A clever cookie strategy, The importance of consistency, Affordability havens + news and more

Good Morning from Elite Agent

Remember when Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet’s characters swapped homes one Christmas in The Holiday? Well, it seems it’s something people do in real life too, and they’re doing it in increasing numbers. According to homeexchange.com the number of Aussie members swapping homes with other folk, both here and overseas, rose 85 per cent in 2023. London-based Twincity has also started taking members from Sydney and Melbourne following “huge interest”. The aim is, people don’t just swap homes, they also find new friends, just like in the movie! And, in a true ‘house swap’, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and oil heiress Aileen Getty each bought the other’s home last year. More on those sales here.

Today, we are also covering:

• Moira Verheijen’s clever cookie strategy

• Peter Diamantidis on the importance of consistency

• National housing affordability havens

• AUSTROS challengers ready to battle it out

• And much more!

Let's get to work 🚀

Instant Inspo 💡

ALWAYS BE MARKETING

Embrace digital tools and invest in a strong online presence. Consider your business as both a multimedia company and a real estate agency to stay relevant in the current market.

Go Deeper with Lisa Novak here.

On our radar

The ANZAC spirit

When prospective buyers walk into Moira Verheijen’s open homes this weekend they will be greeted by the sight and smell of freshly baked ANZAC biscuits. And while the choice of biscuit on offer this weekend is for a special occasion, the fact that cookies are on offer is not unusual. Moira bakes biscuits for all of her open homes. As well as being a unique value add for her vendors, the cookies also help break the ice with buyers and provide her with a point of difference that helps buyers remember her properties when she does callbacks. Learn more about Moira’s clever cookie strategy (and get her ANZAC biscuit recipe) here.

And if you know of a feel good story, let us in on it at [email protected].

Masterclass session 1 replay

Masterclass replay

If you signed up to Master the Market with Mark Kentwell, you can now get your hands on the replay of the first session. The session teaches you how to leverage your database to identify potential listings before they even come to market. It also covers how to manage your contacts efficiently, drive more referrals and create a robust database that is a lead-generation gold mine. And, if you haven’t signed up yet, it’s still not too late to do so and get access to the next two live sessions and all three replays. Find all you need to know here.

Today’s Feature

Peter Diamantidis: The power of consistency

Peter Diamantidis started in real estate when he was just 15, going on to forge a career as one of the industry’s most dominant agents, closing 334 transactions last year. In today’s feature, Peter tells Ray White Head of Performance and Recognition, Bianca Denham, why consistency was the key to building his business, and why he invests in growing his team from the ground up and focuses on training. More here.

Today’s Quiz

Don't be a drip — see if you can filter out the AI-generated tap from the real splash in the kitchen lineup!

Brekky Browse

Meanwhile in Norway 🇳🇴

A new Norway real estate portal, which uses AI to match buyers and sellers, is looking to take on the country’s top online listing service, Finn.no. Hjem, which means ‘home’, is run by Oslo-based digital real estate company Bormega.

As well as showing ‘perfect matches’ when it links buyers and sellers, Hjem also suggests homes that buyers might be interested in. Read more about the challenger here.

Anything else?

Shake your groove thing

It’s time to break out your feather boas because, 30 years after the original was released, there’s going to be a sequel to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. What’s even more exciting is the original cast, Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, will also return.

Reinvention of classics, like Priscilla, is a testament to their timeless appeal. Over the years we’ve interviewed plenty of leaders with both classic and lessons relevant to today. Check out some timeless lessons from John Bongiorno here.

Dates for your diary

Find Elite Agent Editor Samantha McLean speaking about real estate and AI at these upcoming events:

May 2 First National Conference, New Plymouth NZ
May 10 AI Powered Agents Subscriber Masterclass (Virtual)
May 17 Raine & Horne PM Conference, Bowral, NSW
May 27 AREC, Gold Coast, Qld
June 3 Harcourts PM Conference, Gold Coast, Qld
July 12 AI Powered Agents Subscriber Masterclass (Virtual)
July 19 Leah Calnan National PM Day, Melbourne, Vic
July 30-Aug 1 Proptech Summit + Workshop, Sydney
August 11-14 Elite Retreat, Hayman Island, Qld
August 25 PPM Conference, Gold Coast, Qld