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- There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
But no colts and no regrets for one CEO
Elite Agent Editor
July 06, 2026
GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋
TRUE OR FALSE?
Here’s a brain teaser, 4th of July themed:
In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Property" instead of "Happiness."
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)
In today’s edition of The Brief
Why building a great crew matters more than trying to control the market
The growing number of Australians who are losing faith in property as a wealth builder
Which state is actually paying the highest property tax (and it’s not New South Wales)
Today’s read time: 5 min 36 sec read
New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝
TODAY'S FEATURE
'You can’t fence the ocean', but you can build a crew
Markets rise and fall, policies shift overnight, and technology keeps moving faster than most businesses can adapt to. One real estate leader spent this year trying to control all three, until an old phrase changed how she thought about the job entirely: you can't fence the ocean. What Katrina Tarrant says she learned about trust, decision-making and preparing a team for open water is where it gets interesting.
What you'll learn in the full article:
The fence you can't build: why adding more oversight and approval layers might be costing your team more than it protects.
The research behind high-performing teams: what Google's Project Aristotle and Harvard research on psychological safety actually revealed about what predicts performance.
A different place to put your energy: the shift in leadership focus that changes what you build when you can't control the outcome.
TOGETHER WITH ELITE AGENT
The signboard that never comes down
You know the board that goes up out the front when you list a property? It works brilliantly – for about six weeks. People drive past, they see you're active, and then settlement happens, and the board comes down. The proof disappears.
That's what Ailsa has been designed to fix. It's a single write-up of your result that lives on the Elite Agent website permanently – indexed, searchable, and linked back to you. Not a campaign. Not a mailout to anyone's database. Just a piece of social proof sitting on the open web, waiting to be found the next time a vendor in your area searches your name or asks an AI who's getting results locally.
Think of it as a signboard that never comes down – except instead of one street seeing it, anyone with a search bar can. Get it before your competitors do.
DEPT OF DATA
Half of Australians doubt property's wealth legacy
Just 47% of Australians still believe property can build wealth for their kids, according to new research from Money.com.au. Nick Burgess points to affordability as the main driver, but says changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax, and SMSF lending are adding to the doubt. Older Australians, closest to actually handing down wealth, are the least confident of all.
DEPT OF FINANCE
ACT holds the nation's biggest property tax bill
Sydney's prices are legendary, but Canberra carries the heaviest yearly tax load in the country at $5,837 a dwelling. NSW, despite the priciest market, sits well below that at $4,189, leaning on stamp duty instead of ongoing rates. That said, NSW is catching up fast, with its tax bill growing faster than any other state.
DEPT OF HR
Former Afterpay exec takes leadership role at REA
It was a busy end to the week at REA Group, with the official announcement arriving late Friday afternoon that Katrina Konstas has been appointed to lead the company's commercial and marketing division. She steps into the role currently held by Kul Singh, who is moving on after more than 10 years at the helm.
REA Group CEO Cameron McIntyre says the search was extensive – Katrina's track record balancing commercial and customer outcomes was the drawcard.
HOW IT SOLD
From a crashed contract to four competing offers
When a building and pest issue derailed the first deal on a renovated Tewantin cottage, Sean Cary commissioned his own report to remove the uncertainty. He relaunched with open houses and an expressions of interest campaign, drawing four serious offers across two rounds – ultimately securing $1.26 million, well above the property's $825,000 sale price in 2022.
Ailsa gives you a signboard that never comes down. getailsa.com
CELEBRITY HOMES
Legendary 'The Man from Snowy River' pub up for sale
The Bredbo Inn's slow-cooked pies aren't its only claim to fame – this 1836 staging post is also linked to the legend behind Banjo Paterson's Man from Snowy River. Ray White Rural's Simon Southwell has it guided at $1.8 million, with a motel, bottle shop, TAB and caravan park included. Owners Raquel and Mathew Thomas are ready for a new chapter, with the auction set for 17 July.
MOVERS + SHAKERS
Family business with 30-year history joins Harcourts network
More than three decades of trade in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs now sits under a new banner. George and Aishah Savva have rebranded their Maroubra-based agency as Harcourts Wentworth Partners, bringing a 600-property management portfolio and deep local ties in Randwick and Little Bay into the Harcourts network.
Husband-and-wife team opens Ray White Hoppers Crossing office
Shahid Khan and Fatima Zahra have launched their own Ray White office after just 12 months of trading in the suburb, setting ambitious targets for market share and property management growth.
Adam Wong is taking the next step with DiJones
The Chatswood-based agent's promotion caps a near two-decade career with the business and highlights how DiJones is building leadership from within its network.
Lifestyle Group extends coastal footprint into Byron Bay
The regional network's acquisition of a Byron Bay agency connects a sales and property management corridor stretching from Forster to Brunswick Heads.
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
Every real estate negotiation is a Taylor Swift song - uplifting, high-stakes, and one good chorus away from a win. # Shake It Off energy.🎤🏡
Seen an Agent On Social we should include? Let us know here (email link)
TRUE OR FALSE:
In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Property" instead of "Happiness."
And the answer is …
It’s False. Jefferson’s draft already said “the pursuit of happiness.” The property part does have a history, though. Back in the day, the famous formulation of the philosopher John Locke was “life, liberty and property,” and the idea that property is one of the clearest paths to security, freedom and a better life. Which, if you’re in real estate, could be argued is pretty much the same thing.
via Wikipedia
Wishing you a productive day!
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