Warm buyers appetites, Interest rate wrap, Win back neglected clients, Brisbane’s shark house, +news and more

Good Morning from Elite Agent

The RBA has kept interest rates on hold but refused to rule future rate rises out, with governor Michele Bullock noting inflation was dropping slower than expected. Speaking after yesterday’s Board meeting, Michele says the economic outlook is uncertain and the process of returning inflation to target is unlikely to be smooth. That uncertainty has experts conflicted about when a rate cut might happen. LJ Hooker’s Mathew Tiller says early 2025 is now looking more likely for a rate cut, while The Agency’s Geoff Lucas notes “the possibility of an increase later this year is starting to grow”. More from our panel of experts here.

Today, we are also covering:

• Farmland price growth slows

• 10 winter warming styling tips

• How to win back past clients

• A house you can sink your teeth into

• And much more!

Let's get to work 🚀

Instant Inspo 💡

FOCUS ON VOLUMES

Prospect consistently by phone - aim for 80-100 connections, from 250 calls, per day. Keep scripts under 10 seconds. Focus on volume of sales and building market share, not just your commission.

Go Deeper with Chari Emirzade here.

On our radar

Farmland prices not that ‘baaaaad’

Aussie farmland prices are tipped to continue growing this year, but at a much slower rate. Following three years of significant increases, Rabobank’s latest analysis expects price growth on the median price per hectare to slow to five per cent. The deceleration in price growth reflects a shift in farm profitability, weather challenges, and a tightening property market, but not all states and regions will fare the same. More here.

AI Powered Agents on demand

“I feel the need, the need for speed!”

That’s not just one of the classic lines from the Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun, it’s also a reminder that an integral part of our AI Powered Agents - Self Paced course is the SPEED model. Not only does the SPEED blueprint set you up for success, it will help you prompt like a pro, give you an extra brain, create another set of hands and help you dominate your marketplace. You can start the online, on-demand course anytime you like (even right now!) and complete it as leisurely or as ‘speedily’ as you like. All the details are here.

Today’s Feature

10 ways to warm your home, and buyers’ appetites, this winter

The temperature has dropped, but that doesn’t mean buyer interest in your listings has to go the same way. According to Vault Interiors Justine Wilson, you and your vendors can make a few simple styling changes to infuse warmth into their properties this winter. In today’s feature, Justine reveals 10 ways to create a cosy atmosphere that will make buyers want to settle in and put their feet up. More here.

Today’s Quiz

Can you pave the way to the truth, or will you be fooled by a red brick trick?

Brekky Browse

Meanwhile in the US 🇺🇸

Shrinkflation hits the US

New homes built in the US are shrinking in size as homeowners look for more affordable housing. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the median size of a new home has shrunk to 202sq m, which is the smallest in 13 years. More than one-third of builders have cut home sizes to make ownership more feasible, amid a backdrop of increasing constraints such as limited buildable land and a shortage of skilled labor. The median price of new homes dipped to $428,200 in 2023, down by 6 per cent from the previous year, as part of efforts to tackle the affordability crisis.

Anything else?

We’re not sure we could live here…

A local council in the UK has incited controversy after deciding to remove apostrophes from street signs, citing the potential disruption they cause in digital databases. Residents and linguistic experts have criticised North Yorkshire council’s decision. Despite historical precedents from other councils, North Yorkshire's stance has sparked debate about the importance of correct grammatical representation in public signage and we kinda think they’ve got a (full) point. And if you want to brush up on your grammar and punctuation, we’ve got a list of the most common errors, and how to fix them, here.

Dates for your diary

Find Elite Agent Editor Samantha McLean speaking about real estate and AI at these upcoming events:

May 10 AI Powered Agents Subscriber Masterclass (Virtual)
May 17 Raine & Horne PM Conference, Bowral, NSW
May 27 AREC, Gold Coast, Qld
June 3 Harcourts PM Conference, Gold Coast, Qld
July 12 AI Powered Agents Subscriber Masterclass (Virtual)
July 19 Leah Calnan National PM Day, Melbourne, Vic
July 30-Aug 1 Proptech Summit + Workshop, Sydney
August 11-14 Elite Retreat, Hayman Island, Qld
August 25 PPM Conference, Gold Coast, Qld