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GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋 TRUE OR FALSE? The world record price for a single car parking space was set in Singapore in 2021, when a 12.5 square metre bay sold for about US$1.3 million. (Scroll to the bottom for the answer!) |
In today's edition of The Brief - Cheapest fee, biggest quote, marketing-shy vendors – Bianca Denham on the three myths costing agents listings (and what top performers do instead).
- Every major capital is now in a monthly downturn – the numbers you'll want in your back pocket before your next appraisal.
- No portals, no styling, no open homes – how one database phone call sold a Seaforth unit and saved the vendor $15k.
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TODAY'S FEATURE  What really separates top agents in today’s marketCheapest fee, biggest price quote, "vendors won't pay for marketing" – three beliefs agents lean on when a pitch feels shaky, and three beliefs top performers have quietly ditched. Bianca Denham, principal at Ray White Semaphore, says the agents winning right now aren't cutting corners faster, they're just better at the fundamentals everyone else skips. The gap between average and exceptional comes down to three pillars, and none of them are about price. |
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What you'll learn in the full article: - The confidence tell: what it actually means when an agent discounts their fee before the vendor's even asked.
- The suspicion trigger: why quoting a number to win the listing can backfire before the campaign even starts.
- The ROI reframe: how top agents turn a vendor's "I don't want to spend on marketing" into a signed cheque.
Read the full article → |
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TOGETHER WITH PM/ONE AND EBM RENTCOVER EBM RentCover works with property professionals to simplify landlord insurance, helping agents navigate cover, risk, compliance and the complexities of an evolving regulatory environment. Its specialist team helps agents understand policy details, stay informed about legislative and regulatory changes, and meet the legal and compliance requirements involved in insurance and financial services. Its agent and claims portals also provide tools to apply for and manage cover and lodge claims in one place. At PM/ONE, EBM RentCover will share its approach to landlord insurance, built around specialist expertise, practical guidance and collaboration with property professionals to help deliver better outcomes for landlords, tenants and agents. See EBM RentCover at PM/ONE
PM/ONE brings Australia’s property management community together in Sydney on 13–14 September 2026. Explore the event and get your tickets at PM1.com.au. Learn more → |
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DEPT OF PLANNING  Sydney councils must lock in 30 years of housingSydney needs 800,000 more homes and 950,000 more jobs over the next two decades, and the finalised Sydney Plan splits the difference geographically: housing growth pushed east, jobs growth pushed west. Councils will now have to guarantee 30 years of feasible housing capacity in their local plans. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully says the goal is planning ahead, not catching up. |
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DEPT OF DATA  Five years of growth gives mid-sized housing markets a sizeable buffer against downturnDouble-digit declines in home values would make little dent in the gains accumulated across mid-sized housing markets during Australia's five-year housing boom, according to new analysis modelling a range of downturn scenarios. Cotality’s August Housing Chart Pack models what a 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% decline from peak dwelling values would mean across the major capitals. |
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DEPT OF PRESTIGE MARKETS  Italy delivers triple the space of SydneyA million euros – about $1.65 million – buys 126 square metres in Venice, dwarfing what the same budget gets in Sydney's prestige market. Milan's a different story though, with prime values up nearly 30 per cent since 2022 as tax-driven buyers pile in. Knight Frank says over 60 per cent of super-prime enquiries now come down to tax residency alone. |
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HOW IT SOLD  A database match that saved $15k in SeaforthNo styling, no portals, no open homes – just a database and a phone call. Jason Guildea matched a qualified first-home buyer to a rare Seaforth unit, saving the vendor around $15,000 in marketing and styling costs. Two inspections and a week later, contracts were exchanged. Find out the story behind how it sold → A listing lasts weeks. The case study lasts forever. getailsa.com → |
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CELEBRITY HOMES  Lynsey de Paul's Hampstead villa lists for $6.5MThe Victorian villa where Eurovision star Lynsey de Paul once hosted Sean Connery, Ringo Starr and George Best is up for grabs at £4.85 million for the first time in 20 years. Spike Milligan reportedly nicknamed her "Looney de Small" – and yes, her old principal suite now has its own entire floor. Read the full article → |
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MOVERS & SHAKERS  Sophie Desprez and team join Stone Southern HighlandsTwelve years of Southern Highlands sales experience, plus a network across Sydney's North Shore and Eastern Suburbs, are heading to Stone Southern Highlands with Sophie Desprez and her team. She joins the office George Kolovos and Alexander Kolovos have built since its launch, adding depth to residential and rural sales as the business expands its reach.  BresicWhitney launches financial wellness program for its peopleCashflow, tax, super and investment strategy are now part of the curriculum at BresicWhitney, with chief financial officer Daren Chan leading a new partnership with advisory firm Fox & Hare. Complimentary workshops run through August, with staff able to continue one-on-one sessions afterwards as part of the group's people-first approach. |
 Why one Perth agent came back on his own rulesAfter more than 35 years selling in Perth, Mark Anderson stepped away entirely, spending close to a year surfing before deciding to come back. This time he's capping how many clients he takes on annually, choosing only those aligned with his values over chasing every listing that comes his way. |
 Alistair Boyle – finding freedom and family time in Casey-CardiniaA signage business he ran from age 15 gave way to a decade in traditional real estate, but it's the last few months that Alistair Boyle points to as the turning point. In October 2025 he set up under Area Specialist to cover the Casey-Cardinia corridor, from $400,000 units to multimillion-dollar acreage, building his business on referrals and running his own diary rather than someone else's. |
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AGENTS ON SOCIAL “Explaining your job to a normal person: no, no, it only sounds illegal.” I’d lead with Darsh and Steph – they’re the most naturally chaotic. Seen an Agent On Social we should include? Let us know here |
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TRUE OR FALSE: The world record price for a single car parking space was set in Singapore in 2021, when a 12.5 square metre bay sold for about US$1.3 million. And the answer is … False. It was Hong Kong – of course it was. In 2021 a bay at the Mount Nicholson development on The Peak sold for HK$10.2 million, about US$1.3 million, for 12.5 square metres of bare concrete. It broke the old record, which was… also Hong Kong. Up on The Peak the land simply isn't there, so car spaces trade like the flats above them. A parking spot worth more than a house in most of Australia – and it doesn't even get a view. via South China Morning Post. |
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