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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  • 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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  • How a pandemic could improve the traditional workplace

    Having had to rapidly adjust to working from home due to COVID-19, many people are now having to readjust to life back in the office. Many will have enjoyed aspects of what is sometimes called “distributed work”, but some may be dreading the return. So is there a middle ground? Could hybrid work arrangements, known for boosting well-being and productivity,…

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  • How COVID-19 changed business practices

    The pandemic literally changed the world. It certainly changed the way we conduct business of all kind. The real estate industry has learnt a lot of lessons from March through to the end of June, and continues to learn. These lessons learned from how we have been forced to adapt have a great many positives. My observation of the main…

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  • PR isn’t what it used to be

    In the last five years, digital and social media have fundamentally changed the way PR works. Once upon a time, media outlets had the power to decide which ideas, products and services the public wanted to hear about. Now, audiences hold the power. With search and social at their fingertips, consumers know what they’re looking for and have the tools…

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  • The new opportunities of working from home

    Obviously, the pandemic is still a very much a reality for everyone. Yet as restrictions ease, it is also clear that people, at least in terms of mindset, are thinking about what comes next. It’s true across many aspects of our lives, including our homes. After being in lockdown for so long, many people are reconsidering the suitability of their…

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  • Tony Issa: Being true to others and ourselves

    Years in the industry?  Since 2010 in different capacities, but always related to property.  What’s a special place in your local area?I really love Finesse Eatery and Espresso Bar in Sylvania, and Cup and Cook in Kyle Bay – they are relaxing environments where I can chat to the operators and locals while enjoying great food and coffee. Did you choose…

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  • How to show true value as a property manager

    Property managers need to do more than just return phone calls on time to show true value and secure more managements, a leading industry expert says. Speaking as part of a Transform 2020 lesson, Coronis Now Director Jodie Stainton says property managers must actively think about ways to offer more than their rivals and stand out in the crowd. “I…

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  • 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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  • Avoiding data disaster

    When we have new clients looking at implementing a new CRM, we are often faced with the conversation about migrating data from their existing systems or spreadsheets. Data is one of the key contributors to success or failure when it comes to changing CRMs. So how do you prevent a data disaster unfolding? Last month we had a new client…

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  • Real estate industry invited to contribute to PropTech future

    The real estate industry is being invited to have its say on the future of PropTech after REACH Australia unveiled a group of Australasian PropTech providers who could revolutionise the sector both locally and overseas. Known collectively as the REACH Australia Class of 2020, the companies included in the cohort range from property management platforms to integrated smart lock providers,…

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  • How to prepare your business for the economic recovery phase

    The Covid-induced recession is causing strife for thousands of businesses across the country. At the same time, it is giving businesses downtime to examine their operations and their spending, and highlight where they can make improvements. Adjusting your focus and looking ahead to the economic recovery phase may, in fact, put your business in an advantageous position for recovery. Here…

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  • Top tips for business success

    After a rollercoaster couple of months, the real estate sector is now looking to get back to business as usual. But like it or not, the playing field has shifted markedly since the beginning of the year, and agencies large and small are being forced to re-evaluate, reconsider, and reposition. To assist, we’ve assembled some of the top business tips…

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  • Laura Shooter of SJ Shooter Real Estate named Transform 2020 winner

    SJ Real Estate Managing Director Laura Shooter has been named the winner of Elite Agent’s Transform challenge for 2020. Receiving the welcome news on Friday, Ms Shooter said was “very excited,” and “quite surprised” to take out the title over a field of 306 participants who completed this year’s 30-day virtual course. “I didn’t go…

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  • 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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  • 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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  • Donna Gordin: Following my instincts

    Years in the industry?  Seems like forever, but in 1993 I started in a family business working for a very successful office in Scarborough.  That make’s it just over 27 years. What's a special place in your local area?Our north facing bay in Rockingham,  you’ll discover crystal blue waters and crisp white sand in Cockburn Sound.…

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  • 10 High-impact, low-cost marketing ideas for real estate agents

    Recent Covid-19 stay-at-home policies and lockdowns have seen many people with extra time on their hands. For example, American adults spent on average 3.5 hours per day on their phones in 2019, and the time spent on social media has increased by 20 per cent. With so many people spending time on social media, real estate agents can capitalise on the trend by…

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  • Five ways to boost the client experience

