Elite Agent
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Time for VIC construction workers to go back to work: John Setka
Trade unionist John Setka, Victorian state secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, has penned an open letter to the Premier and Chief Health Officer of Victoria, urging them to allow the 300,000 plus Victorian construction workers back onto building sites. The letter is republished below. “The commercial construction industry has continued to lead workers safely through…
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Builders and tradies the biggest losers in NSW/QLD border closures
The Housing Industry Association has warned the national cabinet it is “critical to both state’s economies” that they quickly come to an agreement to relax border restrictions between NSW and QLD, in order to assist thousands of builders and tradies working either side of the border who have been unduly impacted by closures. “When border closures started at 1am on…
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Look inside Justin Bieber’s $25.8 million bargain in Beverly Park
Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Baldwin have scored themselves a massive six-bedroom mansion in Beverly Park for a cool $25.8 million. The property was built in 1988, and first went on the market in April, 2018, with an asking price of $42m; enough to make it realtor.com’s most expensive listing of that week. Since that point, the price dropped incrementally,…
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Stefan Siciliano: Play the long game
Years in the industry?Four years, eight months. What’s a special place in your local area?Greenacres shopping centre. I see so many present and past clients here. I try to pop into Coles to support the local. I also see a lot of people on my database here, and I love being able to stop, say hello, and have a chat…
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The personal touch – at scale
Email autoresponders cut through the obstacles which get in the way of responding to the many property email inquiries an agent receives all day. Bill Shields examines how they can help you boost your client experience. Many of us are thinking about how we will do things differently post-COVID-19 and, perhaps, what things will stay the same. While the market…
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Only 30 auctions expected this week for Melbourne
Auction activity has taken a hit across the combined capital cities this week, as Melbourne enters its fifth week of Stage 4 lockdowns. The city will hold only 30 auctions, down from 765 auctions this time last week. CoreLogic are tracking 937 auctions in total across the capital cities this week, down from both last week’s 1128 and the 1533…
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1.2m Aussie building jobs now in jeopardy
Over 1.2 million jobs and 400,000 businesses are in danger after the 7 per cent fall in the June quarter GDP. Master Builders Australia are calling for the National Cabinet to reach a consensus “to deal cohesively and practically with the tension between the health and economic impact of the virus” or the entire building industry, and therefore the national…
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Ray White NSW | ACT celebrates its 2020 winners
Close to 1000 people tuned in to watch the Ray White NSW | ACT 2019-20 awards, which looked a little different this year, held over Zoom. Nonetheless, the night felt the same, as the network celebrated the achievements of its top offices and individuals. Ray White NSW CEO Andrew McCulloch said the iso-style awards were a sign of 2020 given…
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House hunters are rarely told the home energy rating
Most Australian homes have been built to notoriously poor standards. The energy performance of existing homes in Victoria, for instance, averages 1.8 stars – 6 stars is mandatory for newly built homes under the 10-star Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NaTHERS). Decision-makers typically fail to appreciate the importance of a low star rating, even though it have profound impacts on households’ health and…
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Communication conquers crisis
From bushfires and hail storms to Coronavirus and Kanye for president; we’ve been living through a state of instability and unknowns. Many industries, including ours, have kept on keeping on—albeit with a host of changes, and a welcome opportunity to innovate and challenge the status quo. Everywhere you look, there are lessons to be learnt from living through times of…
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Perth rentals moving the fastest since 2015 mining boom
In August 2019, it took a median of 34 days to lease a property in the Greater Perth region. This August, it only took 21 days, meaning that properties are turning around two weeks’ less than this time last year. Reiwa.com data shows this is the quickest uptake rate since the last mining boom in February, 2015. The median rent…
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WA rental properties leasing two weeks faster in August
August data from the Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) indicates it took a median of 21 days to lease a property in Greater Perth. The swift turnaround time is 13 days less than the same time last year and the shortest time to lease since the construction phase of the last mining boom in February 2015. REIWA President Damian…
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RBA takes hold and hope approach
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left the official cash rate on hold at 0.25 per cent as the nation’s economy continues to feel the fallout of COVID-19. Noting the economy is grappling with the “biggest contraction since the 1930s” RBA Governor Philip Lowe said his board was committed to doing what it could to support jobs, incomes and…
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The Agency reports 48 per cent increase in revenue
The Agency is celebrating success, with their financial results for 2019/20 indicating a turnaround in cashflow and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), along with a 48 per cent increase in revenue. Released on August 31, The Agency’s ASX announcement highlights 12 months of operational growth and improvement, resulting in revenue of $41.86 million, compared to $28.34 million…
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The buck stops with the boss
Every day I receive an email from Seth Godin and I highly recommend you subscribe to him too. One particular piece that he wrote recently resonated with me. The piece was titled Systems, Design and The Front Line. In this blog, Seth talked about how when things are not going well, the buck stops with the boss. “If you experience…
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Landlords the forgotten people: REIV
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria has expressed concern commercial and residential landlords are being left behind and all but forgotten as the government makes decisions on financial support for people impacted by the economic downturn. Citing the recent decision to extend the rental moratorium to 31 December 2020 as one example, they note tenants have been provided with substantial…
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Clearance rate continues to climb in conjunction with higher volume
The national preliminary clearance rate has risen to 67.7 per cent after a higher volume of auctions across the capitals this weekend. Sydney led the charge with a preliminary clearance rate of 74 per cent, while Melbourne returned a success rate of 49.6 per cent on the back of high withdrawal numbers. CoreLogic reports 1163 homes were taken to auction…
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Canberra’s property prices quadrupled since 2000
