📦 Four offers, 1,000 cans, and one very long Q&A night

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TODAY'S FEATURE

The 5 per cent AI still can't take from you

Picture an agent who imported 3D scanning technology before it was mainstream, then built an AI video platform that turns listing photos into cinematic content in minutes. Wes McGregor isn’t waiting to see how technology reshapes real estate, he’s actively testing it. After challenging himself to find a way AI could replace the role of an agent entirely, Wes discovered the opposite: while machines may handle up to 95 per cent of the process, the final 5 per cent is where true professionals will prove their worth.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The AI disruption challenge: how Wes tested whether artificial intelligence could replace a real estate agent, and what he discovered about the future of the profession.
• The cognitive dissonance trap: why most agents respond to AI with fear instead of curiosity, and the language shift Wes made to fix it in his own marketing.
• The human advantage: why hyper-local knowledge, negotiation and emotional intelligence are the skills AI can’t replicate.

Read the full article →

TOGETHER WITH REAL ESTATE JOBS AUSTRALIA

How Katie Cotton is reshaping the way we hire and get hired in real estate

You know the drill: someone resigns Friday, a generic job ad goes up by lunchtime, and three months later you're doing it all again. Katie Cotton built Real Estate Jobs Australia to break that cycle – industry-specific job ads for $99, no lock-in contracts, and a built-in video pre-screen so you're not wading through resumes from candidates who've never sold a house. It's just been named to the 2026 REACH Australia and New Zealand Cohort, which says a fair bit about where smart hiring tech is headed. Have a look at what Katie's built at realestatejobs.com.au.

Learn more →

DEPT OF INVESTORS

Panel night runs an hour over on tax questions

A First National forum in Sydney's southwest booked two-and-a-half hours and needed an extra one, as buyers and vendors queued to ask a finance, legal, tax and construction panel about the government's taxation changes. Michael Sleiman, who hosted the night, says the risk isn't waiting too long – it's acting on advice never meant for your circumstances.

DEPT OF TAX

CGT overhaul could snag granny flats, CPA warns

A new integrity rule tied to the 2027 capital gains tax changes could catch out legitimate developments, CPA Australia says – it applies even if avoiding tax is just one reason for a transaction, not the main one. Titling a granny flat separately could be enough to trigger it.

Jenny Wong from CPA Australia says clarity is "essential" before the rules land.

DEPT OF COMMERCIAL

Nine negotiation habits for smarter commercial deals

Darren Krakowiak's list starts in an unusual place: before you say a word, know your walk-away point. From there it's rapport, real listening, and negotiating on interests rather than dug-in positions – the difference between a deal that closes and one that just drags on.

HOW IT SOLD

Four offers before the photos were even taken

Allie Coutts built buyer interest in a The Gap home before it hit the market, reaching out to her database while vendors were still styling and tidying. By Sunday night she'd secured four offers and a signed contract, giving the vendors the speed and certainty they needed to lock in their own dream home.

Find out the story behind how it sold →

A listing lasts weeks. The case study lasts forever. getailsa.com →

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Barry Plant Mildura reshapes leadership as next generation steps up

A director's move to head office could have meant a simple like-for-like replacement. Instead, Barry Plant Mildura used it to rethink the whole structure – Matt Mason stepped up to Managing Director, Brenton Love took on greater leadership of the sales team, and chartered accountant Danica Leng joined as Finance Manager, bringing dedicated financial oversight to a business that had previously spread it across the leadership team.

Sydney agency switches to LJ Hooker after 20 years Forestville and Narrabeen have a newly branded team on the ground – Michael Ferguson, Lachelle Ferguson and Kathleen Fairweather are bringing their Sydney business into LJ Hooker as LJ Hooker Alliance Group. The trio have built their presence across the Northern Beaches and Forest districts for more than two decades, and the move carries extra weight for Kathleen, whose late husband Brian first built the business under the LJ Hooker name before it changed networks. Now the team is turning to rent roll growth, database work and giving experienced agents room to step into lead roles.

Urban Real Estate donates 1,000+ items to OzHarvest Pantry shelves, not paperwork, took over front desks at Urban Real Estate last month, with every New South Wales office turning into a collection point for the OzHarvest Winter Food Drive. Staff and clients pitched in cereals, long-life milk and canned goods, and chief executive officer Katrina Tarrant says the effort says plenty about the community and the people behind the business.

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AGENTS ON SOCIAL

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TRUE OR FALSE:

A cricket pitch is exactly one surveyor's chain long. The 22 yards between the stumps is a land-measuring unit – the same chain that defines an acre.

And the answer is …

Yes, its true! The 22 yards between the stumps is a Gunter's chain – the 1620 surveying tool that measured out England, and later most of Australia. Early cricketers marked their pitches with the gear that was lying about, and the distance has been in the Laws of the game since 1744. Every Test match is played on one unit of land measurement. How long till the season begins? via Lord's / MCC.