📈 How helping a renter lead to a record-breaking penthouse sale

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

In Australia, someone can legally become the owner of land they don’t own just by occupying it for long enough.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Josh Altman’s US$175m lesson: Never underestimate a client

• Josh Flagg’s “pre-listing psychology” strategy behind winning luxury listings

• Boris Becker: Like tennis, the hardest work in real estate happens before the deal (aka, final)

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 20 seconds

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AREC 2026

$1,200 lease to $175 million: Josh Altman’s wake-up call for agents

A $1,200 rental commission turned into $175 million in sales - and at AREC 2026, Josh Altman said that’s exactly why agents should never underestimate a client. Speaking to 4,500 agents on the Gold Coast, Josh shared how spending two months helping a young woman secure a $4,500-a-month lease eventually connected him to a Fortune 500 CEO, a record-breaking $12 million penthouse sale, and years of repeat business.

“Treat everyone you meet with respect,” he said. “You never know where your next deal is going to come from.”

The session hammered home a consistent theme: the biggest career-making opportunities often arrive disguised as small, low-value transactions.

Josh, best known from the TV show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, also reflected on losing more than $1 million during the 2008 financial crash before rebuilding his career into a luxury property empire averaging $1.5 billion in annual sales over the past five years.

He told the AREC crowd that success was less about luck and more about deliberately putting yourself in the right environments - whether that meant working from cafes near Beverly Hills talent agencies or introducing himself to celebrities at the gym.

“Choose to be lucky,” he said. “Put yourself in situations where you’re rubbing shoulders with the type of clientele that you want to sell to.”

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The $175 million chain: How a $4,500 rental led to a Fortune 500 connection and a record-breaking sale

• The Starbucks strategy: The exact positioning tactic Josh used to land an $18 million buyer

• The brokerage decision: His counterintuitive philosophy on where agents should build their careers

• Your Tuesday to-do list: Five specific actions to apply his principles this week

The deals that define careers rarely announce themselves and Josh's approach shows you how to find them before anyone else does.

Read the full article

ICYMI, yesterday, why relationships, not postcodes, are driving record-breaking sales in remote regional markets.

AREC 2026

Boris Becker and Josh Flagg on success: pressure, truth and playing the long game

Tennis legend Boris Becker told attendees at AREC 2026 that “the final is always the easiest match,” saying the real challenge is the early rounds where discipline, mindset and support systems are tested long before the spotlight. Meanwhile, US luxury agent Josh Flagg said his listing success starts before he sees a property, using early pricing cues, deep market knowledge and upfront honesty with vendors, adding that he’ll walk away when expectations are too far apart, arguing that “candour and discipline” drive better long-term results. Read more AREC 2026 highlights here.

POST BUDGET ANALYSIS

Property tax changes may benefit some investors

The Budget's negative gearing and CGT overhaul won't crash prices – PropTrack modelling puts the long-term impact at just 1-5% lower than they would have been. The surprise? Some investors will actually pay less tax under the new inflation-indexing model, particularly in slow-growth markets like Melbourne. The bigger risk, according to REA Senior Economist Angus Moore, is a geographic shift in rental supply that could squeeze inner-ring tenants.

TIME’S UP

Brisbane investors face 2027 deadline before Olympic crunch

Residential developers have until 2027 to get projects underway before Brisbane's Olympic construction pipeline absorbs the labour force and blows out costs, according to new Colliers research. Queensland faces a potential 35,000-worker shortfall at peak in 2027-28, with construction spending hitting $75 billion.

HOW IT SOLD

Emotional bidding drives $57k above reserve

A Burnside Heights home sold for $947,000 at auction after a tightly executed campaign, delivering $57,000 above reserve with eight registered bidders. Nivin Salsa of Ray White Rockbank combined meticulous presentation, strong digital reach and precise timing to create competition and drive an emotionally charged finish.

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

CELEBRITY HOMES

Kathie Lee Gifford’s US$100m Greenwich estate could challenge Connecticut price record

The US$100 million (A$140 million) waterfront estate in Greenwich could rival Connecticut’s all-time residential record if it sells at the asking price, following the US$139 million benchmark set in 2023 nearby.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Magain Real Estate launches commercial division

Alex Radda leads the new Hyde Park-based office as Head of Commercial, supported by property manager Nichola Purcell. More here.

Tristian Kennedy and Jason Spagnoulo acquire Ray White Port, Adelaide

The duo are expanding their western suburbs footprint by taking over from founders Nick and Loraine Psarros after 15 years, with Nick staying on as Founding Director to mentor the team. More here.

Tense Venneri appointed Barry Plant Head of Growth

After 16 years leading the Mildura office, he's stepping into a network-wide role focused on driving growth and performance across 65+ offices. 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

Real estate agents posting “Just listed” like it’s breaking news… mate, so is the sun rising tomorrow.🌞📬

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

In Australia, someone can legally become the owner of land they don’t own just by occupying it for long enough.

And the answer is …

True. In Australia, a legal principle known as “adverse possession” can allow someone to claim ownership of land if they’ve occupied it openly, continuously and without permission for many years. The rules vary by state, but in places like Western Australia and New South Wales, the period is typically 12 years. Most claims involve boundary disputes or unused strips of land rather than people taking over entire homes, but the law is very real.

Wishing you a productive day!

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