, WA, Michelle Kerr says she never expected to become a real estate agent. Rather, it was a career she fell into that ultimately saw her thrive. “I had a long history of property development and renovations,” Michelle explains. “I enjoyed 15 years of buying and selling, and saw…
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Cover Stories
Welcome to California: Glen Coutinho
Glen Coutinho recently sat down and penned a quick letter. It was a short note to his first ever client in real estate, thanking him for his support. “I hope you’re enjoying your home,” he wrote. “Just letting you know I’ve been in real estate for 30 years now, but I wanted to remind you…
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Elite Agent
Smart screens that can double up as splashbacks: the latest tech release from CES
This year’s CES was the biggest and brightest in the event’s history, with 180,000 people in attendance as 4,500 exhibitors showcased their wares. Among those leading the charge were innovators in the smart home, with a range of new gadgets and new technology set to hit the market this year. So what are the major…
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Real Estate Tech & Social
Conquering the digital frontier: Mary Meeker
Each year venture capitalist and former Wall Street analyst Mary Meeker trawls the deepest, darkest depths of internet data to examine the state of play. The result is her seminal Internet Trends Report, and it informs the decision-making of small and big business alike. This year Meeker’s insight confirms a series of big-ticket trends that…
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Real Estate Tech & Social
UK’s Goodlord platform seeks to streamline the rental process
A UK company is working to simplify the rental process, digitising everything from document signing to tenancy history checks with the aim to better cater to "Generation Rent". Goodlord was founded in 2014 in a bid to make renting as efficient as making a purchase online or ordering a takeaway. Its services include automatic contract…
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Real Estate Tech & Social
Google and iRobot team up to improve the smart home
In a match made in tech heaven, Google and iRobot have teamed up in a bid to better map and improve the usability of the smart home. The venture sees iRobot’s latest Roomba i7 robotic vacuum cleaner gather spatial information as it goes about cleaning the home. Ultimately Google and iRobot hope gathering the data…
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Brand Editorial
How Dexar Group are capitalising on AI
On 10 August this year, Dexar Group unveiled its first sales project involving artificial intelligence. Launched at The Grounds development in Canberra, the initiative saw a virtual assistant employed to handle initial sales queries and assist in providing real-time information. Within two hours of the site’s launch, the team had its first sales lead. By…
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