OPINION
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Stand firm, trade smart, walk away: the three pillars of powerful negotiation
Ask most agents when negotiation begins, and they’ll point to the moment an offer lands. In reality, Mark Carter says it starts much earlier — sometimes from the very first phone call. Every discussion about price, commission or expectations is a form of negotiation. The agents who understand this don’t just react to objections; they shape the conversation long before…
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What it really takes to open a high-performing real estate office
Opening a real estate office isn’t just about cutting a ribbon, it’s about building a business ready to perform from day one. Harcourts Head of Operations Kyrstie Nolan explains that success starts long before launch, with the right planning, systems, and people in place.
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Tackling underquoting with transparency
Underquoting in real estate often leaves buyers feeling misled, but greater transparency could change this. Leanne Pilkington explains that agents can build trust by sharing comparable sales data, outlining the factors that make pricing challenging, and helping consumers understand market dynamics, rather than quoting prices below realistic expectations.
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Cracking the deposit code: What agents and brokers need to know about first-home buyers
Agents are about to gain a powerful new way to bring first-home buyers back into the market. Buyers can purchase with just five per cent down - no Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI), no income caps and higher property price limits nationwide. Understanding and explaining these changes could turn hesitant prospects into active clients and keep your pipeline moving.
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The real reason people leave
Six silent killers that drive your best people away, and the "TX strategies" that make them stay.
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How to scale a real estate business without burning out
If you run a business, it’s easy to fall into the habit of being the fixer. A client is unhappy, a team member is stuck, a system breaks — and before anyone else can blink, you’re already in the trenches, sorting it out yourself. But, as Michael Nitschke explains, over time, that approach drains you, disempowers your team, and quietly…
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Own your growth: why great leadership starts with you
In real estate, market knowledge and negotiation skills only get you so far. REMAX managing director, Joel Davoren, says the real game-changer is how well you lead yourself - your mindset, discipline, and daily choices. Master that, and you’ll have the foundation to lead clients, teams, and your business to lasting success.
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Why happiness should come before success in real estate
In real estate, success is often measured in listings, sales, and market share, but chasing those milestones without looking after your own wellbeing can leave you burnt out. Harvard professor and author Arthur C. Brooks argues in The Happiness Files that the real formula works the other way around: focus on your happiness first, and greater, more sustainable success will…
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Styling versus renovating: What adds the most value before selling?
Professional styling offers homeowners a higher return on investment than pre-sale renovations, costing a fraction while significantly impacting buyer emotion and marketing appeal. For most properties, strategic styling can mask dated features, maximise perceived space, and create emotional connections- all without the delays and financial risks of major renovations.
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The biggest lie in real estate: “Just do this one thing and you’ll grow”
Real estate expert Kylie Walker debunks the industry's biggest myth that "just one thing" leads to business growth. Her own cautionary tale of gaining 100 clients while losing 95 reveals why sustainable success requires strong foundations, not quick fixes.
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Leadership fatigue is the hidden risk no one talks about
In an age where “always on” has become the default setting for many leaders, the pressure to be decisive, available and endlessly resilient can take a hidden toll. For Thomas McGlynn, Director/CEO of BresicWhitney, the warning signs aren’t abstract; they appear in the decisions leaders make, the hours they keep, and the strain that shows long before burnout arrives.
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Is it time to retire the GOAT? Rethinking auction clearance rates as the market barometer
Australia's long-trusted auction clearance rates may no longer tell the full story of the property market. As selling strategies diversify and buyer behaviors evolve, this once-definitive metric increasingly captures only a fraction of transactions, raising questions about what truly measures market health in today's complex real estate landscape.
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The great property pause: How agents can turn “not yet” into “let’s go”
For many Australians in their 20s and 30s, buying a first home feels out of reach. Buyer’s agent Tash Kessel says hesitation is growing, but the right guidance can turn that pause into progress.
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The leadership trap that’s killing your culture (and how to fix it)
Harcourts WA CEO Shane Kempton shares why ego kills culture - and how mission-driven leadership can transform your team's performance, retention, and legacy. A must-read for real estate leaders ready to level up.
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If Amazon sold property – lessons from a global behemoth
Avi Khan travelled to Amazon HQ and discovered what AI has in store for the real estate industry.
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Real estate reform or just red tape?
If it feels like the rulebook’s getting heavier, you’re not imagining it. From tighter eviction laws to minimum standards and new training requirements, legislation is hitting fast -and changing how PM's work. Whether it’s reform or just more red tape, one thing’s clear: property management is under the spotlight like never before.
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From sales to strategy: Why becoming a non-selling principal was the right move
Breaking industry norms, Ben Kingsberry learned that stepping away from active selling created a stronger business foundation. By choosing leadership over competition with his own team, he built a thriving 60-person agency where salespeople close up to 60 deals annually without competing against the boss for listings.
