GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT

Happiness Happens Day is the perfect excuse for real estate agents to celebrate the little wins - like getting through a full Saturday in heels, finding a car park near an open home, or finally matching a buyer with the property after 47 inspections. In a job where you're part negotiator, part therapist, and occasionally locksmith, spreading a bit of cheer isn’t just good vibes, it’s also good business.

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 41 seconds

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LEADERSHIP

Why purpose-driven leaders outlast the rest

Mission first

In an industry where ego can easily take centre stage, Shane Kempton, CEO of Harcourts WA and former SAS soldier, offers a powerful reminder: the most enduring leadership isn’t built on pride, but on purpose.

Drawing from the battlefield and the boardroom, Shane lays out a compelling case for mission-first leadership, showing how clarity of vision, humility, and alignment can elevate performance far more than charisma or control.

The mission versus ego equation

Shane argues that ego is the silent saboteur of business culture. Teams built around a leader’s pride often suffer from siloed communication, fragile trust, and high turnover. “When someone thinks they’re the hero,” he says, “the entire structure becomes fragile.”

In contrast, mission-led teams rally around a shared purpose, becoming resilient and self-aligning. This isn’t theoretical, it’s operational. In his SAS training, Shane witnessed how elite teams stayed united not by ego but by unwavering focus on the mission. That same principle applies to real estate: leaders who prioritise collective outcomes over personal spotlight foster cultures that win.

The leadership bottleneck

Many agencies fail to scale not because of market conditions or marketing budgets, but because leadership gets in its own way. “Success literally bottlenecks with them,” Shane says, describing leaders who chase recognition instead of empowering others. The fix? Define a mission that’s bigger than yourself.

Whether it’s delivering client excellence, supporting the local community, or creating career pathways for your team - clarity of purpose attracts top talent, boosts retention, and aligns everyone towards growth.

Legacy built on purpose

Shane’s closing example, a Hiroshima survivor turned peace advocate, serves as a metaphor for leadership transformation. Like her, leaders in any field face a choice: stay stuck in ego, or rise with purpose. One real estate leader he coached saw immediate cultural and performance improvements simply by shifting their language from “me” to “we.”

The questions Shane leaves us with are worth serious reflection: Are you leading with mission or ego? Are your people united around purpose, or just clocking in? Because at the end of the day, legacy isn’t built on how many sales you made, but how many lives you impacted.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday we discussed why an inaccurate floor plan might be killing your campaign.

WEEKEND AUCTION PREVIEW

Auction activity set to rebound as Spring momentum builds

Auction volumes may still be on the lighter side, but momentum is quietly building across the capitals. This week, 1,603 homes are set to go under the hammer, which up slightly from last week, with more than 1,900 already pencilled in for next week. Sydney's clearance rate made a comeback, climbing back above 70% for the first time in three weeks, while Melbourne remains the busiest market overall. Canberra led the smaller capitals in clearance success, and even Perth saw a bump in activity. While Tasmania stays on the bench, the rest of the country is slowly warming up. It's not quite spring fever, but the signs are promising.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

New rules shake up supermarket property deals

If your next commercial listing includes a Coles or Woolies lease, here’s a heads-up: from January 2026, you’ll need to notify the ACCC before anything major happens. New regulations mean any deal involving buildings over 1,000 sqm or land over 2,000 sqm will require pre-approval. Reviews could stretch from 15 to 90 business days, and application fees start at $8,300, but could climb past $1.5 million if the deal’s complex.

HONG KONG NEWS

Burgers, banks and billion-dollar malls: Hong Kong’s property market is having a clearance sale

Hong Kong's commercial property market is feeling the pinch, with prices down more than 30% since 2021. Now, a string of high-profile assets, from McDonald’s shopfronts to half of the CCB Tower and a mega-mall by the airport, are officially up for grabs.

The city’s hoping deep-pocketed mainland investors will swoop in to steady the ship. Citic, which runs McDonald’s in Hong Kong, is seen as a likely contender. But with sky-high prices still clashing with sluggish retail sales, even Beijing-backed buyers may want a discount. If they bite, it could set the tone for what commercial property is really worth in 2025.

CELEBRITY HOMES

Kanye's former home gets $25M makeover

A Hidden Hills property once owned by Kanye West has undergone a dramatic transformation into a luxurious US$17M equestrian estate. The original 3,200-square-foot dwelling was demolished to make way for an 11,500-square-foot residence that draws inspiration from the Chumash people who once occupied the land. West sold the property for just US$4.3M in 2023, shortly after his marriage to Bianca Censori.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Ronnie Singh launches First National RS Group

The award-winning Perth agent will offer residential sales and property management services with a personalised, community-centred approach. More here.

Ray White Annerley takes over Moorooka office

Geoff Sellars and Michele Cresswell have acquired the neighboring business while former owners Liz Cruze, Mark Kearns, and Michelle Huston remain as salespeople. More here.

Success doesn’t rest on weekends! 
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AGENTS ON SOCIAL

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Wishing you a productive day!

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