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The Taj Mahal in India was commissioned in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took more than 20 years to complete and involved thousands of artisans. It was, arguably, the ultimate Valentine’s Day present - a grand gesture of devotion expressed through property on a monumental scale. No listing presentation required, no cooling-off period, just a legacy that has endured for centuries.

Proof that real estate and romance have always gone hand in hand, even if most modern declarations of love come with far less marble.

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Why a retired agent returned to a “white hot” Cairns market

• Victoria is forecast to collect more property tax per person than any other state

• ChatGPT has started testing ads, but for agents the real opportunity isn’t paid placement, it’s building a strong online presence so AI recommends you organically

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 41 seconds

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PROFILE

Why this twice-retired agent came back

Tony Williamson has retired from real estate twice. He's sold a major business. He's walked away with every intention of staying away. And yet in September 2025, he stepped back into a Cairns market that barely resembles the one he left behind.

The lifestyle business model

Tony, broker/owner at REMAX Cairns, isn't chasing scale this time. He's already built one of the biggest offices in the region. What drew him back was something different – a full-service office without the relentless churn of traditional agency.

"I just want to create a lifestyle job," he says. "Not going 100 miles an hour like most agents have to do."

But here's what most agents miss about this approach...

A market transformed

For years, Cairns sat outside the national spotlight. Then COVID reshaped the map.

"We're selling houses for $700,000 that three years ago were selling for $300,000, $250,000," Tony says.

The full article reveals what's really driving the surge – and why Tony believes Cairns still has room to run.

When yield beats the beach

Perhaps the biggest shift isn't price, it's buyer behaviour. Tony recounts watching an investor choose a sugarcane town property over absolute beachfront. The reason? One per cent better return.

"Back in my day it was all about position," he says. "He didn't care about the position. He bought on yield."

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The attraction principle: Why decades of experience flip the prospecting equation entirely

• The Harvey Norman comparison: What Tony says about how little time investors spend on $800,000 decisions

• The Kurrimine moment: The auction comment that captures regional Australia's affordability shift

• Cairns' trajectory: The infrastructure signals that suggest the city is maturing, not peaking

Tony's perspective bridges two eras of real estate – when position was everything, and when spreadsheets replaced sea views. His insights on adapting to this new buyer psychology are worth the read.

Read the full article.

ICYMI, yesterday we discussed the apprenticeship mindset that every agent needs.

TAX TALK

Victoria tops nation on property tax per person

Victorians are paying $2,120 per person in combined property taxes this year – more than any other state, according to a new Parliamentary Budget Office report. That figure rises to $2,400 by 2026-27, with land tax and stamp duty now accounting for 41.8% of state tax revenue. That's around $500 more per head than NSW.

MARKET

Valentine’s Day postcode: Why single men and women live worlds apart

Lakemba has 304 single men for every 100 women. Woollahra, meanwhile? Just 54. New analysis from Ray White shows the divide plays out across every decade: single men cluster near defence bases, industrial hubs and CBD apartments, while single women favour beaches, university towns and family suburbs.

AI

ChatGPT ads launch with a $200K catch

OpenAI has started testing ads on ChatGPT, but the early beta requires a minimum US$200,000 spend – big-brand territory, not individual agents. The bigger story for your business: ChatGPT already recommends specific agents when users ask, based on your web presence. That part's still free.

HOW IT SOLD

Past buyer outreach sparked four competing offers

Samuel Shooter from Dubbo Real Estate Agency contacted buyers who'd missed out on similar properties during earlier campaigns. That database-driven strategy, paired with social media and portal marketing over 66 days, generated four offers – the eventual $850,000 sale sitting $175,000 above Dubbo's median for four-bedroom homes.

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

CELEBRITY HOMES

Zuckerberg joining Bezos on Miami's billionaire bunker

Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan are reportedly purchasing a waterfront estate on Indian Creek island for up to AUD$285M. The exclusive gated community – nicknamed "Billionaire Bunker" – already counts Jeff Bezos, Carl Icahn, and Tom Brady as residents.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Hayley Sneddon joins DiJones Southern Highlands

The experienced agent brings deep local knowledge to the Bowral office as the group continues expanding across NSW's sought-after lifestyle markets. More here.

Harcourts Foundation grants $5,000 to Sunshine Butterflies

The funding will transform accessibility at 'Our Backyard' by creating pathways connecting animal enclosures, gardens and activity hubs for the disability support charity. 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

Roses are red, clearance rates are high, I’ll love you forever… as long as you’re exclusive and signed for 90 days. ❤️🔑

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.

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