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From portals to possibilities: the future of property search
As search evolves from keywords to AI-driven intent, real estate professionals face a pivotal shift in how properties are discovered online. Google's new approach prioritizes visual content and direct answers, potentially diminishing portal dominance and rewarding businesses with strong digital platforms and original content.
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Real estate leadership is changing – and agents are calling the shots
The era of command-and-control leadership in real estate is fading fast. Today’s agents want more than KPIs and top-down directives — they’re looking for empathy, collaboration, and leaders who prioritise wellbeing as much as performance. According to Laing+Simmons CEO and REIA President Leanne Pilkington, leadership that truly connects with teams now looks very different to what it did a decade…
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The real reason your sales team isn’t performing (yet)
“Talent wins deals. But structure wins seasons.” Real estate veteran Aaron Chuah exposes what really powers top-performing sales teams, and it’s not superstar agents. From mindset to metrics, he reveals seven game-changing pillars every leader should know - but most overlook.
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Why we need to stop over-complicating real estate
In a field cluttered with AI tools, scripts and training programs, the fundamental elements remain deceptively simple: building trust and solving problems. The parallel between running and real estate reveals how both reward consistency and human connection over technological distraction.
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When buyers go quiet: Why pausing beats pitching every time
When homebuyers go quiet after inspections, it's rarely disinterest, it's decision fatigue. Modern real estate requires agents to abandon scripts and create breathing room with thoughtful questions that help overwhelmed clients articulate their feelings about potential homes.
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Creating a workplace that people want to be in
Despite remote work capabilities, Ben Kingsberry invested in a state-of-the-art office space, believing that culture thrives where people want to be. His open-plan headquarters has become more than a workplace; it's a social hub counterbalancing industry pressures and new attracting talent.
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Styling for downsizers: how to appeal to the empty nester market
Empty nesters are becoming an ever-increasing portion of the market, and Justine Wilson explains how you can appeal to them with better styling.
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Why building talent beats searching for unicorns
Some agents just have ‘it’ — or so the story goes. But what if 'it' isn’t something you're born with, but something that can be developed? According to Laing+Simmons Head of People & Growth Jacqui Barnes, spotting potential is only the beginning. Real leadership starts when you turn raw talent into consistent performance. With the right coaching, culture, and intent,…
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Turning stress into real estate success
In real estate, stress isn’t just part of the job - it’s often the default setting. But according to author Meiron Lees, the real challenge isn’t the market, the clients, or the missed listings—it’s the 60,000 thoughts running through your head every day. He shares three simple but powerful mindset tools to help agents transform stress into clarity, build lasting…
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The psychology of pricing: why facts, not flattery, win in real estate
In real estate, price isn’t just a number, it’s a decision layered with psychology, data, and trust. Whether the market’s rising, flat, or cooling, agents face one enduring challenge: helping vendors see where their property truly sits. Ryan McCann, Director at First National Cleveland, has spent nearly 30 years refining how to guide these conversations. For him, it’s not about…
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The real KPI that’s silently draining your rent roll: burnout
You didn’t build your business to feel exhausted. When your energy shifts, your rent roll can too. Here’s how to move from overwhelm to alignment — and lead with clarity, profit, and purpose.
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No sales, no problem: the rise of property management-only agencies
Once seen as a support act to sales, property management is stepping into the spotlight. A new wave of PM-only agencies is proving that with the right systems and focus, it’s not just possible to thrive without a sales team—it may be the smarter way to grow.
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The 3-Minute Content Rule
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen thinking, “What on earth do I post today?”—you’re not alone. Social media can feel like just another thing on your never-ending to-do list. But what if coming up with content didn’t require a full brainstorm session? Enter the 3-Minute Content Rule: a simple habit for busy property managers who want to stay…
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Great at sales? It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good at business
In real estate, the progression from high-performing agent to business owner is often seen as a logical next step, achievable with a strong GCI, a Cert IV, and enough drive to back yourself. But while the barriers to entry are low, the knowledge required to build and sustain a business is anything but with limited formal education in operations, time…
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Belief, structure, and strategic growth
For Michelle Champion, director of Champions of Real Estate in Cairns, sustainable success required more than ambition. It meant shaking off her "small town syndrome" and shifting from reactive day-to-day operations to leading with strategy and vision.
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Unleashing your true motivation
Sustainable real estate success begins not with commission targets but with discovering your intrinsic motivation, your personal "why." By building a framework of purpose through clear mission statements, forward-looking vision, and actionable values, agents create businesses that transcend transactions to deliver both professional achievement and personal fulfillment.
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What AI is really doing for Property Managers right now
Property managers are embracing AI solutions that handle everything from tenant communications to maintenance emergencies, transforming an industry facing critical housing demands and workforce shortages.
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Breaking performance ceilings: the power of seeing what’s possible
One thing that's become crystal clear to me throughout my career in real estate is that most performance barriers aren't market-driven – they're mental.
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