🐴 Fake horses, very real consequences

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

A “Snickelway” is a contemporary architectural term used to describe open-plan townhouse designs that maximise light, space, and indoor-outdoor flow.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• When property photos stop matching reality

• Half of family income now goes to mortgage repayments

• Population growth far exceeds new housing delivery

Today’s read time: 5 minutes, 30 seconds

New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝

AI GENERATED MEDIA

Those horses weren't real, but the lesson is

Property marketers are rapidly embracing AI-generated imagery, but Elite Agent's Samantha McLean argues the issue is not the technology itself - it's how and where it is used.

Her comments follow a Brisbane listing that attracted national attention after a hero image showed horses and stables that did not actually exist on the property. While the agent involved said the image was intended to illustrate a potential lifestyle opportunity, Samantha warns that intention is not the legal test.

As principal solicitor Emily McMullan explained: "Under Australian Consumer Law, property advertising cannot be misleading or deceptive, and that covers the words, the images, the medium and the overall impression."

Samantha argues that if a buyer visits a property and feels misled by what they saw in the marketing, the campaign has already crossed a dangerous line.

She also cautions agents against focusing on proposed NSW rental advertising penalties in the AI debate, noting that the widely reported $22,000 fines relate to rental reforms that are not yet law and do not apply to property sales and she argues this distracts from the more immediate risk already in place under Australian Consumer Law, where misleading AI-altered imagery in sales campaigns can attract far greater penalties, including fines running into the millions for serious breaches.

Despite the controversy, Samantha explains AI has an important role in real estate when used transparently and in one-to-one conversations with buyers and vendors.

"The public listing or advertisement is a factual document, not a mood board."

Her advice to agents is simple: use AI to demonstrate possibilities, not realities, and ensure anything that is not real is clearly labelled as such. To that end, ongoing education for agents is critical, particularly as AI tools become more widely used in campaign creation and marketing workflows.

”Use the tool. Tell the truth. Train your people.”

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The McMullan test: The simple standard that determines whether any image crosses the line

• The real penalty exposure: Why $22,000 is the small end of the stick, not the ceiling

• The portal vs consult rule: Where AI visualisation creates value instead of risk

• The ten-minute team meeting: Two things to implement this week that could save your brand

Read the full article

ICYMI yesterday: The AI Sprint recap: Practical ways agents can win listings

TOGETHER WITH … Elite Agent!

Last call: Insiders at $297 ends Monday

On Tuesday, Elite Agent Insiders goes from $297 to $397 a year (monthly moves from $29.70 to $39.70). Already a member? Nothing changes for you – you're locked in at your current rate.

If you've been on the fence, here's what's actually inside:

• Ailsa+, the full AI toolset – listing copy, AI buyer personas, DISC client profiling, social content, and professional AI headshots

• Monthly live calls – live Q&A and accountability with Samantha McLean, restarting Thursday 2 July, stay up to date with everything new

• The members' WhatsApp community

• 4 Elite Agent credits to spend across the platform each year (including AILSA)

• Half an hour with Sam, 1:1 – join annually, and we'll spend 30 minutes working on your own AI strategy.

At $297, the whole thing works out to 81 cents a day. You've spent more than that on a coffee you didn't finish.

From Tuesday, it's $397.

Join Insiders before the price rises →

FINANCIAL STRESS

Mortgage repayments hit record half of family income

Two RBA rate hikes in as many months have pushed the average mortgage to $5,927 a month, which is now consuming a record 50.8% of median family income. That's erased three quarters of the affordability gains made throughout 2025. NSW remains the toughest market at 58.4%, and first home buyer loans fell 20.4% over the quarter.

HOUSING SUPPLY

Migration outpaces housing supply three to one

For every new home added to Australia's housing stock, nearly three long-term migrants arrive. Fresh ABS data shows net housing supply hit 174,500 dwellings over the 12 months to March 2026 – while net arrivals reached 489,300. And we're actually building 14.6% fewer homes than we were a decade ago.

HOW IT SOLD

The $15k saving that started next door

After selling 16/22 Mosman Street, Jeremy McPherson had 20 buyers still searching in his database. He pitched the owner of apartment 35 on an off-market campaign – and two weeks later, it sold for $835,000 with no staging required. The vendor saved $15,000 in marketing while also achieving $15,000 above the earlier sale.

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

CELEBRITY HOMES

Albo's former Newtown home hits the market

When Anthony Albanese sold his Newtown terrace in 2006, he gave the buyers the essentials – bin night schedule and a tip to order the "baby cone" at the local ice cream shop. (Apparently, he was right – three scoops.) The double-fronted home is now on the market for the first time in two decades, with Albo's former home office still intact.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

RWC Canberra acquires Sentia to create ACT's largest commercial team

The entire Sentia team will join RWC Canberra's Braddon office from July, forming the ACT's largest commercial sales and leasing team with more than 1,500 tenancies under management. More here.

The Agency opens office in Perth's Cottesloe

The national brand has launched a Western Suburbs office, backed by a team with more than 50 years of combined local experience. More here.

Ray White Ashgrove principal expands into Indooroopilly

Adam Downes has expanded into Ray White Indooroopilly, with outgoing principals Kirrilli Cobley and Jessica King staying on to continue selling. 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

Some listings get photos. This one got a documentary. 🎥 🎙️

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

A “Snickelway” is a contemporary architectural term used to describe open-plan townhouse designs that maximise light, space, and indoor-outdoor flow.

And the answer is …

FALSE. A “Snickelway” is not a modern property style at all. The term actually refers to a narrow, often medieval pedestrian passageway found in historic cities like York in the UK. The word itself was coined in the 1980s by local author Mark W. Jones, combining old dialect terms like snicket, ginnel, and alleyway to describe the maze of hidden shortcuts that run between streets, courtyards, and buildings.

Wishing you a productive day!

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