Search Results for: The Block

  • Elite Agent

    Rentals see biggest price drop in over 15 years

    Rental prices have plummeted nationwide, with unit rentals experiencing their biggest price drop in over 15 years, according to new figures released by Domain that show a historic fall of 3.2 per cent over the June quarter. “The rental market has become highly fragmented in recent months,” Domain Senior Research Analyst, Dr Nicola Powell said. “Rental prices fell across most…

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  • Real Estate News

    Aussie cricket legend Steve Smith buys $6.6m Sydney property

    Australian cricketer Steve Smith has added a luxurious Vaucluse pad to his bulging property portfolio. The former Australian captain paid $6.6 million for the six bathroom, four-bedroom property, which was initially listed for $6.8m. The beautiful property boasts views of Sydney Harbour, a large pool and cricket-friendly yard, a steam room and gym, a spacious wine cellar (plus an outdoor…

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  • Elite Agent

    Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire return to lockdown: why we need to be vigilant

    Philip Russo, Monash University and Brett Mitchell, University of Newcastle Metropolitan Melbourne and the shire of Mitchell will returned to Stage 3 stay-at-home restrictions as of midnight Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced, after 191 new cases were recorded in the state overnight – its highest ever daily case total. The lockdown means for the next six weeks, people in…

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  • Real Estate News

    COVID-19 impacts Queenstown, while NZ market activity returns to normal

    Today's QV House Price Index (HPI) figures from CoreLogic have shown that COVID-19 has impacted property values to a mild degree, although nowhere near rates shown in Australia.Nationwide property values dropped 0.2%, with four of the six maincentres showing declines. Interestingly, Tauranga and Christchurch increased at the same rate as the national drop, rising 0.2%.…

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  • Elite Agent

    Good news: HomeBuilder has caused a boom in new home inquiries

    The Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme has led to a surge in new home inquiries since it was announced in early June. REA have today released their ‘Insights New Homes Snapshot’ for July, which shows inquiries to developers nationally jumped by almost 63% in June. Even more impressively, inquiries about land experienced a 93% lift over the month. “I expect to…

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  • Elite Agent

    Look inside Cate Blanchett’s $12m Sydney apartment

    Cate Blanchett’s Macquarie Street split-level apartment in the historical Astor is on the market, with a $12 million guide price. Blanchett bought the eighth floor abode in 2015 for roughly $8 million. The 400sqm property has a stunning view of Sydney Harbour, overlooking the sails of the Opera House. For a further touch of glamour, the property initially belonged to…

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  • Elite Agent

    Capital city apartment values to be hit the hardest, experts predict

    The latest Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey is out, and it’s not the best news for apartment owners. 43 experts and economists were asked to predict various aspects of the housing markets, including the projected values of apartments and houses in the eight capital cities. They predict price drops of between 7-8% price drops by the end of September for…

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  • GUEST INTERVIEWS

    How to build your business from the ground up

    Do you long to know the secrets behind taking your business from lagging in your back bedroom at home to an office on the busiest corner in town? This year’s Transform 2020 winner Laura Shooter, and her husband Samuel, can tell you how to do just that. The SJ Real Estate directors have done it.…

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  • Elite Agent

    Kevin Rudd has bought Pat Rafter’s former $17m Noosa mansion

    While a lot of Aussies assumed we'd be watching week two of Wimbleton at the moment, nobody could have predicted that the mystery buyer for Aussie tennis legend Pat Rafter's $16m Noosa mansion is none other than Therese Rein, the wife of former PM Kevin Rudd.

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  • Thought Leaders Podcast

    5 strategies to survive and thrive in a crisis

    If the impact of COVID-19 on your business has got you down then Dan Argent is the guy to help you not only survive it, but thrive once the deadly bug has moved on. Forced to start his own business during the GFC in order to survive, in this episode of Elevate, Dan shares the five strategies he used to…

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  • Real Estate News

    Perth sales hit a five-year high

    Perth is coming off its strongest month for sales since 2015, with transactions in June up 55.1 per cent from May. REIWA data shows that land sales in particular rose a striking 289 per cent from the previous month, with 1471 blocks sold. Dwelling transactions rose 15 per cent from May, with 3990 properties changing hands. While any comparative statistics…

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  • Real Estate News

    Values fall in June across the larger capital cities

    Despite Australians beginning to take baby steps out in the world again, real estate values across the combined capitals have continued to drop for the second month in a row, falling 0.7 per cent in June, after a 0.4 per cent decline in May. But it’s not all bad news for owners – especially those in Hobart and Darwin. The…

