🏈 Here's what 100+ agents took home from an AFL Coach

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

The iconic New York Brownstone, now one of the most expensive and sought-after property styles in American real estate, was originally considered a cheap housing alternative.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Reset, don’t react: the high-performance edge

• The clock is ticking for Tranche 2

• A look inside Giorgio Armani’s never-occupied Manhattan apartment

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 20 seconds

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MINDSET

What AFL coaches teach about missing listings

Miss a few listings in a row and the internal dialogue shifts fast. Is it strategy? Effort? Timing? Something else entirely? In a high-performance session between The Agency and Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach, Adrian Hickmott, agents learned what separates those who recover quickly from those who spiral - and it's rarely talent.

The Agency’s executive director, Andrew Jensen, said the emotional cycle in real estate is one of the hardest parts of the job to manage, and the coaching session with Hawthorn helped clarify how high performers can better recognise, reset, and stay anchored to process rather than outcome.

"High performers don't get trapped in that emotional swing," he said. "They learn how to step back, reset, and return to process."

But here's what most agents miss about that reset, after a missed listing, the instinct is often to change everything, but Adrian's framework suggests something different.

"More often, it's one or two specific adjustments that make the difference - not a complete reinvention," Andrew said.

Adrian also discussed how AFL coaches work with vastly different personality types, and why trying to fit everyone into the same mould undermines performance.

"Often, the high performers are high performers precisely because they're different," Andrew said. “He explained how the strongest teams aren’t built by making everyone the same, they’re built by understanding people properly, giving them the right environment to operate in, and then allowing those strengths to compound across the group.”

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The emotional balance framework: How high performers stay steady through wins and losses without hitting extremes

• Evidence-based review: Hawthorn's structured process for isolating what actually changed the outcome – and what needs to continue

• The noise reduction principle: How elite teams protect time and sharpen focus during key performance blocks

• Adaptation over uniformity: Why the strongest teams are built by understanding differences, not flattening them

This session revealed frameworks that translate directly from the AFL field to your listing presentations. If you've ever felt trapped in an emotional spiral after a setback, this is the reset you need.

Read the full article

ICYMI yesterday, we reported on the wellness revolution in real estate.

TOGETHER WITH APLYiD

Tranche 2 AML reforms: the compliance deadline for real estate is closing fast

Australia’s expanded Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regime under Tranche 2 will bring real estate agencies into AUSTRAC’s reporting framework for the first time, with full obligations applying from 1 July 2026.

Agencies must enroll with AUSTRAC, implement AML/CTF programs, verify clients, and monitor transactions, meeting the same standards as financial institutions. Penalties are severe, including daily fines, civil penalties per transaction, and possible criminal liability for directors. No grace period exists, so delays risk enforcement.

Compliance platform APLYiD urges agencies to act now, providing tools like policy builders, verification, training, and webinars to help real estate businesses achieve compliance swiftly.

Read more about the Tranche 2 deadline obligations here.

INVESTOR MARKET

Investors claim record share of home loans even as lending slumps

New analysis from property data firm Cotality shows Australia's investors have seized a record 41 per cent of home loan volumes in the March quarter, even as total lending commitments fell 6.2 per cent under the weight of renewed RBA rate hikes and collapsing consumer confidence.

Owner-occupiers retreated faster than investors, driving the imbalance, while first home buyers held their numbers but borrowed less on average. Federal Budget changes removing negative gearing on existing properties are now expected to drag investor activity lower in coming quarters.

INTERNATIONAL

Redfin launches priority tier for pre-market listings

Coming-soon listings that don't accrue days on market or show price-drop history – that's the hook behind US portal Redfin's new "Early Access" feature, giving priority to listings from its agents and Compass. Survey data shows 83% of US sellers want a "coming soon" window before full exposure.

HOW IT SOLD

Off-market match delivers $1.66m for stalled listing

A Berwick home sold off-market for $1.66 million after being repositioned following 120 days on market, with – an unconditional offer secured through targeted buyer matching. Mahdi Tawakoli of LJ Hooker connected a repeat client with the opportunity and used market data to align vendor expectations and close the deal.

Agents across Australia and New Zealand are turning sales into stories. getailsa.com 

CELEBRITY HOMES

Inside Giorgio Armani’s never-lived-in luxury Manhattan apartment

The New York apartment designed by late fashion legend Giorgio Armani for his own use has officially hit the market, despite never being lived in. The two-bedroom residence inside Giorgio Armani Residences was completed shortly before Armani’s death last year and is now asking US$9.95 million (AUD$15.4 million), offering buyers a rare chance to own a home personally curated by the designer himself.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

REMAX The Limitless Group appoints Kate Peereboom as Head of Sales

The former multi-office principal joins the Brisbane-based five-office group to lead sales strategy and agent development across its REMAX network. More here.

First National Real Estate unveils rebrand at Vietnam convention

The network revealed a modernised visual identity to members in Da Nang, retaining its signature blue, while Queensland's Ryan McCann and Townsville's Julie Neilsen-Thompson took out the top individual sales and property management awards. More on the new look and award winners.

Craig and Sonya Taylor take ownership of Ray White Rural Murwillumbah

After eight years at the office, Craig and his wife are stepping into full ownership of the Tweed River business. 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

“You chose me?” says the real estate agent, acting calm while internally hitting peak “all the feels”. 🩷🏡

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

The iconic New York Brownstone, now one of the most expensive and sought-after property styles in American real estate, was originally considered a cheap housing alternative.

And the answer is …

TRUE. Brownstone became popular in the 19th century because it was affordable, easy to quarry and simple to carve into the ornate facades that now define some of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s most valuable streets. Today, scarcity and historic appeal have transformed these once “budget” homes into multimillion-dollar real estate assets.

Wishing you a productive day!

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