GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

How many homes with “unique features” have you sold?

Electronic music producer Zedd's US$16 million California mansion features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a professional recording studio, and an art gallery. But the real showstopper? His own personal Skittles dispensing machine … because when you've produced hits for Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga, you've earned the right to rainbow-on-demand.

He's not alone in the bizarre celebrity amenity game. John Stamos and Neil Patrick Harris both own pieces from Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride and Emma Chamberlain has a peanut butter jar painting.

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Jody Fewster, Alan Bond’s daughter and Harvard MBA, is reshaping Perth real estate

• RBA lifts cash rate to 4.10%, reshaping borrowing power for buyers

• Episode 1 of The AI Edit reveals how adopting an AI-first mindset can double an agent’s output without extra hours

Today’s read time: 7 minutes, 14 seconds

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PROFILE

From Harvard MBA to Perth property powerhouse

Jody Fewster could have done almost anything. Armed with a Harvard MBA and fresh from selling her management consulting firm to a NASDAQ-listed company, she chose real estate – and built one of Perth's most formidable property businesses in the process.

The corporate edge most agents lack

Jody's path to property wasn't typical. After earning First Class Honours in Marketing from UWA, she headed to Harvard Business School, then co-founded a consulting firm advising top-tier banks before selling it four years later.

"I honestly did think real estate would be just a stepping stone," she says.

But here's what changed everything – and it wasn't what she expected.

Lessons from catching a falling knife

When Jody entered real estate professionally, Perth had 17,000 properties on the market. She spent her days talking to sellers about "loss minimisation and how to catch a falling knife."

"It's heartbreaking, but it really hones your negotiation skills and having hard conversations."

Those skills became foundational to her approach – but what she built next surprised even her.

The organisation she designed around herself

Rather than fitting into existing structures, Jody applied her corporate playbook to build something different. She created specific roles – head of property management, head of sales, CFO – so she could focus on what she loves most.

"My background is how to build, run, and structure organisations."

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The A-type advantage: Why real estate's flexibility is a double-edged sword for driven personalities

• Her blunt career advice: The one thing she tells every new agent about values alignment

• Why she almost quit: The surprising reason she "retired" from the industry – and what brought her back

• The money truth: Her unfiltered take on why real estate remains compelling for ambitious talent

Jody's story challenges assumptions about what a successful real estate career looks like – and offers a blueprint for building one on your own terms.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI yesterday: Why your mindset matters more than the market.

TOGETHER WITH MOSAIK

The listings you never knew you lost: why agents are missing deals between transactions

For decades, real estate has focused on the transaction itself – listing, marketing, negotiating and settling. But according to Mosaik founder Sheila Reddy, “the real opportunity lies in the years between those moments.” She warns that more than 20 per cent of property owners in many agent databases “had already transacted without them,” showing how much business can slip through the cracks.

Mosaik, which has recently entered the Australian market, aims to close that gap by helping agents support the entire property ownership lifecycle, delivering personalised “value points” such as maintenance reminders, council alerts and insurance prompts throughout the year. “When you're managing and providing value throughout the lifecycle, you rarely miss opportunities,” she says. “Humans will inherently do what’s convenient over what’s best. So how do you make yourself perpetually the first call?”

Read more about Mosaik here.

RBA: EXPERT ANALYSIS

Cash rate hits 4.10% after second straight hike

A million-dollar mortgage now costs $318 more per month – and that's on top of February's rise. Auction clearance rates are already slipping (Melbourne's preliminary hit 66.9% on the weekend), with experts warning buyer budgets will keep tightening. Our experts say another rise remains "a real possibility".

AI

Why working harder stopped being your competitive edge

Samantha McLean's new weekly series The AI Edit opens by challenging that familiar line – "AI won't replace agents, but agents who use AI will replace those who don't." It's not wrong, she says, but it's not useful. Harvard research shows someone working with AI performs as well as a two-person team – which reframes what "competitive advantage" actually means now.

HOW IT SOLD

$1.11m above reserve in just 24 days

Database targeting and a Saturday VIP launch drew five registered bidders to a two-bedroom apartment in Bondi Junction's Eastgate Gardens. Nicholas Armstrong-Smith's 24-day campaign delivered a new suburb record at $3.21 million – with the final price landing $1.11 million above reserve.

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

CELEBRITY HOMES

Dr. Dre sells ‘Billionaire's Beach’ pad

The hip-hop mogul and Beats co-founder has offloaded his Malibu beachfront property for US$16.5 million (about $26.4 million AUD) in an off-market deal. The 9,000-square-foot spread features six bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling stone walls, and an ocean-facing recording studio. Because of course it does.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

McGrath completes Surf Coast corridor with Torquay office

McGrath has opened its third office in the corridor, running from Geelong through Armstrong Creek to Torquay. Principal Sam Parsons said the region continues to pull Melbourne sea-changers and interstate buyers seeking coastal living. Read more

Perth agent switches sides after decade in sales

After more than a decade in sales, Emma Oliver grew uncomfortable with the trust buyers placed in her – trust she felt was misplaced given her role working for sellers. Now a buyer's agent focused on aged care, divorce, and first-home scenarios, she's also an accredited grief counsellor. Read more

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

Agents don’t quit, even when we really want to. Just list, pitch, hustle, repeat. 🔑💨

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Wishing you a productive day!

Elite Agent is the definitive platform for ambitious agents and industry players. Thought Leaders is the weekly show where top operators reveal how they’re reinventing real estate. AI-Powered Agents is your playbook for deploying AI that sells homes and scales teams.

Elite Agent is crewed by Mark Edwards, Catherine Nikas-Boulos, Rowan Crosby, Charmagne Arrubio, Iris Rebello and Samantha McLean. We aim to uplift the real estate industry by delivering forward-thinking, hype-free news and education that fosters knowledge and fuels ambition.

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