GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

Many of Amsterdam’s famous canal houses were built skinny on purpose to avoid higher taxes.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Budget changes to negative gearing and CGT put housing policy back in focus

• Three standout ideas agents are taking away from REIWA Connect 2026

• Regional markets are now outperforming the capitals as buyers chase affordability

Today’s read time: 4 minutes, 40 seconds

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BUDGET DEBRIEF

Budget Night Delivered More Than Expected

Your phone probably rang all week on rumours. Now we have the numbers – and some details buried in the budget papers deserve your attention before the calls start this morning. The grandfathering is more generous than expected. But one surprise element changes the calculation entirely.

The Grandfathering Has a Catch

Properties under contract but not yet settled? Protected. But Treasury notes over half of negatively geared properties are typically sold or become positively geared within four to five years. The grandfathering has a natural expiry date – and what that means for your investor conversations is something most agents haven't considered yet.

The CGT Model Changed Everything

The 50 per cent discount is being replaced with cost base indexation – the system Australia used before 1999. For existing properties, gains are split at 1 July 2027. But here's a critical missing element: the 30 per cent minimum tax wasn't widely flagged in the leaks. That changes the calculation for certain investor profiles entirely.

The Number That Explains It All

Treasury led with one statistic that reveals why these changes happened. For almost one in three investment properties sold in 2022-23, owners received a net tax subsidy – not a concession. They paid less income tax across the entire hold-and-sell cycle than if they'd never bought the property. The full article breaks down exactly why.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The two dates that matter: What happens between budget night and 1 July 2027 – and why the "grace period" creates opportunities

• The split calculation: How existing properties are valued and why the valuation decision matters now

• New builds get a choice: Why investors can pick their CGT treatment at sale, not purchase – with full hindsight

• Pre-1985 assets: The significant change for long-held family investment properties that flew under the radar

The agents who can calmly explain what's actually changing – and what isn't – will be the ones their clients remember.

Read the full article

ICYMI, yesterday, we found out why the Budget is adding “peak uncertainty” in the housing market

TOGETHER WITH PEXA CLEAR

PEXA Clear adds six partners before AML deadline

AML/CTF compliance obligations kick in for real estate agents from 1 July 2026 – and PEXA Clear is building momentum, announcing partnerships with Simonds, Clarendon Homes, Belle Property Townsville and three others. The platform integrates with Real Time Agent, Actionstep and Mantis Property, so checks can run without leaving your existing workflow. If you want to get ahead of the compliance rollout now is the time to start..

Find out more about how PEXA Clear is helping property professionals meet their obligations here.

REIWA CONNECT RECAP

The grind (and the grace) of long term prospecting

Caroline Bolderston's reframe on vendor conversations hit home: when you give people options, they choose; when you tell them what to do, they resist. That was one of several practical shifts from REIWA Connect in Perth last week. Samantha McLean's recap includes a checklist you can screenshot – and a challenge: what's your version of Mat Steinwede's 10 handwritten CMAs a day?

REGIONAL

Regional markets outperform capitals as buyers chase affordability

Regional dwelling values rose 3.3 per cent over the three months to April – triple the 1.1 per cent growth recorded across the combined capitals – as buyers continue shifting towards more affordable lifestyle markets. Western Australia dominated the latest rankings, with Busselton, Albany, Geraldton and Bunbury all among the nation's fastest-growing regional centres, while regional rental markets remain exceptionally tight. Vacancy rates are now sitting below 2 per cent nationally across the regions, with stronger yields and shorter selling times continuing to attract both investors and owner-occupiers away from the capitals.

HOW IT SOLD

Strategic relaunch delivers $2.5m result in seven days

A Surfers Paradise apartment sold prior to auction in just seven days after a targeted campaign reset, achieving – $2.5 million following a previous failed listing. Nicole Driscoll of Belle Property activated her buyer database early and rebuilt momentum with a tailored relaunch, creating urgency and securing a fast result.

Agents across Australia and New Zealand are turning sales into stories. getailsa.com →

CELEBRITY HOMES

Angelina Jolie lists Cecil B. DeMille estate for $48M

Cecil B. DeMille called it home for 43 years. Charlie Chaplin's old place next door is connected by a glass corridor. Angelina Jolie is now listing the Laughlin Park estate for $48 million – and reportedly leaving California entirely once her twins turn 18 in two months. Yes, there's a tea house.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Daniel Brennan launches DV Buyers Agency in Perth

After nearly a decade across property management and strata, he's gone full-time with his boutique buyer's agency focusing exclusively on the Perth market. More here.

Success doesn’t rest on weekends! 
Get the latest on top agent and agency moves every Sunday with our weekly roundup in Movers & Shakers. Subscribe now.

AGENTS ON SOCIAL

Hi Josh, meet LA’s #1 seller! Just kidding! Martinis? 🍸🤷🏻‍♂️🎶 📞

Seen an Agent On Social we should include? Let us know here (email link)

TRUE OR FALSE:

Many of Amsterdam’s famous canal houses were built skinny on purpose to avoid higher taxes.

And the answer is …

True. In Amsterdam, properties were historically taxed based on the width of their canal frontage, leading owners to build tall, narrow homes to reduce costs. The result is the city’s iconic skinny houses, many of which still feature large hoist hooks at the top. Because the staircases inside were too tight for furniture, items were hauled through the windows instead. Many homes even lean slightly forward by design, helping prevent furniture from crashing into the facade during the lift.

Wishing you a productive day!

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