🤝 Buyers are using AI, but the trust gap is real

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

Finding a cemetery on a property's title doesn't stop a real estate agent from marketing or selling the home.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Your biggest AI opportunity? Trust

• Housing market stalls after rate hikes

• Sunset clauses explained

Today’s read time: 5 minutes, 50 seconds

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AI ADVANTAGE

The AI trust gap is your biggest competitive advantage

The biggest opportunity AI has created for real estate agents isn't faster property valuations - it's trust. As buyers increasingly rely on AI to research homes, estimate values and compare properties, they're arriving at inspections armed with more information than ever. Yet new research from Cotality shows they're not necessarily more confident. In fact, 68 per cent of buyers globally still want to verify AI-generated property information, while Australian buyers are the most sceptical of all, with just 40 per cent willing to trust an automated valuation.

"The first question from a buyer may no longer be, 'What's this property worth?' but rather, 'Can I trust what I've already seen?'" says Craig Dargusch, Chief Data Officer at Cotality.

That's where great agents gain the upper hand.

Instead of seeing AI as competition, use it as the starting point for deeper conversations. Explain what an algorithm can't see, add the local context behind the data, and show buyers and vendors how market knowledge, negotiation experience and on-the-ground insight produce a more accurate picture than technology alone.

The research reinforces that human expertise isn't becoming less valuable - it's becoming a premium service. Nearly half of buyers globally say they would pay extra for a human expert to verify AI-generated housing decisions, proving that trust remains one of the industry's most valuable assets.

The agents who embrace AI while confidently explaining, validating and contextualising its output won't be replaced by technology, they'll stand out because of it.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The 40 per cent gap: Why Australian buyers rank lowest on AI valuation trust, and how to use that to strengthen your position

• The zero-tolerance threshold: The listing accuracy stat that should change how you review every campaign

• The disclosure expectation: What 68 per cent of buyers now want to know about AI in your process

• The human premium: How to demonstrate your value when buyers are willing to pay more for expert verification

This is one of the clearest data sets yet on where agents fit in an AI-shaped property market – and the five practical takeaways are worth reading in full.

Read the full article

ICYMI last week, we discussed how to create opportunity in an uncertain market.

TOGETHER WITH @REALTY

@realty Reporting Group launched to manage agency AML Compliance

New AML/CTF obligations apply to Australian real estate agencies from July 2026, requiring AUSTRAC enrolment, customer due diligence, compliance registers, staff training and ongoing audits.

To help agents meet these requirements without building in-house expertise, @realty has launched the @realty Reporting Group, a centralised compliance model where a dedicated team manages customer due diligence, AUSTRAC reporting, audits and training on behalf of member agencies.

The approach is designed to let agents focus on listing, marketing and selling property while compliance professionals handle the regulatory requirements behind the scenes.

Read about @realty’s Reporting Group here.

PROPERTY SNAPSHOT

Home prices flat after three rate hikes

National values didn't budge in May, according to realestate.com.au's latest Market Snapshot – though they're still 7.5% up on a year ago. Sydney and Melbourne have now slipped for three straight months, with Sydney's auction clearance rate sitting below 50% since mid-March. REA Group's Angus Moore says it's still too early to see the Budget's impact in the data.

BACK TO BASICS

Sunset clauses: the small contract detail with big consequences

Sunset clauses may look like standard contract fine print, but they can have major consequences for off-the-plan buyers. Here's why every agent should understand how they work and the risks they can pose.

HOW IT SOLD

A storybook garden sealed this five-day sale

Abbey Morris organised a private viewing for database buyers at 18 Wolstenholme Street, Chisholm, before the first open home – and when she mentioned the Alice in Wonderland themed garden, the couple revealed it was their favourite film. Two offers emerged from 10 open home attendees and the private viewing pair, with the $766,000 sale going under contract in just five days – well under the suburb's 29-day average.

Stories like this build your online reputation long after the sold sticker comes down. Want yours told? getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

The Chelsea flat that inspired Tilda Swinton’s latest art project

Before her Oscar, Tilda Swinton lived in a modest King's Road flat from 1983 to 1998. Now it's listed for £650,000 (A$1.16 million) just as a full-scale replica goes on display at Amsterdam's Eye Filmmuseum.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Woodards surpasses $1 million milestone in CEO Sleepout fundraising

The network's tenth year of participation funded two soup vans this year alone, with Executive Chairman John Piccolo receiving a Decade of Impact Award. More here.

The network is on track to hit its target of 20 new offices by year-end, with Chief Growth Officer Tina Ashton driving much of the expansion. 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

If you're Gen Alpha, this one's going to need some explaining. Everyone else, enjoy the nostalgia. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤣

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

Finding a cemetery on a property's title doesn't stop a real estate agent from marketing or selling the home.

And the answer is …

TRUE. A property with a private family cemetery or approved burial site can still be legally sold. While the burial site may impose restrictions on how the land can be used or developed, it does not prevent the property from being marketed or transferred to a new owner. In Victoria, approved private burials may be recorded on the property's title; in NSW, private burials are permitted only in limited circumstances and remain legally protected after a sale; in WA, approved burial sites are typically registered on the Certificate of Title so future owners are aware of them. Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT also allow burials outside public cemeteries in certain circumstances, subject to government or local authority approval.

Wishing you a productive day!

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