    Building trust is an essential part of doing business – until our clients trust us, we have very little leverage or leeway in the relationship. We are more of an order-taker and less likely able to add value. Once there is trust, you can build on the relationship and start to add tangible value. This enables more sophisticated conversations around…

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  • 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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  • Aussies welcome return of small gatherings but big events still a concern

    A little more than 60 per cent of Australians were looking forward to larger gatherings of family and friends and dining in at restaurants or cafĂ©s, but more than 70 per cent said they were uncomfortable about attending large public events, according to new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS’s fifth Household…

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  • 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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  • Staying on track

    Running a real estate business requires its leaders to wear many hats. We are still people businesses, so the discussions that drive accountability remain critical. Sales divisions still rely heavily on the commission structure to drive performance, but moving forward it may not be enough on its own. As technology becomes more and more a critical part of the business…

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  • Kristine Krienke: Going above and beyond to get the job done

    Years in the industry?I have been in the industry for four years and I’m a Sales Associate at Place Estate Agents. What’s a special place in your local area?My local area is full of green spaces and parks that families are drawn to. With so many great outdoor areas to enjoy, it’s easy to forget you’re just 10kms from the…

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  • Nine steps for keeping your office safe in COVID-19

    From implementing extra cleaning of frequently touched surfaces to including your shared company cars in regular cleans, there are a lot of extra safety standards you need to consider as your team settles back in at the office. National anti-viral sanitisation company Cleancorp has been inundated with inquiries since the beginning of the pandemic, and company Director Lisa Macqueen said…

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  • If it were Day 1 in real estate again… what would you do differently?

    Coming out of the COVID-19 crisis is the perfect time to adopt a “learner mentality” and treat things as though it’s your first day in real estate, a top sales director says. Speaking as part of a Transform 2020 Leadership Lesson, The Agency’s Thomas McGlynn (now CEO at BresicWhitney) says too often agents think they know it all and have…

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  • 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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  • 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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  • 11 ways to attract new listings during COVID-19

    Virtual coffees with clients and helping to promote struggling local businesses are just two of 11 ways agents can generate new leads and listings during the COVID-19 crisis, a leading US agent and coach says. Speaking during one of this year’s Transform lessons, Jim Remley says during the Covid-19 crisis agents need to think outside the square to list and…

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  • Management mess or leadership success?

    Over the past 12 years, I have had the privilege of working in some smooth operations, with fantastic leaders paving the way for their team to succeed. I have also had the underwhelming experience of working in departments where the ‘leader’ was a person whose idea of leadership is to incite fear and a culture that is a representation of…

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  • How to stop fearing and start having powerful direct conversations

    Agents should stop “telling and selling” and start asking deep-diving questions to meet clients’ values, list more properties and make more sales. Speaking during one of this year’s Transform lessons, expert coach Caroline Bolderston says the key to doing this is to learn the art of having powerful direct conversations (PDCs). The trouble is, there are three main elements that…

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  • Notice of Intention – Realcover Insurances Pty Limited

    NOTICE OF INTENTION TO APPLY TO THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA FOR CONFIRMATION OF A SCHEME FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE INSURANCE BUSINESS OF REALCOVER INSURANCES PTY LIMITED TO QBE INSURANCE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED UNDER DIVISION 3A OF PART III OF THE INSURANCE ACT 1973 (CTH). TAKE NOTICE that QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ACN 003 191 035 (QBE)intends to make an application to the…

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  • Why we can’t see the blinding obvious

    What do snap judgements, gut feelings and stereotypes have in common? They are all forms of heuristics. Heuristics is a term psychologists use to describe the mental shortcuts, which are often unconscious, used to make decisions and solve problems. We use many shortcuts to make decisions daily. Sometimes when we are faced with a difficult situation with a client, or…

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  • 5 tips for real estate agents working with separated couples

    In a perfect world, all separating couples would adopt a sensible, collaborative, co-operative approach to the sale of their home. But we don’t live in a perfect world. Being aware of and sensitive to the potential issues which may arise in the sale of a home as the result of a separation, can help you prepare and plan. As the…

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  • New banks on the block

    Neobanks, smartbanks, non-bank lenders and home loan disruptors are all terms that prove the mortgage landscape in Australia is rapidly changing. The days of traditional banks being the only option for buyers wanting to take out a home loan are gone, with an array of challengers entering the market. These home loan disruptors include neobanks such as 86 400 and…

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