🎯 How some campaigns generate offers earlier

GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

TRUE OR FALSE?

With a ‘usufruct’, you can live in a property, rent it out, and collect the income from it, even though you don’t actually own the property, and you can’t sell it.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• The database is the new ‘open home’

• Tassie's Stamp Duty cut-off: market 'mayhem' as exemption ends

• House prices slide in Sydney

Today’s read time: 5 minutes, 40 seconds

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DATABASE-LED SELLING

When database quality beats marketing spend

In a shifting market where marketing noise is increasing but conversion is tightening, Woodards Carnegie agent Ben Dax argues the real competitive advantage is no longer spend - it’s systems. “There are very few campaigns now that don’t start pre-portal,” he says, pointing to a growing trend where properties are being tested with buyers well before they ever reach a portal listing.

For many agents, he suggests, the mistake is still treating marketing as the main event, when in reality it has become a secondary layer to database execution.

At the centre of that shift is discipline, not scale, with Ben arguing that most agents underestimate how much their results are determined by what goes into their systems rather than what comes out of their marketing.

“The quality of data going in makes a massive difference because it’s a pain in the neck to do it, and so sales agents often don’t do it properly,” Ben says.

His view is that most agents underutilise their own databases, missing opportunities hidden in poor data hygiene, inconsistent follow-up, and undervalued buyer feedback loops.

Increasingly, the strongest campaigns are being built on relationships that already exist, not audiences bought at scale.

That shift is also reshaping what separates high performers from the rest of the field.

“I think we’re seeing a shift from the best marketer wins model to the best relationship builder wins model,” Ben says. In practice, that means trust built in person - particularly at inspections and early buyer interactions - is now outperforming polished campaigns.

As marketing parity increases across agencies, the agents winning listings are those treating every database interaction as a conversion moment, not just a record in a CRM.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The $55,000 off-market calculation: How one vendor discovered the true cost of chasing a traditional campaign premium

• Real-time pricing methodology: Why Ben's team starts with active buyers, not historical sales – and the exact conversation that follows

• The unsubscribe call strategy: How treating opt-outs as a call list is surfacing future sellers

• Buyer experience innovations: From signature scents to pre-auction Zoom calls, the details creating differentiation

Read the full article

ICYMI last week: AI gone rogue - when property photos stop matching reality

TOGETHER WITH … Elite Agent!

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TAS POLICY

Tasmania scraps stamp duty break for first buyers

June 30 is the deadline, but the fine print has caught agents off guard: Tasmania's first-home buyer stamp duty exemption is tied to settlement date, not exchange, meaning new contracts can't qualify in time. The concession saved up to $28,900 on homes under $750,000. Richard Bailey from The Agency says some existing deals will now fall over as buyers scramble to cover the gap. This decision stands in stark contrast to the ACT, where the territory government is doing the exact opposite by completely abolishing stamp duty for first-home buyers from July 1.

MARKET DROP

Sydney house prices drop $75k in three months

The city's median slid from $1.56 million to $1.485 million over the March quarter – the steepest percentage fall in seven years. Primara Research says it's entirely demand-driven: house sales volume crashed 39% as two rate hikes landed in Q1 alone. With a third hike already hitting in May, researcher Peter Drennan says Q2 is "unlikely to look any different" – though some banks are now forecasting cuts, which could flip the script fast.

HOW IT SOLD

48 hours from assessment to signed contracts

Before even showing his clients the Bli Bli property, Tim Allen from IPS Buyers Agents had a builder and private certifier confirm the 762-square-metre block could accommodate a granny flat. That groundwork, plus aggressive terms including a 5-day building and pest clause and 21-day settlement, secured the $943,867 off-market deal for his Brisbane-based first-time investors.

Your competitors know media coverage gets clients. Are you ready to get yours? getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

Yolanda Hadid reopens doors to “wellness sanctuary” after sale falls through

The Pennsylvania estate where Gigi and Bella Hadid first learned to ride has hit the market again at US$10.8 million (A$15.1 million) after falling to sell last year. Yolanda called the delay "a gift" - extra time to soak up the serenity before handing over the reins.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Tina Sander inducted into Harcourts Hall of Fame at HX 2026

The regional Queensland leader and mentor was honoured for nearly two decades of contribution across the global Harcourts network. More here.

Sam Schumann named Equity Partner at Highland Double Bay Malouf

The promotion comes just 12 months in, off the back of 44 transactions totalling $112.7 million. 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 can talk property in any situation … bushfires, awkward family dinners, even a power outage. In fact, even a kidnapping attempt might pause briefly for a quick rundown on recent comparable sales. 🪢 🗣️

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

With a ‘usufruct’, you can live in a property, rent it out, and collect the income from it, even though you don’t actually own the property, and you can’t sell it.

And the answer is …

TRUE. A usufruct is a legal right that allows someone to use and benefit from a property they do not own. In simple terms, the “usufructuary” can live in the home, rent it out, or earn income from it and enjoy the benefits (often called the “fruits” of the property), but they cannot sell or transfer ownership of the property itself. The legal ownership remains with the “bare owner,” and the arrangement is usually temporary — commonly lasting for a fixed term or for the lifetime of the usufruct holder. This concept is most commonly used in civil law countries, especially across France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and many Latin American nations, including Mexico and Argentina). It is also found in parts of Louisiana (USA).

Wishing you a productive day!

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