Cecille Weldon and Kiara Pacifici have spent a combined half-century inside the engine room of the Australian property market, and they have a blunt message for the nation’s real estate suite: the era of selling “vibes” and European appliances is officially over.
As the industry grapples with a tightening economy, a new battleground has emerged that has nothing to do with granite benchtops and everything to do with the “energy productivity” of the four walls Australians call home.
Cecille Weldon, Founder of the Future Agent Academy and Director of WeldonCo Advisory, believes the industry is standing at a crossroads.
A pioneer in “lifestyle benefits” and “packaging” strategies, Cecille argues that the word “sustainability” has become a conversation-killer.
“When it’s framed as sustainability, agents just switch off and consumers switch off because it’s not clear what that means,” Cecille explains.
“If we wanna be really vanilla about it, it’s just a bunch of features in a property that we should know about because they are gonna help people with ongoing affordability and a more comfortable home.”
For Cecille, the issue is a fundamental erosion of professional standards, and as property experts, we need to start to renew our hunger to know more about property.
“Somehow along the way, we know about lead generation, customer experience, and what the market’s doing, but we’ve stopped being property experts. We’ve sort of normalised that the vendor knows more about property than we do.
“I say that to agents, and they go, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter. The vendor gives me a piece of paper… and I just say whatever’s on that paper.’ And I go, ‘Okay. And then you want them to pay 2%?’”
Across the country in Western Australia, Kiara Pacifici, Licensee of Community West Real Estate and Board Member of the Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA), sees the same disconnect.
As the founder of Green Gurus, Kiara has spent fifteen years pushing for mandatory disclosure.
“Currently, most states are now seven [stars for new builds],” Kiara says.
“But every other home that’s been built pre-2000 has not had that minimum standard. You’re lucky if you get three out of 10 stars.”
Kiara describes the current market as suffering from “information asymmetries” where no one truly knows the quality of what they are buying.
“Do buyers know anything about the structural integrity of a property … most of the time, buyers have to do that research after they’ve put an offer on a property,” Kiara explains.
“They don’t even know what they’ve bought into yet. I scream this out because I’m a buyer’s agent. You want to be given that information upfront to make an educated decision rather than guess.”
The transition to a more transparent market is already being codified. A world-first Energy Efficiency Data Standard has been agreed upon by a coalition including the CSIRO, REA Group, Domain, and PropTrack.
This standard will ensure that features like orientation, insulation, and high-efficiency heat pumps are no longer buried in “free text” fields where AI can’t find them.
“AI cannot help you here because AI is reflecting what exists, which is missing, wrongly identified, and ambiguously identified,” Cecille warns.
“Our human knowledge has to impact, create standardisation, and a consistent naming protocol.”
The endgame is a national framework for home energy ratings, which is a score out of 100, that will be disclosed at the point of sale or rent.
While some agents fear the “regulation stick,” Cecille sees it as a massive opportunity for the rent roll. “Any regulation that helps improve the quality of the property, we will be the big winners,” Cecille asserts.
“Don’t you think it would be prudent to start to look at the quality of the property in the rent roll? We’ve got to stop hiding uncomfortable homes and start selling comfortable homes. Every tenant is wasting their money on a hot water bill, and that’s making it hard for them to pay your rent.”
Kiara agrees, noting that the shift toward these ratings is a “good news story” about value.
She points to examples where simple upgrades like draught-proofing, insulation, and switching from gas to electric heat pumps can take a basic three-star home to a high-performing 7 plus stars.
“It’s all about empowering the consumer,” Kiara says.
“An agent giving an invoice over saying, ‘Look how much money they’ve spent on it,’ it just doesn’t mean much. What it does say is they’ve improved the quality to the point where it’s actually affected the star rating. This house is performing better than the rest.”
The financial sector is already moving, with banks like CBA and ING offering specialised loans for these upgrades.
Cecille notes that energy efficiency is now considered the “fourth pillar of property investment,” alongside location, size, and condition.
“The banking and financial sector now need to report on the climate risk of their loan book,” Cecille explains.
