GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

You're trained to spot psychological tricks. You know about anchoring, reciprocity, scarcity – all the classics.

Here's the uncomfortable part: knowing about them doesn't make you immune.

In a well-known US study by Northcraft and Neale, real estate agents were shown the same property with different guide prices. Their valuations shifted to match the first number they saw – even while they insisted, hand on heart, that it hadn't influenced them at all.

The takeaway? Whoever sets the first number sets the conversation. If it's not you, it's the vendor, the buyer, or the neighbour who "sold last year for way more."

So next time you're walking into a pricing conversation, be alert, it turns out your brain is just as hackable as your client's. The difference is you know it now.

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Cultural alignment in recruitment, even if it means turning away strong performers

• Where foreign buyers are snapping up properties

• Is ChatGPT is now prone to flattery over honest critique?

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 36 seconds

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LEADERSHIP

When leadership shifts from selling to setting standards

Leadership by design, not pressure

Tristan Brown’s approach to leadership is built around energy, presence and environment rather than targets and top-down pressure. As the driving force behind REMAX Property Sales on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, his decision to merge the long-standing Nambour and Caloundra offices into a single, centralised Birtinya hub reflects a belief that performance follows culture.

By bringing 32 sales and property management professionals under one roof, he has prioritised collaboration, shared standards and visibility, creating a business where results are a natural outcome of how people work together, not something forced from above.

Why culture sets the standard

Tristan rejects the idea that performance needs to be pushed, arguing instead that leaders should focus on designing the right conditions. That starts with people who align culturally, even if that means walking away from high-performing individuals who do not fit the environment he wants to build.

Skills and systems can be taught, he says, but character is far harder to shift. This thinking shapes everything from recruitment decisions to office layout, with culture reinforced through everyday behaviour rather than formal rules.

The thinking behind bringing teams together

While the Birtinya location places the business in a fast-growing commercial area, the real driver for the merge was connection. Having agents, leaders and support staff in one space allows standards to be shown rather than stated, with expectations set informally through proximity and example. The new office is designed to avoid silos, encouraging shared energy and interaction, and supporting a coast-wide focus rather than separate, competing offices.

Scaling carefully and learning hard lessons

Tristan is candid about the challenges of growing beyond 20 staff, a stage where culture can easily fray. To protect it, he invested early in senior support roles focused on mentoring, operations and removing obstacles, rather than traditional sales management. It was a costly and uncertain move, but one he believes is essential for sustainable growth.

Having stepped into ownership in 2021, he also reflects on early mistakes, particularly avoiding difficult conversations. If anything, experience has taught him that addressing issues early, even when uncomfortable, is part of his responsibility to the wider team and central to maintaining a healthy culture.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday we reported on the superstition an agent credits with driving $35m in weekly sales.

TOGETHER WITH BIZCOVER

BizCover takes seventh Product Review Award since 2019

BizCover has been named winner of the Product Review Award for Business Insurance for the seventh time since 2019, reinforcing its standing as a leading provider for Australian businesses, including real estate agencies. The award is based entirely on verified customer feedback, with BizCover achieving an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars and 87 per cent positive reviews.

Judging criteria include overall rating, review volume and recent performance over the past 12 months. BizCover General Manager Brad Miller said the result reflects the company’s focus on simple, transparent and supportive insurance experiences. “Every customer review, positive or constructive, helps us improve. The fact that this award is based entirely on customer feedback makes it especially meaningful. It tells us we’re delivering on the promise we make to small businesses every day.”

Read more about BizCover’s award here.

FOREIGN BUYERS

Chinese buyers hold two-thirds of foreign-owned homes

Victoria tops the list with nearly 17,000 foreign-owned properties – more than 40% of the national total tracked since 2016. Most purchases are new builds under $1M, reflecting current bans on foreign buyers purchasing established homes. PropTrack economist Eleanor Creagh says Chinese government controls over capital movement will be one of the biggest factors shaping international investment this year.

AI

How to stop ChatGPT from being a yes-man

If ChatGPT keeps praising your listing copy as "genius," you're not imagining it. OpenAI's Sam Altman admitted the AI "glazes too much" after a 2025 update optimised for user feelings over truth. Samantha McLean shares a debate-panel prompt technique, borrowed from Serhant's tech team, that forces AI to argue multiple perspectives and actually critique your work.

HOW IT SOLD

Four buyers and a best-and-final finish

Nick Papas ran four buyers through simultaneous negotiations on a Maroubra one-bedder before calling for best-and-final offers. The apartment sold in 10 days for $790,000 – $27,000 above the suburb's median for comparable units. His vendors loved the transparency, and the buyers appreciated being kept informed.

This story started with a 10-minute phone call. Imagine boosting this on socials to your farm area. getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

“Mr Australia Day” Chris Garnaut's record-breaking shopping centre deal

Australian property firm Fawkner Property has just completed an $895 million acquisition of Erina Fair shopping centre in NSW; the largest private syndication deal in Australian property history. The purchase, secured at a 22% discount from previous peak valuation, propels founder Chris Garnaut's company to over $5 billion in assets under management. The 99% occupied complex generates $814 million in annual sales and sits on a 100-acre site with substantial development potential.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Andrew Crowell joins Ray White Queensland.

The former Brisbane Lions wellbeing manager takes on the Head of High Performance role after helping guide the club to back-to-back premierships. More here.

Kathy Sweeney opens third REMAX Living office.

The award-winning agent has expanded into Kurwongbah/Narangba while renewing her existing Burpengary and Woodford locations in Moreton Bay. 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

An accepted offer does not start with celebration. It starts with one long, relieved exhale. 😮‍💨📱

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

Wishing you a productive day!

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