LEADERSHIP

  • The Property Management Models of Today: Fiona Blayney

    How many property management models are out there today? It’s an interesting question because most people in PM only think in terms of one model – the traditional, full-service approach to managing properties for clients. But there are more options on the table for our customers now, with the vast array of technology available and new ways of providing services…

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  • 18 things that will make you a better leader: Chris Hanley

    Don’t ask successful people what they do now; ask them what they did back then to go from there to here. What did they change and what did they implement? I have found most people know what they need to do to be a better leader or salesperson or musician. When tested on what they need to do, most people…

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  • Why workflow works wonders: Josh Phegan

    I want you to imagine this one person, sitting in the room, at every meeting you have, listening intently and watching your every action. They are the customer, and they can’t believe how poorly the industry is serving them. There’s a massive upgrade required to thrive in this business, and it starts with workflow – you to your next customer.…

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  • The art of celebrating success

    You’ve had a great few months, closed a lot of deals and the future pipeline looks great. You’ve taken a lot of affirmative action, spent time getting yourself and your team organised, and everything is moving along like clockwork. The problematic market only seems to fuel your desire to keep pushing forward and dealing with harsh market conditions, and clients…

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  • Don’t run the risk of having to pay for company debts yourself

    Recent changes to company tax obligations could put company directors at increased risk of being personally liable for the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SCG), according to legal experts Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers. They explain amendments to the Commonwealth legislation in April have extended the enforcement measures and decreased the reporting timeframes for a company’s SCG obligations. Meanwhile, further proposed legislation could have…

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  • Strategies to reduce your break even point: John Knight

    In the last month’s article, we talked about the one number every business owner needs to know – their breakeven point. Once you know your breakeven point, what do you do about it? Irrespective of how your specific market is travelling, the lower your breakeven point, the lower the risk in your business. The lower the risk in your business,…

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  • Episode 88: Balancing leadership, management and family – Melanie Laing

    In this week’s edition of The Leadership Diaries, our special guest is Head of Connectnow, Melanie Laing. Melanie (Mel) boasts an impressive resume as a leader, having held senior roles AGL and HSBC - and learned from one of the best in Jack Welch during her time at GE. In this episode she, of course, gave Sam the scoop on some…

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  • Purple Rain: 7 marketing lessons for any business

    Purplebricks spent roughly 900 days on Australian soil, reportedly spent roughly $200 million in marketing, yet couldn’t make their business model work. With my marketer’s hat on, here are what I hope are seven useful and practical lessons we can all take away from the experience. 1. There is no point branding unless you can convert Homer Simpson can’t live…

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  • Finding your break-even point to make better business decisions: John Knight

    In business, there are hundreds of numbers you could be tracking and the key is to know which one to focus on at the right time. Recently we’ve had a number of discussions with clients where they have expressed concerns about whether or not they should cut costs in their business. ‘Is it time to batten down the hatches?’ ‘We…

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  • Pareto people: Sarah Dawson

    What do the humble green pea and real estate have in common? The Pareto Principle. The brain child of Italian philosopher and economist Vilfredo Frederico Damaso Pareto, the concept evolved from his observation that 20 per cent of the pea plants in his garden generated 80 per cent of the healthy pea pods. Commonly known as the 80/20 rule, the…

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  • Great expectations

    Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Am I expecting too much?’ It’s a question principals and lead agents ask frequently. It usually comes up when they are frustrated, disappointed and the performance and follow through of their team members has let them down. It’s rare that the leader’s expectations are too high. Instead, there is often a gap between the expectations…

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  • Episode 86 Chris Hanley OAM: How to remain optimistic while planning for challenges

    In this week's edition of The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean sat down with First National Byron Bay Principal Chris Hanley OAM. Chris had just come back from New Zealand soon after the Christchurch attacks and in this podcast Chris talks about what's happening with Rise conference, the 80/20 rule in real estate, effective delegation and how you might plan for…

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  • 50 lessons that will make you a better leader

    The Leadership Diaries, an exclusive set of Elite Agent podcast interviews, turns one next month. Over the past 12 months, and with much more still to come, we’ve discovered leadership is a skill, an art and an essential ingredient for your business to achieve growth. To celebrate the milestone we’ve put together, in no particular order, our top 50 tips…

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  • Episode 83 Owen Wilson: ‘Stay the Course’

    In this week's special edition of The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean sat down exclusively with the new CEO of REA Group, Owen Wilson. With the industry currently in a fluctuating state, Owen shares his immediate goals for REA Group, where he sees the opportunities for growth in the industry and what the future might look like. He also shares some…

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  • ‘Together we will succeed’: Owen Wilson

    Owen Wilson stepped into the top job at realestate.com.au in January – amidst arguably the worst downturn in the property market in the past 10 years. With an uncertain year ahead and global players such as Facebook making their own plans in real estate, Wilson’s overall philosophy is that it’s time for REA Group and agents to work together for…

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  • Episode 80: Tom Panos – Advice for the current market, Whats happening at AREC19, The Leadership Diaries

    In this weeks edition of the Elevate podcast as part of our series, The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean talks to real estate coach Tom Panos about  AREC 2019. The two-day extravaganza is not far away and we got Tom, who is once again hosting this year, into the studio to give us the inside scoop of what you can expect from the…

