News Room

If you have any news for the Real Estate industry - whether you are a professional or a supplier to the industry, please email us: newsroom@eliteagent.com
  • Real Estate News

    Sunshine brings higher auction prices: UTS

    “There is a link between sentiment, or mood, as measured by consumer sentiment surveys, and asset prices – including house prices,” says Dr Adrian Lee, Senior Lecturer in Finance at UTS Business School. “Weather is known to affect mood, and some studies have shown a link between the weather and stock prices, so we decided to look at weather and house…

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  • Real Estate News

    Ray White Group completes major “mobile first” upgrade to One System network

    Ray White chief technology officer Matt Gay said the new platform, developed in-house by a dedicated team, was rolled out gradually as the design was tested and refined in direct partnership with leading franchisees. “This is the kind of project that can only be successfully executed by an internal team, where we can take the time required to experiment and…

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  • Brand Editorial

    VitrineMedia LED screens transform business of inaugural ‘Pimp my Shopfront’ winner

    He’s referring, of course, to the VitrineMedia Backlit LED screens that have given the shopfront of his once dour premises on the town’s main street a vibrant facelift, increased traffic to the windows and contributed to a noticeable rise in sales since First National Gerringong won the inaugural ‘Pimp my Shopfront’ competition in late 2016 and as its prize, received…

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  • Real Estate News

    Don Ha delivers RE/MAX Revolution

    The highly-acclaimed businessman and real estate identity, Don Ha, has embraced the global real estate giant, RE/MAX, and rebrands Don Ha Real Estate launching RE/MAX Revolution. Mr Ha will open the RE/MAX Revolution ‘super office’ in Hunter’s Corner, Papatoetoe on the 1st of January 2018. The existing Don Ha Manukau office will merge into the RE/MAX Revolution super office at…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    The worst is over for Perth property market: REIWA

    REIWA President Hayden Groves says conditions in the September quarter had mirrored those experienced in the June quarter, which indicated the Perth property market may have finally found its floor. “We’ve observed six months of stable conditions, with both the June and September quarters posting consistent results. Historically, before a market improves there is a sustained period of level stock,…

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  • Scaling down: two-bedroom homes are Melbourne’s top performers

    The latest REIV figures show the citywide median price for a two-bedroom house increased 17.1 per cent over the year to September to $891,500 – $130,000 more than the same period last year. This was higher than the metropolitan Melbourne median price for any other property type, including four-bedroom homes at $831,000. REIV President Richard Simpson said growth for two-bedroom…

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  • Real Estate News

    Australian commercial property market notches up FY gains; Raine & Horne

    Raine & Horne Commercial have announced the launch of their latest edition of Commercial Insights, a comprehensive look at how commercial property markets are faring across the nation. Commercial Insights describes the three main factors driving commercial property: low interest rates, infrastructure projects, and a tightening supply of commercial assets. Low commercial lending rates Angus Raine, Executive Chairman of Raine…

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  • FRANCHISE NEWS

    Century 21 Eastern Suburbs Offices unite in a pink cause

    Century 21 offices in Sydney’s eastern suburbs will be holding a super auction night on the 8th November at Clovelly Surf Club, with a donation from all properties sold on the night to be contributed to the Cancer Council’s Pink Ribbon campaign. For the first time ever, the Maroubra, Bondi Junction, Randwick and Rose Bay offices are joining forces to…

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  • Real Estate News

    Auction volumes normalise after last week’s lofty highs with a softening clearance rate

    National auction clearance results for the week ending 05/11/2017 courtesy of CoreLogic There were a total of 2,019 auctions held returning a preliminary auction clearance rate of 66.8 percent, increasing on last week’s final clearance rate of 64.5 percent. Over the corresponding week last year, 73.6 percent of the 2,517 auction held were successful. Melbourne saw the most notable decrease in volumes;…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Dwelling approvals rise by 1.8 per cent in September

    Shane Garrett, HIA Senior Economist, said the figures are a positive indication, especially when considered in context of the whole quarter. “During the September 2017 quarter overall, total approvals for new dwellings were up by 5.1 per cent. This was driven by an expansion of 7.6 per cent in multi-unit projects,” Mr Garrett said. “Activity on the apartment side of…

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  • Real Estate News

    Rent.com.au snapshot of the market and Australia’s most expensive and cheapest places to rent

    Key points Sydney’s house prices show no sign of falling; prices increased 3.33% to a median of $620/week – still the highest prices in the country by far. Rent.com.au’s October property data indicates the national median remained stable month-on-month; median prices unchanged for apartments, houses and price-per-room (rental affordability). After a downturn in apartment prices in September for Sydney, median…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    RBA’s seven-year itch: the growing number of borrowers who’ve never experienced a rate hike