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  • Real Estate News

    Planning Development Unit a huge win for good growth in NSW

    The Property Council of Australia has today welcomed the announcement from the NSW Government on the new Planning Delivery Unit (PDU) which will work with government agencies to unblock planning projects stuck in the system and streamline planning processes. “Today’s announcement is a significant win for the property and construction industry, and a positive step towards fixing the planning system…

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  • Elite Agent

    30 minutes with Daniel Lee – Plum Property Brisbane

    Only 10 seconds into a video depicting an Indooroopilly home, it’s hard not to break into outright laughter. On screen is Plum Property principal Daniel Lee looking for all intents and purposes like a dodgy used-car salesman espousing the virtues of a true ‘renovator’s delight’. It’s irreverent, it’s downright amusing, and it’s nothing like a standard real estate video. It…

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  • Real Estate News

    Auctions go back online for some suburbs in Victoria

    Public auctions and open for inspections have been taken off the agenda in Melbourne's current coronavirus hotspots. While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has ordered the establishment of into the operation of the hotel quarantine program thought to be the cause of the community transmissions, it's a case of back to the future for the real…

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  • Elite Agent

    HomeBuilder a potential win-win across six key areas

    The federal government’s new HomeBuilder scheme offers eligible Australians money to renovate or build a home. While it’s attracted controversy, HomeBuilder does offer a much-needed opportunity to make old homes more energy-efficient. Research released in March showed the energy performance of housing must improve by an average 44-48% in the next decade for Australia to reach net…

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  • Real Estate News

    Super and first home buyer schemes restart tomorrow but are they a good idea?

    Two major government schemes restart tomorrow as the new financial year begins but comparison site RateCity.com.au is warning Australians to think before they jump in. From July 1, eligible Australians financially affected by COVID-19 will be able to access up to $10,000 extra from their superannuation. Round two of the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme…

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  • Real Estate News

    Trading up to a better life: Jackson Jones launches on the Sunshine Coast

    Making life better by ‘trading up’ is what drives the human quest for self-improvement. That’s exactly what Nigel Jackson and Richard Jones have done, and it’s culminated in the launch of an exciting new agency on the Sunshine Coast known as Jackson Jones. The pair have put together a team dedicated to creating a new level of high-end service for…

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  • Real Estate News

    Home loan rates hit new record low of 1.99%

    Fixed home loan rates continue to tumble, with Bank of Us the first lender to offer the average Australian a fixed home loan rate under 2 per cent. Bank of Us has announced the record-breaking rate of 1.99 per cent, fixed for 1 to 3 years, for owner-occupiers paying principal and interest repayments with a…

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  • Thought Leaders Podcast

    How to empower your team by building a winning culture

    There’s more to being a great boss than just being bossy. If you ask Ewan Morton the best leaders are those that put the best interests of others first. In this episode of Elevate, the Morton Real Estate joint Managing Director shares how he survived a nightmare first five years in the industry, why earning…

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  • Real Estate News

    Homebuilder and infrastructure help stimulate buyer activity

    The recently announced HomeBuilder grant and major infrastructure projects are attracting committed buyers to entry-level markets in Australia’s capital cities, according to Raine & Horne. HomeBuilder provides eligible owner-occupiers, including first home buyers, with a grant of $25,000 to build a new home or substantially renovate an existing home. To be eligible for the grant, a couple must earn less than $200,000…

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  • Real Estate News

    Australia’s variable rate hits new record low

    An online lender has become the new leader in the mortgage rate wars as variable home loan rates continue to drop, hitting a new record low. Freedom Lend is now offering a variable rate of 2.17 per cent, for new customers with a deposit of 30 per cent of more. RateCity.com.au Research Director Sally Tindall said home loan rates have…

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  • Real Estate News

    Never say never: Bond villa up for sale

    Sir Sean Connery was the quintessential James Bond. The screen’s original 007: smart, handsome, refined, debonair and the most popular of the nine actors who took on the classic-spy role created by British-naval-intelligence-officer Ian Fleming in 1953. Instantly recognized by most people through the James Bond film franchise of the 1960s to ‘80s including Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Dr.…

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  • SELLING + MARKETING PROPERTY

    Boosting exposure with innovative marketing

    With listings and transactions taking a hit as a result of COVID-19, agents have increasingly been looking to more innovative marketing tactics to gain exposure for their properties. Collings Real Estate‘s leading sales agent Christian Gravias has been successfully implementing a range of unique marketing strategies that have proven highly effective in the current climate. The Melbourne agent has focused…

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  • GUEST INTERVIEWS

    Selling and marketing luxury property with Deborah Cullen

    Do you want the inside running on how some of Australia’s most prestigious homes are marketed for sale? Would you like to know why sharing fees can help create a cohesive, one for all and all for one, culture in a team that sells together and not as individuals? In this episode of Elevate, Deborah…

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  • Elite Agent

    Australia is under sustained cyber attack, warns the government. What’s going on, and what should businesses do?