“They are looking at: has that property adapted? Is it cheaper to run and more comfortable all year round?”
For the agent at a Saturday open home, the shift is about moving beyond the “vibe.”
“We can go: the reason it feels lovely is it’s got crossroads, north-facing living rooms, and the right shading,” Cecille says. “We get to unpack why that happens.”
Kiara echoes this sentiment, emphasising that the barrier to entry is lower than many think.
“It’s not rocket science. You don’t have to be a designer. You just need to know … It’s about walking into an appraisal and telling that seller more than what they think you’re gonna know.”
As the industry prepares for a 2030 reality where these ratings are as common as a bedroom count, both women believe the sector needs to find its “mojo” again.
“We have to be ahead of the narrative, not say, ‘I don’t wanna know about it,’” Cecille says.
“This is an opportunity that is ours to lose because we are the key stakeholder for the operationalising of an energy rating. We are the one in charge.”
Five key questions areas:
To elevate your property appraisals from a standard “bed and bath” count to a high-value Liveability assessment, Cecille Weldon and Kiara Pacifici suggest moving away from technical jargon and focusing on lifestyle benefits
The goal of these questions is to identify the “hidden” value in a home – features that the vendor might take for granted but that a buyer will pay a premium for if they understand the impact on their bank account and their comfort.
1. The “Vibe” Diagnostic
Instead of asking if the home is sustainable, ask about how it feels to live in.
- The Comfort Question: “During the peak of summer or the middle of winter, which rooms are the most comfortable to be in, and which ones do you avoid?”
- Why: This identifies thermal performance gaps or strengths like zoning and shading.
- The Vibe Question: “When visitors come over, do they often comment that the house feels ‘light and airy’ or ‘solid and quiet’?”
- Why: This helps identify cross-ventilation and building density/insulation.
2. Uncovering Passive Design (The “No-Cost” Features)
These features were built into the home for free but are often ignored in marketing.
- The Orientation Question: “Where does the sun hit the living areas during a winter morning?”
- Why: You are looking for North-facing living areas which provide free heating.
- The Airflow Question: “On a hot afternoon, if you open these specific windows, do you get a reliable breeze through the house?”
- Why: This verifies cross-ventilation—a massive selling point for reducing AC reliance.
3. High-Efficiency Systems (The “Upgrade” Features)
Vendors often forget the technical specs of their upgrades; these questions prompt the memory.
- The “Handover” Question: “Do you still have the receipts or the ‘logbook’ for the solar panels or the hot water system?”
- Why: Cecille emphasizes that warranties are a premium marketing asset. A “Solar system with 4 years remaining on the operational warranty” is worth more than just “Solar.”
- The Bill Shock Question: “Have you noticed a significant drop in your power bills since you installed [Feature X]?”
- Why: This provides a real-world anecdote for your marketing copy (e.g., “The current owners reported a 40% saving on summer cooling”).
4. The Investor/Maintenance Deep Dive
For property managers or those selling to investors.
- The Replacement Question: “When the hot water system last needed a service, did you look into a heat pump, or is it still a standard electric/gas tank?”
- Why: This identifies a future capitalisation opportunity or a “ready-to-go” efficiency feature.
- The “Draught” Question: “Have you done any work around the door seals or window frames to stop those winter whistles?”
- Why: Draught-proofing is the lowest-hanging fruit for comfort and a sign of a well-maintained home.
5. The Kiara Pacifici “Golden Rule” Question
Kiara suggests one final question to close the gap between the agent and the vendor.
- The Disclosure Question: “If I could show you how these energy features could justify a higher asking price or attract a better tenant, would you be willing to help me document them properly?”
- Why: This shifts the vendor from “why are you asking me this?” to “this agent is working harder to get me a better result.”
Pro-Tip: The “Walk-Through” Method
Cecille suggests you don’t ask these all at once at the kitchen table. Instead, mirror the walk-through.
- At the front door: Ask about the local community and walkability.
- In the living room: Ask about orientation and light.
- In the laundry/garage: Ask about hot water and solar.
- In the garden: Ask about water tanks and shading.