    Comparison website RateCity.com.au’s ‘Rate Forecaster’ found that 21 of the 23 indicators suggested the RBA would leave the official cash rate at a record-low 1.50 per cent, where it has been since August 2016. It’s now been seven years since the Reserve Bank lifted the official cash rate. RateCity money editor Sally Tindall said it is unlikely the RBA will…

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  • CoreLogic October Home Value Index: Growth conditions flat nationally but Sydney values fall

    The CoreLogic October Home Value Index Results show that growth conditions remained flat on a national basis while Sydney values fall. Since moving through a peak rate of growth in November 2016, capital gains across Australia’s housing market have been losing momentum, with national dwelling values unchanged over the month of October. For October, conditions were flat across both the…

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  • Real Estate News

    Console Group announces the sale of Property IQ and ADL Software

    Console Group has announced the sale and transfer of ownership of PropertyIQ Pty Limited and its subsidiaries PropertyIQ Strata Pty Limited and ADL Software Pty Limited to new owner, Macquarie Bank Limited. The sale transaction was completed in whole today and is effective immediately. PropertyIQ Strata Pty Limited is the business behind PropertyIQ Strata, a specialist strata property management technology…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    REIQ wish list ahead of election

    REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said the election offered voters an opportunity to cast a vote for a candidate who recognises the importance that the real estate sector plays in the state’s economy. “Real estate employs around 50,000 Queenslanders and this makes it of huge significance to the future fortunes of Queensland,” Ms Mercorella said. “Improving the health of the sector…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Stamp duty is a “monster” tax that traps people, says REISA President Alex Ouwens after slow third quarter

    REISA President Alex Ouwens said the results were not surprising given the third quarter is a traditionally slow period for sales. The figures showed a slight decrease in the median price from the previous quarter but also showed a 2.27% increase over the same quarter last year. In the September quarter, 4,028 houses settled across the Adelaide metropolitan area which…

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  • Real Estate News

    Record breaking auction volumes in VIC sees a new year-to-date high reached across the country

    National auction clearance results for the week ending 29/10/2017 courtesy of CoreLogic This week, the combined capital cities saw the number of auctions held reached a new year-to-date high, with a total of 3,690 held, surpassing the previous 2017 high recorded over the week prior to Easter when 3,517 auctions were held. The higher volumes returned a preliminary auction clearance rate of…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWSelite agent news room

    Di Jones Appoints Customer Service Specialist

    Di Jones Real Estate has appointed Patrick Distapan to the newly created role of Customer Relationship Manager. Di Jones CEO Rob Ward said the role was an important step in ensuring that client’s needs across all aspects of the business, including buying and leasing, are being met. “Patrick will take the time to discover each client’s specific situation and will…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    REIQ Announces New Board of Directors

    The REIQ has announced a new Board of Directors following its Annual General Meeting at the Cannon Hill offices last week. In accordance with the Institute’s Constitution and by-laws, two new Director positions were contested by a vote of the membership. The two new Board Directors are John Newlands and Damien Keyes. The full Board of Directors for the next…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    REIV celebrates their best for 2017

    The Real Estate Institute of Victoria has awarded this year’s best in business, recognising industry leaders across more than 25 categories. This year’s award winners included: Large Residential Agency of the Year: Methven Professionals Mooroolbark Residential Salesperson of the Year (Executives): Matthew Scafidi, Noel Jones Mitcham Outstanding Young Agent of the Year: Bianca Butterworth, CBRE Buyer’s Agent of the Year:…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Trades demand stabilises: HIA

    “During the September 2017 quarter, the HIA Trades Availability Index indicated that there is a sufficient supply of skilled trades available to the housing industry,” said HIA’s Senior Economist, Shane Garrett. According to the HIA, in most situations, the trades required are readily available on the market. The HIA Trades Report provides a quarterly review of the availability of skilled…

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  • Real Estate News

    Combined wealth of Australia’s top 5 Property Young Rich Listers is $770 million

    The 100 members of the 2017 Financial Review Young Rich List have enjoyed a stunning rise in wealth this year, with a booming property sector, technology market and beauty industry boosting overall wealth to a record $13.2 billion. The technology sector tops the list with Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar’s combined wealth of $6.08 billion. The technology duo’s…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Victoria braces for record auction weekend

    The previous record for auctions held in a single weekend was set in November 2015 when 1,712 auctions were held. A remarkable 1,826 auctions are scheduled for this Saturday alone with around 75 auctions being held on Sunday, including the five Block properties. In total, 1,935 homes will go to auction this week with high auction volumes in Camberwell (29…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    REIWA Information Service in high demand from tenants, landlords, buyers and sellers

