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Real Estate News
Inner Sydney vacancies hit 18-year high, as uncertainty continues to impact residential rental market
The REINSW Vacancy Rate Survey results for May 2020 reveal that vacancies continue to rise across much of New South Wales as Covid-19 disruption continues to impact the residential rental market. Vacancies in Sydney increased for the third consecutive month and now sit at 4.1 per cent, up 0.3 per cent from April and 1.1 per cent from March. “Sydney’s…
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Real Estate News
Westpac Group cuts new customer rates in a bid to boost its home loan book
Australia’s second largest bank, Westpac, has cut its basic variable rate to 2.69 per cent, but the offer is solely reserved for new customers with a deposit of more than 30 per cent. Westpac’s new rate is now the lowest variable home loan offered by a big four bank. Westpac Flexi First Option Home Loan changes: Note: above rates are…
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Real Estate News
Ray White Gladstone celebrates 40 years
Ray White Gladstone is celebrating 40 years in the business after being opened by brothers Bruce and Edgar Allen on May 27, 1980. Taken over by Bruce Allen’s son Andrew Allen and co-director John Fieldus in 2008, much like the Ray White Group, the business has stayed in the family since its beginning. Andrew Allen notes it brings him and…
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FRANCHISE NEWS
@realty to offer agents full commission
@realty has this week unveiled a new earning scheme for agents, who will have the ability to move from @realty’s standard 93 per cent commission to 100 per cent. Under the new scheme, once agents have paid $20,000 in service fees through their standard commission, they will be eligible to retain 100 per cent of commission earned on any further…
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Real Estate News
Building bonus fails to address the big impediments to job creation: REIWA
REIWA has expressed disappointment that the Federal and State Government’s building bonus schemes failed to address the biggest impediment to job creation and hurts those who can afford it least. REIWA President Damian Collins said the Institute understands that HomeBuilder and the WA Building Bonus Scheme are aimed at providing short-term jobs at a crucial time, however both the Federal…
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Real Estate News
Will Ainsworth joins Openn Negotiation
Online selling platform Openn Negotiation has appointed Will Ainsworth, former Principal of McGrath Geelong, as Head of Growth & Training for Australia and New Zealand. Mr Ainsworth was the top selling agent for the McGrath network in Victoria for the last three years, maintaining an impressive record of more than 90 per cent clearance rate and selling more than 100…
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National
REIA welcomes Federal Government Housing Stimulus package
The Real Estate Institute of Australia has welcomed the Government’s announcement of the ‘HomeBuilder’ package to support the residential building sector by providing assistance to owner occupiers to build new homes and renovate existing ones. “The REIA believes that the Federal Government’s announcement of the HomeBuilder scheme today will be a massive boost to the employment of home builders and their tradesmen…
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Real Estate News
Realtor.com names Rachel Morley as Chief Product Officer
Real estate technology platform Realtor.com has promoted Rachel Morley to Chief Product Officer, where she will lead product strategy for the company. For more than two decades, Ms Morley has helped companies conceive, create and evolve products and technology practices that help organisations and their customers succeed. David Doctorow, CEO of Move, Inc, operator of realtor.com, said Ms Morley is passionate about…
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Real Estate News
realestate.com.au introduces buyer demand index
REA Group has launched a new residential buyer demand index, to help consumers understand the ebbs and flows of the market, including when to buy and sell. REA Insights Weekly Demand Index is part of the group’s dedicated data and insights function, and showcases the deep and unique insights potential buyers can expect on the property market. The launch comes as…
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Real Estate News
New home builds to hit GDP in coming months
New home building activity is expected to weigh further on Australia’s GDP growth in the second half of 2020 after already detracting from GDP for the last 18 months prior to COVID-19. Housing Industry Association Chief Economist Tim Reardon said following this week’s negative GDP result for the March quarter – and the expected negative result for the June quarter…
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Real Estate News
Perth rental stock dropping rapidly
Perth’s rental stock has been quickly absorbed, with listings falling by 17 per cent in May to 4,676 – the lowest they have been since November 2013. REIWA President Damian Collins said despite speculation about a potential challenging real estate market, according to the May reiwa.com data overall it is doing quite well. “The strong demand we have seen for…
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Real Estate News
How working from home has impacted property professionals
Working from home during the pandemic was an easy adjustment for most property professionals, with many saying they were more productive away from the office and felt empowered by the opportunity, a new survey revealed. Real estate software solutions company MRI Software conducted a survey of 721 residential, commercial and strata industry professionals in April to understand how working from…
