GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

New research from the UNSW Business School, led by Dr Sophie Fan reveals a surprising insight for agents: independent, “self-reliant buyers” actually care more about who their neighbours will be than relationship-oriented buyers do. While most clients focus on price, location and features, independent-minded purchasers are thinking, “Could I be friends with these people?” Highlighting community vibe, shared spaces and social opportunities in your pitch could be the edge that turns interest into offers.

In today’s edition of The Brief

• How one agency broke the PM burnout loop

• First-home buyers are taking on record-breaking debt

• Your buyers also have AI. So will your IM survive being analysed by ChatGPT?

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 15 seconds

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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

The PM model that fought burnout

When the pandemic hit, Chantelle Collin watched experienced property managers walk out the door. The pressure was immense – but it wasn't just workload causing the exodus. It was the system itself.

As Head of Property Management at BresicWhitney, Chantelle didn't just hire replacements. She helped rebuilt the entire operating model from the ground up.

Why the traditional ladder wasn't working

Property management has long relied on the same hierarchy: assistant, PM, senior PM. But Chantelle saw something broken beneath the surface.

"We didn't really have people coming up through the ranks," she says. "We needed to grow our own and develop people from within."

Her solution? A 12-month cadetship program that's now the primary entry point into the department. Five years on, internal promotions are common and external recruitment pressure has eased significantly.

Breaking the one-PM-does-everything model

The concentration of responsibility in a single role was driving burnout. Chantelle's response was a hybrid pod structure that distributes tasks strategically – while keeping the client experience seamless.

"Clients like to have one point of contact," she says. But behind the scenes, the workload is shared. The full article reveals exactly how the pods operate.

What success actually looks like

Properties under management? That's only part of the story. Chantelle tracks a broader set of performance indicators – and one metric matters more than any number.

"A successful team looks like a happy team."

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The Field Services Representative program: How a 12-month cadetship rotation builds talent from within

• The hybrid pod structure: How responsibilities are distributed without fragmenting the client experience

• Performance beyond portfolio size: The indicators that actually predict sustainable growth

• Leadership without hierarchy: Monthly check-ins, growth plans, and the phrase Chantelle tells every team member

If you're rethinking how your PM department operates – or wondering why good people keep leaving – this framework offers a blueprint worth studying.

Read the full article.

ICYMI, last week: how to adapt your sales strategy when the traditional ‘location’ rules are being rewritten.

LENDING SPIKE

First home buyer mortgages hit record $608K

An 8.5% jump in a single quarter – the largest on record – has pushed the average first home buyer loan to $607,624. The government's expanded 5% deposit scheme is pulling more buyers in, but the value of loans is climbing faster than buyer numbers – a gap worth flagging with young clients.

TECH

Your buyers are running your IM through AI

One for the commercial agents: buyers are now uploading Information Memorandums to ChatGPT and asking AI to find the gaps. Samantha McLean shared this prompt at the Ray White Commercial Symposiums – it stress-tests your IM from a buyer's perspective, flagging missing financials, hidden lease clauses, and optimistic projections before they ever cross the desk.

HOW IT SOLD

Lean marketing lands $1.9m in six days

Stefano Petsis partnered with Aston Commercial and focused on precise positioning rather than heavy promotion for this Huntingdale factory. The older standalone building's competitive value attracted 11 interested parties – and a $1.924 million result in just six days.

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

CELEBRITY HOMES

Justin Baldoni lists Ojai estate for $12.7M

The ’It Ends With Us’ director and his wife Emily are asking AUD$12.7M for a 10-acre Southern California compound they bought for AUD$3M in 2020. The sale comes amid his ongoing and widely-publicised legal dispute with Blake Lively.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Natascha Drexel-Munro steps up at Ray White Caloundra

The experienced agent joins Andrew Garland as co-Principal and Business Owner to lead the agency's next growth phase across the southern Sunshine Coast. More here.

The Agency expands into Lake Macquarie

Josh and Tegan O'Doherty bring their seven-person team covering both residential and commercial sales to the national brand, with Josh having been Belmont's leading agent for 30 years. More here.

Jellis Craig hosts inaugural Marketing Expo

Over 500 team members gathered at Melbourne's Olympic Park for the event featuring 12 suppliers and experts alongside their first Sales Conference of the year. 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

Let me help you with that thought: “it's perfect, you're home, just buy it.” 🧠🔑

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Wishing you a productive day!

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