GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

True or False?

A highway in Japan pays rent to an office building it passes through.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

Meanwhile, in today’s edition of The Brief

• How leaders can steady their teams as fuel and cost pressures spike

• Melbourne CBD to gain 1,600 homes as 65-storey tower gets planning approval

• AI-Powered rebuild gives Elite Agent a new website - and saves $50K!

Today’s read time: 7 minutes, 16 seconds

New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝

LEADERSHIP

Your team's calm test just arrived

Monday's emergency national cabinet meeting on fuel shortages signals more than supply chain stress – it's a pressure test for how real estate leaders manage their teams through external uncertainty. With mobility-dependent operations and already stretched staff, the next few months will separate steady leadership from reactive scrambling.

The ripple effect nobody's talking about

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia, warns that diesel surcharges are already hitting 8–10 per cent above normal – and most builders are locked into fixed-price contracts with nowhere to pass costs.

"We're concerned that the longer this goes, then the longer the tail is.”

For agents, this means delayed project handovers, shifting property pricing, and client expectations that need managing. But here's what most leaders miss about preparing their teams now...

What your staff actually want

New research reveals 97 per cent of Australians are willing to accept significant measures during the crisis – and their first choice might surprise you. Working from home scored 8.2 out of 10 for support, while generational differences are shaping which solutions gain traction.

The full article breaks down exactly what this means for structuring your team's week.

The silent leadership mistake

Workplace analyst Brian Elliott highlights a costly pattern emerging across high-pressure industries: leaders going quiet about external stress.

"That silence leaves employees to fill in the gaps themselves."

The result? Disengaged staff who don't leave – they stay and underperform. The full article reveals what this actually costs per employee, and why middle managers in real estate are most vulnerable.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The 97% readiness factor: What Australians will accept – and reject – during crisis

• The silence gap: Why saying nothing costs more than saying the wrong thing

• The hidden drag: Exact dollar figures for disengaged team members

• Seven immediate actions: Practical steps to reduce stress while maintaining productivity

Your team (or your client) is watching how you respond right now. The full article gives you the playbook.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday: What hands-on rural real estate really looks like.

TOGETHER WITH REACH

REACH launches 45th global cohort

Second Century Ventures' REACH program welcomed five new proptech companies to its Australian and New Zealand intake, marking seven years in the region and the program’s 45th global cohort.

Peter Schravemade, REACH Australia and New Zealand Managing Partner, described the initiative as one that builds meaningful connections from the start: “It’s not about adding more names to the list, it’s about bringing people into a community that starts to take shape in a meaningful way from day one.”

The cohort spans CRM, recruitment, property advisory, and tourism, including Aro Software and Crayons CRM.

“What stood out with this cohort was the way they showed up. They were prepared, engaged and intentional, and at this stage, that matters just as much as the product or platform you’re building,” he said.

The evening also launched PropTech CoLab with the Real Estate Institute of Queensland to survey the industry and inform future support.

Tyler Thompson, REACH co-founder, emphasised the program’s growth: "We're not stopping. We're going to keep doubling down on this community."

Read more about REACH here.

POLICY

Victoria approves 65-storey CBD tower with 1,600 homes

A $495 million tower is heading to Melbourne's 400 Queen Street after Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny signed off on the project. A Malaysian developer will deliver 693 apartments and 900 purpose-built student beds in what will become one of Melbourne's 25 tallest buildings. It's part of Victoria's push to concentrate housing near transport and employment hubs.

AI

Did you notice something new about eliteagent.com?

In the last week or so, you may have noticed our website looks a bit different. That's because we rebuilt it – not with a dev agency, but with AI saving somewhere $25,000 and $50,000 in dev costs. Sam wrote the full behind-the-scenes on Substack.

Find out how she did it here 
(and hit reply, let us know what you think of the new look!)

HOW IT SOLD

Post-auction talks sealed a $2.34m result

Nick Berman's Mount Colah auction attracted only two active bidders for a newly built five-bedroom house at the top of the suburb's market. When bidding stalled, Nick worked with auctioneer Paul Hancock to bridge the gap – post-auction negotiations proved essential to reaching the $2.34 million result after 45 days on market.

A listing lasts weeks. The case study lasts forever. getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

Real Housewives stars stack two LA penthouses

When one $22M penthouse isn't enough, buy the one downstairs. Heather and Terry Dubrow – of Real Housewives of Orange County and Botched fame - have paid A$21.8M for the unit directly beneath their existing Century City penthouse. A connecting staircase would create over 1,000 square metres and the building's second-largest residence.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Peter Diamantidis adds eighth office to Ray White United Group

The Toongabbie acquisition marks continued rapid expansion across Western Sydney, growing from five staff to 125 team members in just four years. More here.

Teagan Seccombe and Karmen Costigan step up at Harcourts

The two Australian executives have been promoted to global leadership roles, with Teagan overseeing events and partnerships across the trans-Tasman network and Karmen leading property management strategy worldwide. More here.

Antony Bucello celebrates 25 years as a buyer's agent

One of Australia's first dozen buyer's agents, he now operates National Property Buyers across Melbourne and is busier than ever following the post-COVID market surge. 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

Sometime’s giving a vendor the right price advice is like telling a cat to bathe … nobody’s happy. 😿🛁

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

A highway in Japan pays rent to an office building it passes through.

And the answer is…

True. In Osaka, the Gate Tower Building is a 16-storey office tower with an expressway exit ramp running through floors 5, 6, and 7. The elevator skips from 4 straight to 8. The landowners had held the site since the 1800s. When they applied to redevelop in the 1980s, permits were refused – the government had already planned a highway through the same spot. Neither side budged for five years.

The compromise: build both. The expressway passes through on bridge supports without touching the building, and the highway authority pays rent for those three floors.

In other words, somewhere in Osaka, a strata manager may be trying to enforce a speed limit in the common areas…

Wishing you a productive day!

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