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Real Estate News
realestate.com.au sets new audience record
11.2 million people visited realestate.com.au in April setting a new audience record for REA Group, underpinned by a strong increase in buyer activity across the site. The result was up 55 per cent year-on-year, and backed up a total of 109 million visits (up 37 per cent), an increase of 37 per cent in traffic to the site’s buy section,…
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Real Estate News
NZ property market losing steam, but full picture still unclear
Property values in New Zealand are losing momentum on the back of the pandemic, but according to the just-released May 2020 QV House Price Index it’s still too early to get a full picture of housing market performance. The HPI showed the number of residential property sales across New Zealand was extremely low through April and May, and the monthly…
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Real Estate News
Michael Davoren steps aside
In a strategic move announced publicly today, RE/MAX Australia Managing Director Michael Davoren will take up the role of Chairman on the RE/MAX Australia Board, while Joel Davoren will assume the position of Managing Director. Under the changed leadership structure, which comes into effect from 1 July, Chris Chapman will retain the Finance Directorship and Josh Davoren will become Director of…
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Real Estate News
Sylvester Stallone’s stunning California mansion
Sylvester Stallone has recently put his stunning Californian mansion on the market for US$3.35 million. According to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, Stallone will retain bi-coastal residences in Los Angeles and Coconut Grove in Miami, but recently listed his golf club home in La Quinta, California. La Quinta, in suburban Los Angeles, is famous for its abundance of golf courses and is also where Frank…
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Real Estate News
Two-thirds of experts predict end of stamp duty by 2021
The majority of experts agree that stamp duty could soon be on its way out as the government grapples with the post-COVID economy, according to comparison site Finder. In this month’s Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey, 43 experts and economists weighed in on future cash rate moves and other issues related to the state of the Australian economy. While all 43 experts…
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Real Estate News
@Realty launches OASIS platform for boutique agencies and sole operators
Coronavirus has accelerated the release of @realty’s new OASIS structure – an agency platform which could be a financial lifeline for smaller agencies and independents struggling in the current environment. OASIS – which stands for Online Agency Support and Integrated Systems -allows boutique real estate agencies and sole operators to access @realty’s national database and administrative services, while still operating…
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Real Estate News
Caution for building stimulus package
The Real Estate Institute of Australia has expressed caution over the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Treasurer and the Minister for Housing are working on a plan to support the residential building sector. “New home building at record levels has been a crucial support to economic growth over the previous three years,” REIA President Adrian Kelly said. “It stands to…
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Real Estate News
Rent.com.au reports renters returning to market
There is increasing optimism in the rental market as the threat of coronavirus eases and restrictions are lifted, with early indications many renters are considering new moves in the coming months. In its trading update this week, Rent.com.au said its Renter Resume – which allows renters to upload a profile online – was starting to pick up after a slump…
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Real Estate News
First Home Loan Deposit Scheme fully booked – but beware the hidden cost
The Australian Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme has been fully reserved, but experts warn that borrowing on a five per cent deposit is now riskier than ever. New figures on the scheme show 5,500 guarantees have already been used to purchase properties, with a further 4,500 still in the process of finding their first home. For those who missed…
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Real Estate News
Real estate professionals urged to join online sleepout
Real estate executives are invited to register for the first-ever online Vinnies CEO Sleepout, joining hundreds of high-profile Australians to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In response to COVID-19, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout will be live-streamed online at ceosleepout.org.au/live2020 in an interactive broadcast hosted by television personality Dr Andrew Rochford. Instead of sleeping out in major cities…
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Real Estate News
Buyers win online auction while camping
A Broome property has sold entirely online to buyers who were 934kms away, camping at Karijini National Park. Using the digital sales process Openn Negotiation, Lana Ziverts of First National Real Estate Broome facilitated the sale remotely while her sellers watched on from the other side of the country. The property, which is located at 44 Planigale Loop, Djugun, sold…
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Real Estate News
‘Covid-safe’ Darwin attracts plenty of interstate investor interest