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  • What are your agents worth? Andrew Acton

    In 2017, the Macquarie Residential Real Estate Benchmarking Report found the national average commission had slid from 2.6 per cent in 2009 to 2.18 per cent in 2016. Meanwhile, agencies were ‘looking to get more value from their investment in salespeople’. How can I help you? As a second-generation real estate agent who has experience building both franchise agencies and…

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  • On her own terms: Michelle Kerr

    From her newly opened agency in Nedlands, WA, Michelle Kerr says she never expected to become a real estate agent. Rather, it was a career she fell into that ultimately saw her thrive. “I had a long history of property development and renovations,” Michelle explains. “I enjoyed 15 years of buying and selling, and saw the best and the worst…

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  • Independent contractors and the tax man

    Everyone wants to recruit and grow their team, but for many the costs and risks associated with adding more employees are prohibitive. While it may seem like an ideal solution, entering into independent contractor arrangements is fraught with danger for both the business owner and the contractor. Even before we worry about the industrial relations risks, the main tax risk…

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  • Message received: Sarah Dawson

    As a manager, leader or business owner, it is important to ensure that you consider the impact your messaging will have every time you have a conversation. This is not just in a group session, but also one-on-ones, networking events, peer-to-peer catch-ups –in fact, in every interaction there is impact in message delivery. This is especially so when it comes…

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  • Episode 77: Reducing waste in your business – John Knight

    In a changing market, you might be thinking you need to cut costs. But that’s not necessarily the case, says Business Depot CEO, John Knight. It is better, he says to think about cutting waste and getting as productive as possible.

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  • Is now a good time to start your own real estate agency?

    After a few years, many agents dream of starting their own real estate business. Independence allows you to make business decisions and, in the process, grow in confidence. However, many real estate agents struggle to work out the right time to leap into freedom. Right now, with a softening market, it can be daunting for those of you considering to…

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  • What are the real costs involved in funding a startup?

    As a sales agent, you’re one of the best! You’re winning awards, have a dominant market share, lead a small team and the cash is flowing. So what’s next? John Knight looks at the costs of starting your own office.

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  • Rent Roll Myths Busted: Mark Sinclair

    Mark Sinclair of Realestimations examines some of the common myths around the buying and selling of rent rolls, especially in a cooler market.

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  • Episode 69: Gina McCartney’s tips on lead generation and conversion, maintaining balance in leadership + marketing predictions for 2019

    In this week's edition of the Elevate podcast as part of our series, The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean talks to Gina McCartney, Executive GM of Marketing and Events at realestate.com.au, about digital marketing, lead generation and conversion plus her own leadership journey, some marketing predictions -- and what's next for the Edge (Elevate, Match and Reach) product series.

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  • How a recruiter can help you build a stronger team

    The generalised reputation of recruiters enters a room well before the consultant does. In fact, the taglines ‘no recruiters please’, ‘we aren’t using recruiters any more’ or ‘thank you, we will contact you if we don’t have any luck’ are often the first words we see on advertisements when job hunting. The reason for this is that there’s a mistrust,…

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  • How and why you should be measuring leadership success

    Leadership in real estate is not just a business journey; it’s also a personal one. Together they are like intersecting rollercoasters: do you strap yourself in, fuel up for the long haul, learn better navigation, get your mind clear of distractions, or stay focused on the road ahead? In fact, you need to do all this and more. In every…

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  • Episode 64: Shane Kempton on how Team Experience (TX) creates Customer Experience (CX)

    In this week’s edition of the Elevate podcast as part of our series, The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean and Shane Kempton of Drive Performance Coaching dig into answering the question a leaders born or made, why team experience or TX is critical for a good customer experience, and why you need the trifecta of documented vision, purpose and values to…

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  • How to secure a tax-free business sale

    It is not often as an accountant that I can tell a client they have no tax to pay on the sale of their business. For many real estate agencies, however, that is exactly the case thanks to the Small Business CGT (SBCGT) Concessions. It doesn’t matter whether you are selling all of your business, part of your business, units…

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  • How to create the right leadership atmosphere for your team

    I visited a different gym a number of months ago; the weights were all over the place, nothing was put away and there was little or no respect for the equipment. As I walked out it became quite easy for me to act in the same fashion as every other member. The environment was setting the tone. Conversely, the gym…

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  • The Next Generation: Paul White and Brian White

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  • Father to Sons: Brian and Paul White

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  • 7 ways to boost your leadership skill set

    We often hear about different forms of leadership – inspirational leadership, motivational leadership, innovative leadership and leading-from-the-front leadership. Leadership is many things, but in essence it all comes down to this: a leader provides a pathway to help others expand their thinking, challenging their beliefs and attitudes about what’s possible. Leadership allows others to own their contribution, which boosts confidence, growth and…

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  • Remembering Ray – Brian and Paul White

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  • Episode 62: Alister Maple-Brown – Customer service excellence and becoming an employer of choice

    In this week's edition of the Elevate podcast as part of our series, The Leadership Diaries, Samantha McLean talks to Alister Maple-Brown, CEO of Rockend, about excellence in customer service, becoming an employer of choice, what businesses should be looking for in moving to the cloud -- as well as his own leadership journey, how innovation decisions are made --…

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