    By Mahmoud Elkhodr Lecturer in Information and Communication Technologies, CQUniversity Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison had some alarming news for Australians this morning: we are under cyber attack. He informed the nation the attacks “hadn’t just started”, and that Australian businesses and governments are being widely targeted. It is unclear why the government chose today to make the announcement, or…

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  • Elite Agent

    Tenants play key role in rent roll growth

    Tenants can provide an untapped resource to generate new rental listings, a property management expert says. Speaking as part of a Transform 2020 coaching session, Kolmeo Head of Strategy Brock Fisher says word-of-mouth referrals or “advocacy” from tenants can play a critical role in significantly growing a rent roll. “There is one new management lurking in your tenants right now,”…

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  • Real Estate News

    ‘Use grants wisely’: property investment consultancy advises first-home buyers

    New building stimulus measures introduced by the Federal and WA State Governments are driving a significant rise in first-home buyer inquiry, according to reports from Perth-based property investment consultancy, Momentum Wealth. Combined with the existing First Home Owner Grant and duty concessions, the Federal HomeBuilder Scheme and State Building Bonus Package could see eligible first-home buyers in WA receive between…

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  • Real Estate News

    Call for ‘mega’ project fast-track to be applied to across the board

    Australia’s leading property advocate has called for the fast-tracking of approvals for nation-building infrastructure projects to be adopted across the board by all levels of government involved in planning and construction approvals. The Property Council of Australia welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment of additional funding to get new local infrastructure projects out of the ground and accelerate approvals for ‘mega’…

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  • Real Estate News

    Variable home loan rates tumble to record low

    The home loan rate war continued to heat up this week as the lowest variable rate in Australia dropped to 2.19 per cent – and experts predict the competition will only intensify. The special from Reduce Home Loans is for owner-occupier variable customers with loans up to $850,000. Analysis from RateCity.com.au shows that at the end of March just 19…

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  • Elite Agent

    Owning the narrative: building your presence online

    While COVID-19 has made it tempting to go silent online, Tiffany Wilson argues that now is the time for agents to take back the narrative of what’s happening in the market. While she acknowledges that the context in which we are all operating is evolving at pace, Tiffany identifies two common responses among agents trying to navigate COVID-19 and their…

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  • Elite Agent

    Hyper local prospecting

    Real estate agents looking to expand their digital footprint and low-cost marketing options should consider homely.com.au, its Co-CEO Jason Spencer says. Speaking as part of Transform 2020, Jason said the popular real estate platform drew interest from 18 million visitors last year, who were attracted to its unique, hyper-local, user-generated content. Founded in 2014, homely.com.au is like the Tripadvisor of…

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  • GUEST INTERVIEWS

    Digital marketing masterclass with Josh Tesolin

    Do you want to know the secrets behind Josh Tesolin becoming agent of the year? From quickly adapting to COVID-19 to hot marketing tips and why using video and social media is more important than ever before, Josh shares in-depth insights into how he continues to improve his performance year on year. In this podcast, Josh explains why he goes…

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  • Elite Agent

    HomeBuilder misses a chance to make our homes perform better for us and the planet

    The Federal Government’s new A$688 million HomeBuilder package might protect residential construction jobs but according to academics, it’s a missed opportunity to deliver sustainability benefits that would save owners money in the long run. In an article in The Conversation, senior lecturers Trivess Moore of RMIT and Tony Matthews of Griffith University argue the A$25,000 grant for new homes and renovations could have…

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  • Elite Agent

    Getting back on track post COVID-19

    Real estate agents should use the COVID-19 crisis to do an audit of their business and inject renewed energy into their game plan, a top sales director says. Speaking during a Transform 2020 Leadership Lesson, Thomas McGlynn, from The Agency, told agents the COVID-19 crisis had been a rollercoaster. “It’s been a really steep learning curve, and as a leader,…

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