GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

Bunnings has entered the property conversation, launching $42,900 flat-pack backyard studios with Elsewhere Pods. No building permits, no 12-month build times — just a weekend, a toolbox and a seller who suddenly has an “extra room”. The 4m x 2.4m pods can be pitched as home offices, teen retreats, guest rooms or yoga studios, and they arrive a lot faster than most renovations. In a market where space sells, and delays kill momentum, that’s an interesting twist.

Expect “backyard pod” to start creeping into your listing descriptions sooner than you think.

In today’s edition of The Brief

• When affordability solves one problem and creates another

• What you need to know to become an auctioneer

• How house prices grew a whopping 560 per cent over 25 years

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 56 seconds

New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝

INSIGHT

Regional WA's affordability trap is unfolding

Metro buyers are flooding into regional Western Australia, seeking affordability, lifestyle, and space. On the surface, it's a positive story. But Harcourts WA CEO Shane Kempton has spent months travelling regional towns, and what he's seeing beneath the surface deserves your attention.

The price paradox

Regional property prices are now approaching metropolitan levels. Great news for owners. But here's what most agents aren't talking about: regional wages haven't kept pace. Local workers – teachers, hospitality staff, apprentices – are being squeezed out of towns that need them to function.

"People who have lived in their towns their entire lives... are now finding themselves priced out of their own communities," Shane says.

When towns can't house their workers

Businesses struggle to attract staff. Services become harder to sustain. Young people leave. And in the most distressing cases, homelessness is rising in communities never designed to manage it at scale.

This isn't about blaming buyers - they're making rational decisions. The challenge is that housing, planning, and economic systems haven't kept pace with the speed of change.

A four-part framework for balance

"Lack of communication or poor communication causes most problems in this industry," Mike says.

His retention philosophy extends beyond landlord relationships to something most property managers overlook entirely. What he learned about managing expectations – even when things go wrong – could change how you approach every difficult conversation.

What you'll learn in the full article:

Shane outlines practical steps that could shift the trajectory, but only if stakeholders think long-term. The full article reveals the specific policy and planning approaches that could protect regional communities without stifling growth.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The metro-to-regional pressure pipeline: Why solving city affordability is the key to protecting regional towns

• Purpose-built housing: What regional communities actually need (hint: it's not luxury developments)

• Farmland protection: Why limiting agricultural rezoning isn't anti-progress

• The small business lifeline: How supporting local enterprise prevents towns from hollowing out

"What I'm seeing in regional WA is a warning light, not yet a crisis," Shane says. "And warning lights exist so we can act."

For agents advising clients on regional moves – or working in these markets – this is essential context.

Read the full article.

ICYMI, yesterday: lessons from a 400% rent roll expansion.

RESEARCH

25 years of growth reveals what really drives Australian property markets

The typical Australian house worth $210,000 in 2001 is now valued at $1.18 million, according to new Propertyology research covering 400-plus townships. Even the weakest performer – Mount Isa – still managed 250% growth, while 16 townships cracked 700%-plus. Useful context if clients ever question whether property "still works" as a long-term asset.

BACK TO BASICS

Auction call is only 10% of the job

The chant and falling hammer? That’s just 10% of auctioneering, says seasoned auctioneer Andy Reid. The other 90% is judgement, preparation, and reading the room. His biggest advice for anyone wanting to move into this career: drop the ego – and the fear of looking bad when a property passes in.

HOW IT SOLD

The studio that sold without a single ad

Nicholas Armstrong-Smith secured a $442,000 off-market sale for a Bondi Junction studio using only database contacts and social media. The Century 21 agent drew on relationships from a recent sale in the same building to find the buyer – no traditional marketing required.

A listing lasts weeks. The case study lasts forever. getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

Rare Blue Mountains botanical estate seeks $9M

The Braes in Leura features over 200 varieties of cool-climate plants across 5.8 acres – the result of 25 years of restoration by the late John Egan, a former Royal Botanic Gardens trustee. Listed at $8.5-9 million, the property includes two separately titled homes and original landscape architecture by renowned designer Paul Sorensen. Ray White's Nic Krasnostein says it's attracting Sydney's high-net-worth buyers interested in horticulture or heritage conservation.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Harcourts Solutions opens Alderley office

The expansion includes acquiring over 1,000 investment properties and welcoming 30 new team members under the leadership of Brendan Whipps, Etienne Labuschagne, Jodie Stainton and Greg Allan. 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

Open home in progress. Calls from actual home accepted for emergencies only.🚨📵

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

Wishing you a productive day!

Elite Agent is the definitive platform for ambitious agents and industry players. Thought Leaders is the weekly show where top operators reveal how they’re reinventing real estate. AI-Powered Agents is your playbook for deploying AI that sells homes and scales teams.

Elite Agent is crewed by Mark Edwards, Catherine Nikas-Boulos, Rowan Crosby, Charmagne Arrubio, Iris Rebello and Samantha McLean. We aim to uplift the real estate industry by delivering forward-thinking, hype-free news and education that fosters knowledge and fuels ambition.

Content in the ‘Together With’ section is sponsored. Interested in promoting your brand to Elite Agent’s audience? Learn more at advertise.eliteagent.com.