Housing prices have quadrupled in just two decades, unit prices have tripled, and values could reach an average of over $3.8 million and $1.3 million respectively – These are some of the key insights from Allhomes’ research on Canberra’ property market over the past 20 years. The report also noted that, since 2000, houses sold at auction have risen from…
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REIA makes five key recommendations to Government
The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has provided five key recommendations to the Australian Government ahead of the October 6 Federal Budget. At the forefront of REIA’s considerations are policies to aid first home buyers, thereby boosting the economy. “Agents, renters, investors and those looking to enter the market for the first time are all facing difficulties,” REIA president,…
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Powers of persuasion
The power of persuasion is a valuable skill for real estate agents to have in their toolbox. Michelle Bowden explains precisely how to build your persuasive skills and make others take notice. When was the last time you had to persuade someone? Was it this morning when your children forgot to make their beds or needed to do their homework?…
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Ouwens Casserly appoint new COO
Ouwens Casserly Real Estate has expanded its senior leadership team with the appointment of John Thompson. Mr Thompson joins OC in the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), offering strategic support and leadership across all divisions of the business. “John has been managing a hugely successful recruitment business that has more than tripled in revenue over his seven-year…
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Australian housing at its most affordable since 1999
HIA’s Housing Affordability Index for the June Quarter 2020 indicates national property prices are at their most affordable since 1999. HIA’s Affordability Index is calculated for each of the eight capital cities and regional areas on a quarterly basis and takes into account the latest dwelling prices, mortgage interest rates, and wage developments. Housing affordability improved in the June quarter…
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Harvard economist: Australia has most overvalued property prices in world
Leading Harvard economist Harry Dent has warned he believes Australian property prices are set for a huge fall. Dent is a Harvard MBA graduate, a Fortune 100 consultant, a New York Times bestseller, and claims to have correctly predicted “nearly every major economic event in the past three decades including the 90s recession, the decade-long bull market which followed it,…
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New online tool helps estimate reno costs
If you’ve been watching The Block recently, you may have noticed that Suncorp and CoreLogic are both among the sponsors. The pair have teamed up to launch a new renovation calculator, aimed at helping those inspired by The Block work out the cost of home renovations, according to the room, renovation type, and particular suburb you are renovating in. The…
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Domain launches new spring campaign
Domain have launched their latest lighthearted campaign, ‘see the possibilities’, which plays on those ‘it’s time’ moments, when people know they need to make a property change that’s a better fit for their current lifestyle. The campaign is “centered on the human truths underpinned by changing search behaviour” from needing a proper home office to wanting more natural light. The…
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Andrew Kyriacou: Deliver what you promise
Years in the industry?I have been in the industry for 15 years. What’s a special place in your local area?The special place in my area is the local café, this is the place where I proposed to my wife on the balcony and she was caught by surprise, of course. Did you choose real estate or did real estate choose…
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REIV: Lack of info from Daniel Andrews ‘extremely frustrating’
Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) president Leah Calnan has spoken out against the lack of consultation between the government and the industry. “There’s been a real lack of communication with our industry — it’s extremely frustrating,” Ms Calnan said. “We need to know what’s going on so agents can start planning, so they can prepare contracts, engage solicitors, organise…
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Trouble at the mall as landlords and tenants ponder mutually assured destruction
“This is not a bluff,” Scott Evans, the chief executive of Mosaic Brands, has said of his threat to permanently close 300 to 500 stores in Australia unless landlords reduce rents. Mosiac’s network of about 1300 apparel stores includes Katies, Noni B, Rivers, Rockmans, Millers and Crossroads. With stores shuttered temporarily due to COVID-19 restrictions, it posted a A$170.5 million loss in the…
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realestate.com.au springs into fresh campaign
realestate.com.au has surged to an all-time audience high, reaching 12 million Australians in July, as the brand announced the launch of its new campaign. The campaign extends upon the successful ‘Millions More Buyers’ messages and continues to leverage the platform’s market leadership position of having the largest and most engaged audience of property seekers. REA Group Executive Manager, Consumer Marketing,…
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Take it or leave it: How to negotiate with irrational buyers
It’s safe to say we are living in interesting times and bearing witness to adversity and its related irrational behaviour. I’ve never seen anyone fight over toilet paper before. It can be hard to negotiate deals in such a climate. We need to question if this behaviour is really irrational? Many would answer a resounding “yes”, but I propose that…
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RE/MAX appoints Business Growth Manager
After the successful transition of WA offices into its national network, RE/MAX Australia this month announced the appointment of experienced real estate professional Donna Goddard to the corporate team. Ms Goddard is Perth-based in the role of Business Growth Manager, WA. She has longevity in the Australian real estate landscape with around 12 years as an advertising director with News…
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ANZ: Melbourne house prices to fall by 15%, Sydney not much better
Melbourne house prices will fall by 15 per cent, according to new predictions by ANZ’s economists. The bank also forecasts tough times for Sydney owners, with housing set to drop by an estimated 13 per cent. It predicts the bottoming out of prices will likely occur in the second half of 2021. The bank predicts a national price drop of…
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REIV announces new board of directors
Members of the REIV have chosen four new directors to serve on the board, with Jacob Caine, current president Leah Calnan, Adam Docking and Andrew Meehan all set to take up their positions from October 1, 2020. Current president Leah Calnan and senior vice president Adam Docking were re-elected for their third and second three-year terms respectively. Jacob Caine and…
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Why more companies are going dog friendly
Bringing pet dogs into the workplace is becoming increasingly common. Large companies like Google, Ticketmaster and challenger bank Monzo are just a few that have joined companies in the pet sector (like Pets at Home) that allow employees to bring their dogs to work. Dogs are even being labelled as a new “must-have accessory” in smart offices. But research shows that 64 per cent of workplaces do not…
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