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On 7 October 1996, Australian Professor Peter C. Doherty received the Nobel Prize for Medicine, alongside Swiss scientist Rolf M. Zinkernagel, for discovering how the body recognises and targets germs. Their breakthrough reshaped the study of immunology and proved the power of precision over guesswork. It’s a lesson real estate agents can appreciate. In a noisy market, success doesn’t come from casting the widest net, but from understanding signals, focusing on the right buyers and responding with clarity. Just as Professor Doherty’s research showed the value of targeted responses, great agents win trust, and results, by making deliberate, accurate choices that cut through the clutter.

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 23 seconds

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BEST PRACTICE

How transparency can defuse underquoting tensions

Building buyer trust

Underquoting continues to spark frustration among property buyers, but industry leaders say the solution lies in greater transparency and better education. REIA President Leanne Pilkington believes agents must “make buyers feel confident, and education creates transparency.”

By openly sharing comparable sales, explaining pricing challenges, and helping consumers understand market dynamics, agents can replace suspicion with trust - even when final sale prices exceed expectations.

Defining and demystifying underquoting

According to NSW Fair Trading, “An agent is underquoting the selling price of a residential property if they make a statement or publish an advertisement about its price that is less than their reasonable estimate of the property’s likely selling price.” That estimate is set out in the agency agreement, but pricing is rarely straightforward.

The market can shift quickly, and factors such as buyer emotion, urgency, or a property’s unique appeal can push auction results well beyond initial expectations. While these scenarios aren’t underquoting, buyers who miss out may still feel aggrieved.

Why transparency matters

“The crux of the underquoting issue, whether real or perceived, is the feeling among buyers of a lack of transparency,” says Leanne. Agents can counter this by providing clear information throughout the campaign.

Sharing recent comparable sales in auction handouts or online listings gives buyers context. Where direct comparisons don’t exist, agents should explain why. Even when pricing is challenging, helping buyers see the reasoning builds trust and reduces feelings of being misled.

Educating buyers builds long-term trust

Clearance rates and local market trends are another way to empower buyers. While city-wide statistics are widely reported, Leanne encourages agents to show suburb-level insights where available.

“Buyer education makes for greater transparency. Transparency supports agent trust,” she says.

When buyers understand how prices are set, they are more likely to maintain confidence in the agent, even if they miss out.

This keeps the relationship intact and creates opportunities to work together on future purchases.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, last week we covered how ‘less can be more’ in marketing.

TOGETHER WITH EBM RENTCOVER

Five tenant red flags every property manager should spot

Identifying early warning signs at a rental property can save landlords stress and financial loss. Repeated late rent payments, partial payments or avoidance of contact can lead to arrears that affect an owner’s income.

Property neglect, from poor cleanliness and pests to damage beyond normal wear and tear, is another risk that should be addressed promptly and tenants who fail to report damage may increase liability and risk claims being reduced or denied if the property isn’t properly maintained.

Abrupt departures, or “doing a runner”, can leave rent unpaid and repairs unfunded and illegal activity is a major concern, with clues ranging from evasive applications to suspicious modifications or aggressive tenant behaviour. Having the right landlord insurance, such as EBM RentCover, can help protect owners financially if these issues escalate.

Read more about the five red flags here.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Ryan J. Coyne: The Psychology-First AI Strategy That’s Driving 144% GCI Growth

Here’s what every agent needs to know – the future isn’t about AI replacing agents or agents replacing other agents with better AI skills. It’s about agents who understand where their humanity makes the most difference and use AI strategically to amplify those uniquely human moments.

Ryan J. Coyne, Chief Experience Officer at SERHANT, has been pioneering this approach since 2020, and the results speak for themselves: agents using their psychology-first AI methodology saw 144% growth in gross commission income.

COMMERCIAL

Foreign investors flooding back into commercial property

Australia's commercial property market is experiencing a remarkable comeback in foreign investment, reaching $15.9B year-to-date. This lift represents a significant recovery from 2023's $10B total, fuelled by improved regulatory efficiency with FIRB processing times now down to 29-34 days. American investors lead with $6.9B in capital flows, while Japanese investors have returned with $2.5B and new players from Korea and Thailand are emerging across diversified asset classes.

HOT PROPERTY

Top 10 property hotspots revealed

Fresh research from Hotspotting has pinpointed Australia’s ten strongest property markets, with Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia dominating the list. Director Terry Ryder said the analysis focused on suburbs showing low days on market, tight rental vacancies, solid yields and proven long-term growth, with affordability emerging as a clear trend. Douglas in Townsville led the pack for units, selling in just 13 days and recording 17 per cent annual price growth, while Joondalup in Perth matched the rapid sales pace for houses with nearly 12 per cent growth.

HONG KONG REAL ESTATE

Property slump piles pressure on banks

Hong Kong property values have dropped more than 30 per cent since 2021, putting fresh strain on the city’s lenders. Flagship assets such as the $5.2 billion (AUD 8.1 billion) tower The Center have been seized and resold at discounts, while Hang Seng Bank’s non-performing loan ratio has jumped from just over 1 per cent to nearly 7 per cent. Some have called for a “bad bank” to isolate troubled loans, while analysts warn the prolonged slump, coupled with record office vacancies, remains a serious test for Asia’s financial hub.

CELEBRITY HOMES

David Lynch's creative sanctuary hits the market

The late filmmaker David Lynch's iconic Hollywood Hills compound is now available for US$15M. Spanning 2.3 acres with five structures totalling 11,000 square feet, the estate served as Lynch's home and creative workspace for over three decades. The property features architectural gems designed by Lloyd Wright and his son Eric Lloyd Wright, creating a rare multi-generational Wright lineage. Parts of the compound even appeared in Lynch's 1997 film "Lost Highway."

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Harcourts wins top real estate agency awards

Named 'Most Recommended' and 'Top Value' in the 2025 finder.com.au customer satisfaction awards based on votes from over 60,000 Australians. More here.

Julie Feller and Danny Taylor join Ray White Double Bay

The property management leader returns to where her career began, bringing her team of three, while respected sales agent Taylor brings 15+ years of experience to the merger. 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

Cold calling without a script? That’s just improv comedy nobody asked for. 📞😅

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Wishing you a productive day!

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