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TRUE OR FALSE?

A Los Angeles buyer bought a Spanish-style home and, while renovating, lifted a trap door under a closet, only to discover a fully decked-out Prohibition-era speakeasy, complete with wall sconces, a bar counter, and shelves stocked for drinks. Secret parties, anyone?

(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)

In today’s edition of The Brief

• How AI elevates top agents

• Brisbane tops commercial yields across all sectors

• How an agent acheived $100k over the reserve

Today’s read time: 6 minutes 36 seconds

New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝

OPINION

What AI can't replace

Will Gosse, BresicWhitney’s Director and Acting CEO, says the businesses winning with AI are not chasing the latest tools but building everything around their people first. After 20 years of navigating market cycles and technology shifts, he sees AI as the most significant change yet. The best agents are not being replaced by technology; they are being freed by it, and AI creates space for people to be great.

"Preparedness and confidence are not soft skills. They are commercial advantages."

He says that giving your team the right tools shows you value their time and contribution, and when agents are empowered, they can focus on what matters most, and that translates into stronger client experiences. Buyers arrive better informed, and sellers ask sharper questions. Transparency becomes a natural expectation, and agencies that build a single source of truth and allow teams to share intelligence openly set themselves apart.

Will says your website and creative work are part of that chain, with AI platforms increasingly leading property discovery: "if your agency isn’t part of those answers, you’re absent at the most critical moment." Agencies that invest in both people and infrastructure create lasting advantage because empowered teams, clear communication, and visible expertise all feed into the same outcome.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The retention principle: Why empowering people with AI tools signals value – and keeps your best agents

•  The visibility gap: How AI platforms are leading discovery, and what it takes to be surfaced

•  Brand as business asset: Why original creative work now has functional value, not just emotional

• The start-now approach: Why experience builds AI literacy faster than any perfect strategy

Will makes a compelling case: the agencies that will look back on this period with confidence aren't the ones that moved fastest – they're the ones that moved with clarity about what they were building.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, last week, we discussed how centralised AML compliance works.

EVENT

Brisbane real estate unites to tackle women’s homelessness

Brisbane’s real estate industry is coming together for the inaugural Pink Tie Gala on 30 May, raising funds for The Lady Musgrave Trust to support women experiencing homelessness. The charity currently houses around 50 women and children each night, a fraction of those in need, and is expanding with new homes in Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast, and Gold Coast. Haesley Cush of Ray White Queensland says, "When an industry that touches so many lives comes together with a single purpose, the impact can be extraordinary."

The evening will feature a three-course dinner, live entertainment, and a charity auction, with all proceeds directed to creating safe homes for Queensland women.

Read more about the Pink Tie Gala here.

COMMERCIAL

Brisbane leads commercial yields as other capitals slip

Industrial, office, retail – Brisbane led all three asset classes in REA Group's first quarterly Commercial Yield Report. Economist Anne Flaherty says Southeast Queensland's population growth is shifting perceptions: once seen as riskier than Sydney and Melbourne, the city now outpaces Perth and Adelaide on fundamentals. Melbourne's 19% CBD vacancy pushed office yields the other way.

SLOW DOWN

Homeownership plans fade as costs bite harder

Four in 10 non-homeowners have now abandoned plans to buy – up 10 percentage points since March, according to Agile Market Intelligence. Another 46% still want to own but feel locked out by prices and rates. NSW saw the sharpest shift, with those giving up jumping 9 points in one quarter.

AI

AI journalist turns your sales into published stories

The letterbox drop exists for social proof, but a flyer is you talking about yourself – a published third-party story is someone else validating your work. Elite Agent's Ailsa lets you call in a sale by phone, conducts an interview, and the Elite Agent team produce an editor-reviewed article that is published on EliteAgent.com and ready for your socials. Samantha McLean demos it live in this week's episode.

HOW IT SOLD

Buyer knowledge delivers $100k above expectations

Four registered bidders competed for a Strathfield six-bedroom home, pushing the result to $8.1 million – $100,000 above the vendor's target. Norman So and Arron Muckenschnabel of Belle Property Strathfield credit the premium to deeply understanding who's actively buying in the prestige bracket.

Agents across Australia and New Zealand are turning sales into stories. getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

The UK singer may have something to say about his latest property purchase in Sydney after claiming his home in Hertfordshire was his “last house move ever.” The Voice Australia judge and wife Storm have secured Waterfall House – a Tamarama property you can only access on foot. The 1920s retreat comes with a separate two-bedroom apartment, and they'd reportedly been paying $7,500 a week to rent nearby.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Mo Zeitouneh becomes partner at Ray White Dandenong

After seven years working alongside Ben Jusufi, he's joining as business partner as the agency relocates to a new purpose-built office. More here.

Neil Valentine launches VEANDN Buyers

After 16 years of buying and renovating investment properties, he's building a Victoria-based agency and helping others by focusing on quality over quantity. 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

You can’t hurt an agent’s feelings; they’ve witnessed more chaos and drama than a reality TV show. 🎭🏡

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

TRUE OR FALSE:

A Los Angeles buyer bought a Spanish-style home and, while renovating, lifted a trap door under a closet, only to discover a fully decked-out Prohibition-era speakeasy, complete with wall sconces, a bar counter, and shelves stocked for drinks.

And the answer is …

TRUE The homeowner discovered a fully intact Prohibition-era speakeasy beneath her closet floor. The buyer, who'd purchased the Spanish-style home sight unseen, found a trap door during renovations that opened to a staircase leading down to a secret bar, complete with wall sconces, a countertop, and shelves for holding drinks.

"It was shocking," realtor Jose Prats told Newsweek. "Usually, if you have a trap door, you'll have like a little California basement, eight by eight feet. But this one was all decked out and ready for a party." Speakeasies, underground or hidden bars, became popular during the Prohibition era, which lasted in the United States from 1920 to 1933. During this time, the production, transportation, and the sale of alcohol was illegal.

Wishing you a productive day!

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