Property values in Darwin have proven resilient over the last three months compared to other capital city markets, with Raine & Horne suggesting several factors have contributed to the result.  “It is very encouraging Darwin’s property values are up nearly 2.5% over the last quarter,” Darwin Raine & Horne General Manager, Glenn Grantham said. “But realistically, the only way…
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Real Estate News
Luxury sales confirm confidence in Sydney’s property market
The Agency’s Sydney operation has shrugged off forecasts of an imminent housing slump, turning over three $10 million-plus sales in the past seven days. The recent transactions occurred on the Lower North Shore, Inner West and Inner East of Sydney and come off the back of a further three $10 million-plus sales transacted across the last seven days of last…
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Elite Agent
McGrath’s new focus on project marketing post Covid-19
McGrath has announced it will bolster its project marketing division, McGrath Projects, after securing highly respected industry specialists, Colin Griffin and Murray Wood, who will join as Associate Directors. Announcing the appointments, McGrath CEO Geoff Lucas said he believed the time was right to focus on the re-emergence of the off-plan development sector post COVID-19 and saw excellent opportunities for…
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Real Estate News
REIWA hopeful stamp duty on the WA election agenda
The REIWA has welcomed the West Australian Liberal Party’s commitment to a state tax reform, in the hope the removal of stamp duty may be on their agenda. REIWA President Damian Collins said stamp duty is the single biggest hurdle for prospective home owners and a reform is urgently needed to help recover from the impacts of Covid-19. reiwa.com data…
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Real Estate News
What lies ahead for the 2020 property market
Despite the massive impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the economy worldwide, Australian property analysts say there are still reasons to be optimistic about the industry in 2020. According to CoreLogic‘s March Quarter Property Market & Economic Review, released this week, historically property values have remained relatively insulated in times of negative economic shock, but transaction numbers will likely…
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Real Estate News
Doomsday housing price forecasts highly questionable
Forecasts of housing price drops of as much as 30 per cent are highly questionable and cannot be relied upon with any degree of confidence, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia. REIA President Adrian Kelly said anyone who suggests they can forecast the future of the property industry “with any acceptable degree of probability” during this unprecedented time…
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Real Estate News
Victorian real estate weathers coronavirus storm
Victoria’s property market seems to be holding its ground well during the COVID-19 pandemic according to the latest REIV Residential Market Index (RMX) figures. The RMX is a residential property price index (RPPI) designed to provide an up-to-date and simple insight into real property price trends in Victoria. An RPPI measures the price change of the stock of residential dwellings…
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Real Estate News
Home loan cash backs heat up, but are they worth it?
More than a dozen lenders are offering cash incentives for home owners willing to move their business to a new lender, with Suncorp Bank, Reduce Home Loans and 86 400 the latest to put cash offers on the table. Suncorp Bank is now offering up to $3,000 to refinancers, plus an additional $1,000 for people working in essential services roles, such as doctors, nurses, teachers and police…
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Elite Agent
New home building to suffer in wake of COVID-19
New home building is forecast to fall by almost 50 per cent, putting half a million jobs at risk over the next year. According to HIA, the industry engaged more than one million people to commence building almost 200,000 new homes in 2018/19. But Managing Director Graham Wolfe said next year they expect to start just 112,000 new homes leaving…
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Real Estate News
Prestigious real estate team joins The Agency’s Wollongong operation
The Wollongong property market is set for a shake-up, with industry veteran and highly respected Wollongong resident Sean O’Connor joining The Agency in the key regional market. Mr O’Connor – who is consistently ranked in the top 10 agents within his former real estate network and is considered a platinum level agent – brings his team along with him to…
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Real Estate News
Crown Group breaks record selling three penthouses and $63M worth of apartments
Leading Australian property developer Crown Group has sold $63 million worth of luxury apartments and broken its own record by selling three penthouses in three months, despite government restrictions on visitors to display suites and open homes. Crown Group Director of Sales Prisca Edwards said now that restrictions have been lifted at its Mastery and Waterfall by Crown Group display suites…
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Real Estate News
Safe Work Australia updates guidelines for return to work
With many people beginning to return to work in big office buildings, Safe Work Australia (SWA) has released new guidelines on the ‘COVIDSafe’ use of lifts. The guideline was updated overnight to say: “there is no requirement to provide 4 square metres of space per person in lifts, however you must still ensure, as far as you reasonably can, that…
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