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.
The professor problem: Fiona Blayney on who is actually teaching your people
In Track 02 of The Edit, Samantha McLean, Chris Hanley and Fiona Blayney examine the gap between managing people and developing them – and why AI efficiency cannot replace human coaching, communication and judgement.
The wisdom of Claudio Encina – 30 lessons from the coach who still has a coach
He started at LJ Hooker Bondi Junction in 1995, learned soft skills at a Hollywood acting school on…
Hope is not a strategy: Chris Hanley on trust, truth and moving stock
In the first track of The Edit, Samantha McLean and Chris Hanley get past the easy answers on…
Winning is just the beginning for Barfoot & Thompson
Seven months after a history-making trifecta at the International Property Awards, New Zealand's largest family-owned real estate company…
Google won’t say what its new spam update is hunting (but we can probably guess)
The third spam crackdown of 2026 arrived on Tuesday 18 August with no blog post and no list…
The wisdom of Fiona Blayney – 30 lessons from the woman who banned the word busy
She started on a Woolworths checkout, changing out of her school uniform on the bus, and has been…
Dr Fred Grosse in his own words
In 2014 I called a rabbi to help promote an event. He spent 30 minutes working on me…
The wisdom of Matt Lahood – 30 lessons from a CEO who hasn’t had a desk in 20 years
The Agency's co-founder has sat down with Elite Agent eleven times since 2017, and this is the distilled…
Five AI-powered moves that win the listing before you walk in the door
From persona prompts to objection prediction, these five AI strategies help agents show up to every listing presentation…
Domain’s parent posts first profitable residential quarter
A year after acquiring Domain, CoStar’s residential business has turned Adjusted EBITDA‑positive on the back of double‑digit revenue…
The house is listening – and it heard your vendor report
More than half of sellers in a new US survey kept the cameras rolling during open homes –…
The wisdom of Chris Hanley – 30 lessons from a man who’s never had a bad year in real estate
He's held 40 per cent market share in one of Australia's most watched postcodes for more than three…
21 reasons to send a press release – and the part AI still can’t do
Publicity wins listings, attracts good people, and builds a record you can't buy. The 21 moments worth pitching…
New data reveals what each generation wants from a new home
Boomers chase postcode and garage space while Gen Z and Millennials trade car parking for backyards and wellness…
Softer inflation weakens case for August rate rise as housing market cools
Australia’s headline inflation eased to 3.8 per cent in June, reducing pressure for another immediate interest rate rise…
The Investor Edit: Tracking Investor Trends Post-Budget
Investors pulled back after the Federal Budget, but the picture since then has been more complex. Drawing on…
Elite Agent launches Saved Articles, free for every reader
A new tool across EliteAgent.com lets readers keep the stories they want to come back to. Free for…
How To Build a Better Memory System for Your Real Estate Team
The transcript is the least interesting thing an AI meeting tool does. Here's the workflow and the prompts…
Up to 12 months for a hearing: Scotland’s tribunal backlog is a warning Australia shouldn’t ignore
Scottish landlords are waiting eight to 12 months from lodging an eviction application to getting a tribunal hearing,…
Let’s not stuff around: The weekend the Allan government made it personal
The Allan government has squeezed the industry for months. But Friday's letter naming the REIV chief executive, and…
Which Real Estate Jobs Deserve Claude Fable 5’s $1,000-an-Hour Brain
Anthropic's Fable 5 is the smartest model you can open in a browser, and from July 12 you'll…
The MacGyver factor – why you should hire people who “handle it”
The most important quality in your next hire isn't a skill. It's a disposition – and it turns…
‘You’re not in the property business’
Harvard professor Alison Wood Brooks explains why agents are in the human relationship business and why better conversations…
Not prospecting is the selfish choice
Tim Smith has sold $7 billion in real estate across 27 years with Coldwell Banker. His message to…
The horses weren’t real. The lesson is
AI in a listing isn't the problem. Where you put it is – and getting that wrong ends…
Process is the proof, not the price
In Week 4 of the AI Sprint, Samantha McLean breaks down AI-first circle sales: repurposing one sale everywhere,…
The fastest car has the best brakes
Phill Nosworthy told AREC 2026 that the insights agents need most won't come from inside real estate –…
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…
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 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’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…
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 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…
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…
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.…