GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind hit shelves on June 30, 1936, introducing the world to Scarlett O’Hara, a heroine who, despite chaos and loss, held fiercely to her land, believing it to be her anchor and legacy. Nearly nine decades later, her story reminds us that in real estate, land is more than just location.

It’s memory, meaning, and survival. As agents, when we understand the emotional weight homes can carry, we tell better stories, and build deeper trust. Because it’s never just square metres. It’s what those metres mean.

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 21 seconds

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OPINION

GCI is a number - profit is a strategy

Why Scott Mackey thinks agents should stop chasing trophies and start building wealth

It’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of high GCI, luxury cars, and envy-inducing Instagram posts. But according to Scott Mackey, broker-owner of RE/MAX Precision, that mindset is short-term, and dangerous. “Turnover’s for schoolboys. Profit’s for adults,” he says. With nearly three decades in the game, Mackey is urging agents to look beyond the vanity metrics and start building something sustainable.

“There are agents writing $1 million a year and keeping $100K. Then there are agents writing $400K and keeping $300K. Who’s really winning?”

The million-dollar year myth

Scott has seen too many talented agents burn out after one big year. The problem? Overspending on lifestyle while ignoring financial structure. “They spend like it’s going to be like that forever, but it never is,” he warns. His advice is to treat your real estate career like a real business: know your margins, reinvest wisely, and build a financial base that can weather a slow quarter.

He believes longevity in this industry isn’t about how loud you go, it’s about how long you last.

It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep

Scott breaks it down into three types of income: actual (what you earn), relative (what you keep), and passive (what comes in without active effort). His goal? Building enough passive income through investments like residential, commercial, and even motel properties to make deals optional, not survival-critical.

“That’s freedom, and that’s what agents should be aiming for.”

He’s still actively selling, but the pressure is off. For him, success isn’t about flashing commission slips, it’s about controlling your time and money.

Build a foundation, not just a feed

He sees one of real estate’s biggest traps is the pressure to look successful too early, designer goods, lavish trips, and all. But the real danger is financial illiteracy. Too many agents, he says, don’t understand basic business concepts, from tax to strata. His advice: “Learn by doing”, buy a unit, sit on a body corporate, rent out a property.

And most of all? Watch who you take advice from. “Don’t talk tackling technique with the kicking coach.”

“Being a top agent isn’t about one big year. It’s about what you build underneath.”

The takeaway? GCI might be sexy, but profit, structure, and passive income are what will keep you in the game long after the market cools.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, last week we discussed what we can all learn from the movie Moneyball.

TOGETHER WITH LEADING LADIES OF REAL ESTATE

Join the Leading Ladies of Real Estate for their biggest event yet on Sunday, 10 August at The Star, Gold Coast, with keynote speaker Dr Kate Reid, former Formula 1 aerodynamicist and founder of the acclaimed Lune Croissanterie. Under Kate’s leadership, Lune has grown from a single shopfront in Fitzroy to a thriving business with more than 280 staff across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney.

This inspiring afternoon runs from 12:30pm to 3:00pm and features thousands of dollars in prizes and the opportunity to connect with some of the most driven women in the industry. Tickets are $150 per person, or take advantage of the group offer: book a table of 8 for the price of 7, just $1,050, if you register by COB 7 July.

Register your interest for the Leading Ladies luncheon here.

US CAPITAL IN OZ

Blackstone bets big on Aussie real estate, from rentals to racks of servers

US private equity powerhouse Blackstone is dialling up its interest in Australia, with plans to grow its footprint across three hot property frontiers: build-to-rent housing, logistics, and data centres. Global real estate co-head Kathleen McCarthy says the firm wants to be part of the solution to Australia’s housing crunch.

GOLD COAST’S NEW $2M CLUB

Gold Coast apartment prices hit record highs amid supply crisis

The Gold Coast's apartment market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with average prices soaring to a record $2.03 million. Housing approvals have plummeted to just 2,464 this financial year, less than half the 6,500 homes needed annually to accommodate population growth. With vacancy rates as low as 0.7% in some coastal suburbs and the upcoming 2032 Olympics bringing infrastructure certainty, experts say the Gold Coast has evolved "from a tourist-led market into one of Australia's most sophisticated investment destinations."

RECORD BREAKING SALE

$141.55m Sydney penthouse sets new Australian property record

Multimillionaire Yan Zhang has set a new national price record, purchasing a luxury penthouse spanning the top three floors of Lendlease’s One Sydney Harbour development in Barangaroo South. The $141.55 million deal makes it the most expensive home ever sold in Australia, with sweeping views over Sydney Harbour.

CELEBRITY HOMES

Giddy-up or tear-down: Roy Rogers’s former LA estate hits the market

Yeehaw, Sherman Oaks-style! Roy Rogers’s former hillside hideout is up for grabs for the first time in 54 years, with a price tag of US$7.2M. The Hollywood cowboy bought the place in 1944 during World War II, and sold it in 1971. The two-storey, 5,000-square-foot home sits on a full acre and comes with a big swimming pool, wood-panelled sunroom with a bar and pool table, wraparound kitchen, and four-car garage. But don’t get too sentimental - the listing says the real value is in the land, and is prime for a modern rebuild.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

The Agency Southern Highlands expands into Property Management

The Bowral-based team has brought in senior portfolio partners Tarnielle Edye and Telissa Clout to lead the new division with a client-first approach. 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

It’s Monday, and we’re already handing ourselves an A+ for effort, because if hustle were graded, we’d all be Dux.🏡📞

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

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 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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