    REIWA Chief Executive Officer Neville Pozzi said the volume of calls placed to the REIWA Information Service so far in 2017 had exceeded those received at the same time last year. “The REIWA Information Service provides West Australians with direct access to local experts in the real estate industry who can educate them on areas they are unsure about and…

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  • SUPPLIER NEWS

    Rex Software and CRM2Print announce integration

    Rex Software says that for over 6,000 agents across 1,000 agencies using the platform, the mundane task of printing, folding, stuffing and posting direct mail is now a thing of the past. In three simple steps, users can send one, fifty or a thousand letters – direct from within Rex. “We’ve always recognised that every agency operates differently – and…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Adelaide takes investor attention off Melbourne and Sydney

    Anna Porter, a property market author, commentator and former valuer who works with first time and experienced investors on building high-performance portfolios, says she is directing clients towards the forgotten state of South Australia. “For the past three years all eyes have been on Sydney and Melbourne as the markets that have been outperforming the national averages. Many suburbs across…

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  • FRANCHISE NEWS

    Harcourts Builds member App Store

    Built with Apple’s iOS, the store is an enterprise application through which Harcourts team members can access, download, update and install its proprietary mobile applications eOne, eOpen and eCampaign. “We are one of the first real estate companies, globally, to take advantage of and build our own member-facing app store on Apple’s Developer Enterprise Program,” said Gregg Toyama, Harcourts Head…

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  • FRANCHISE NEWS

    Semaphore agent maintains standing as one of South Australia’s best real estate agents

    Ms Smith scored gold in the competitive Local Auction Salesperson Western/Beachside category and a bronze in the South Australian Salesperson Residential category. “The bronze in the South Australian Salesperson Residential classification is particularly pleasing considering the average sales price for a house in Semaphore is $455,970, and I am competing against agents operating in the pricier city and eastern suburbs markets,” said Ms Smith. The successful local agent was…

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  • Real Estate News

    Preliminary auction clearance rate remains below 70 while activity holds firm

    National auction clearance results for the week ending 22/10/2017 courtesy of CoreLogic The trend towards softer auction market conditions has been led by the Sydney market where the final auction clearance rate has remained below 65% since the first week of October. Auction volumes were similar week-on-week, with 2,471 properties taken to auction, compared to 2,525 last week. This time last year,…

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  • Real Estate News

    Higher interest rates for investors eases housing affordability for owner-occupiers: HIA

    “The HIA Housing Affordability index for Australia improved by 0.5 per cent in the September 2017 quarter but still remains 4.4 per cent below the level recorded a year ago,” said Tim Reardon, HIA’s Principal Economist. “Housing Affordability has been deteriorating in Australia for decades, particularly in capital cities, as demand for new housing greatly exceeded the supply. “Recent interventions…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    South Australia celebrates high achievers at REISA Awards

    REISA CEO, Greg Troughton, said the Awards are the pinnacle of real estate achievement in South Australia and highlight the passion and dedication that the real estate profession shows to its clients and consumers. “These are the most prestigious and recognised awards for real estate professionals in South Australia. We undertake a rigorous nomination, qualifying and judging process to ensure…

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  • INDUSTRY NEWS

    Realestate.com.au top brand improver among Australian millennials

    The Index looks at the top brands for word of mouth among Aussie millennials, with realestate.com.au’s experiences and video-led content across web and social resonating with the country’s largest and most technology savvy generation. From 2016 to 2017, realestate.com.au jumped 13 points on the index to be ranked the top brand improver among Australia’s millennial generation, aged 18 to 34 years…

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  • FRANCHISE NEWS

    Is this Australia’s most expensive house?

    Ray White Double Bay Director Craig Pontey expects the 3731sq m estate at 38B The Crescent, Vaucluse will set a new national record for its sheer scale and enviable deep waterfront access, tennis court, palatial home and jetty. Mr C K Ow, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stamford Land Corporation Limited which owns and manages luxury hotels, commercial buildings…

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  • OPINION

    Catching the right wave: Michael Davoren

    On the Queensland coast the humpback whales are slowly heading back south to Antarctica with their calves after their June to August migration to tropical North Queensland waters where they mate and breed. This month we are hearing about another migration. A 130,000-strong people-wave is tipped to move from southern states, and more specifically Sydney, in coming years for Queensland’s…

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  • Real Estate News

    Preliminary auction clearance rate above 70 percent on higher volumes

    National auction clearance results for the week ending 15/10/2017 courtesy of CoreLogic There were 2,497 auctions held across the combined capital cities this week, up from 2,318 last week. So far, 2,007 results have been reported to CoreLogic, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 70.6 percent, increasing from last week when the final clearance rate slipped to 64.4 percent, the lowest clearance…

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