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Samantha McLean

Samantha McLean

Samantha McLean is the co-founder and Managing Editor of Elite Agent, Australia's leading independent platform for real estate professionals. Over 17 years, she and co-founder Mark Edwards have built Elite Agent from a print magazine into a digital media and technology company serving agents and property managers across Australia and New Zealand. Sam delivers AI training and keynotes to major real estate networks across the country, and has built multiple AI-powered products for the industry. She is a three-time Business Magazine Editor of the Year (Mumbrella Publish Awards) and holds a Bachelor of Business from UTS.

Ben Crowe. Image: AREC
News

The opposite of play isn’t work – it’s fear

Ben Crowe has worked with Ash Barty, Dylan Alcott, the Boston Celtics and Richmond Tigers. His message to agents at AREC 2026: if you're not in the play state, you're in the fear state.

Tim Smith. Image: AREC
News

Not prospecting is the selfish choice

Tim Smith has sold $7 billion in real estate across 27 years with Coldwell Banker. His message to…

News

Your business moves at the speed of trust

OC co-founders Nathan Casserly and Alex Ouwens shared six lessons from a decade of scaling their Adelaide agency…

Boris Becker via Zoom. Image: AREC
News

Boris Becker on why the first round is always harder than the final

The six-time Grand Slam champion told AREC 2026 that mental strength, surrounding yourself with the right people, and…

Josh Flagg at AREC 2026. Image: AREC.
News

Josh Flagg’s listing strategy starts before he even sees the house

The Million Dollar Listing star told AREC 2026 he wins vendors by knowing more about their property than…

AI

How AI-Powered DISC Profiling Can Win You More Listings

In Week 2 of the AI Sprint, Samantha McLean breaks down how to profile your vendors before the…

The 2026 Budget Shift That Will Force a Rethink of Agency Structures, Trusts and Exits. Image: Gemini
Features

The Budget change that could reshape how your agency is structured

The negative gearing headlines are one story. But buried in the same budget papers is a package of…

Features

Build the tools. Then make the call

The 2026 budget just handed you a reason to use AI and a reason to pick up the…

Budget 2026 – Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in front of Parliament House
News

What Just Landed: The Budget Night Negative Gearing Breakdown

The Treasurer is calling it the most significant tax reform in more than a quarter of a century.…

REIWACONNECT20263.jpg
Features

The grind (and the grace) of long-term prospecting

Crown Perth was standing room only on Thursday as REIWA Connect 2026 drew more than 1,000 delegates, a…

News

What Your Investor Clients Are Googling Right Now

The negative gearing and CGT changes explained – what’s actually happening, what’s not, and what to say when…

Features

Would a salaried agent give a more honest appraisal?

What if the way agents are paid is shaping the industry's biggest problems — from trust and burnout…

Opinion

Beyond the ban: Eight leaders on fixing real estate’s trust problem

Eight industry leaders go on the record to challenge the "false read" of GCI metrics, call for an…

Opinion

Readers respond: The mirror talks back

We held up the mirror. The industry talked back. From underquoting in NSW to over-quoting in Queensland and…

Features

The mirror has many faces

Josh Tesolin's 10-year ban made headlines. The industry outrage is justified. But the harder question is what built…

Features

How to find your next hire in the age of AI

How real estate agencies can adapt hiring practices for the AI era by testing real thinking, adaptability, and…

AI

Is there enough of you online?

Why We Obsess Over URLs, Standfirsts, and what we call the "Portal Test"

AI

The week AI helped sell one home and nearly blew up another

From a Florida homeowner selling with ChatGPT to a US$50M deal nearly derailed by AI advice, learn why…

AI

The ultimate guide: 35 practical ChatGPT tips for real estate professionals

35 actionable AI strategies for real estate agents: write sharper listings, plan smarter, and win clients without working…

AI

When execution is cheap, judgment is worth the premium

In an era where AI eliminates the "blank page," human judgment becomes the industry’s scarcest resource. Success now…

Elite Agent TV

Edge Case: Will The Real Estate Office Still Exist in Five Years?

"If the office exists just to distribute information, it should die. But if it exists to host trust,…

Elite Agent TV

Tony Morrison: Why Your Best Listing Presentation Happens in Your Office, Not Their Kitchen

"If you're in your environment, you're in control." – Tony Morrison

AI

Why Candice Whinnett Dedicates One Day a Week to AI

"You don't have to be a tech head to get started. You have to be curious, you have…

Elite Agent TV

Richard Manthel: Why July 2026 Is the Finish Line, Not the Start Line for AML Compliance

"One of the things about AML is that it's not what you know – it's what you don't…

Elite Agent TV

Tom Panos: Your 90-Day Playbook for a Fast Start to 2026

Tom Panos reveals to Samantha McLean why the January window is critical, what's really behind the underquoting debate,…

Elite Agent TV

Inside Ben White’s Optimistic Framework for AI-Enabled Property Management

Why the CEO believes property managers who understand their value creation have "nothing to fear" from artificial intelligence.

Elite Agent TV

Raising Professional Standards: Will Higher Barriers Protect Consumers or Choke the Talent Pipeline?

John Foong and Jacob Caine go head-to-head on one of the industry's most uncomfortable questions.

AI

What Does AI Say About You?

When AI answers questions about your property market, will it cite you – or your competitors?

Elite Agent TV

From the Titanic to the “Breaking Bad” House: The Art of the Comeback

"If we were just listing it as a four-bedroom home, it was a nice $350,000 house... The intrinsic…

Elite Agent TV

Tom Harrison: From “Don’t Sign That Paperwork” to Agency of the Year

In 2020, Tom Harrison’s business coach told him he was 'mad' to take sole ownership of a real…

Elite Agent TV

Is Company Culture Overrated? (Do Results Matter More Than ‘Vibes’?)

“What have you got if you don't have results? A whole lot of people sitting around in beanbags…

AI

You’re asking the wrong question about AI

Everyone's using AI to do the same things, just faster. That's the trap. The real opportunity is building…

Elite Agent TV

Nikki D’Agostino: Save 2 Hours Daily With This AI Task Matrix

REIWAs Strata Manager of the Year reveals her Monday morning routine that identifies what to automate, delegate, or…

Elite Agent TV

Mark McLeod: Do This One Thing to Increase Your Listing Win Rate by 400%

Ray White's Chief Strategy Officer, Mark McLeod, offers a data-driven masterclass on agent performance and effective coaching. Leveraging…

Elite Agent TV

Norman So: From Mortgage Broker to Belle Property’s #1 Auction Agent

Principal and Agent at Belle Property Strathfield, Norman So was recently named Belle Property’s #1 auction agent and…