Why Bill Gates reached out to John Singleton, National house premium soars, Adrian Knowles on why client follow-up is a must, +news and more

“They said it”

Good Morning from Elite Agent

Hit movie Barbie missed out on the big awards at the Oscars and the BAFTAS, but has taken home the top prizes at the People’s Choice Awards. The very ‘pink’ film won best movie and best comedy movie, while Margot Robbie won best female movie star and Ryan Gosling won best male movie star. America Ferrera also won best movie performance.

And this tale of winning and losing got us thinking about how you can’t please everyone all the time and it’s better to be something to someone, than nothing to everyone. Area Specialist’s Michael Choi explains how to get that balance right here.

Today, we’re covering:

• National house premium soars

• Adrian Knowles on why follow-up matters

• The Paddington property Bill Gates’ wanted

• And much more!

Let's get to work 🚀

On our radar

House and unit price gap widens

The gap between capital city house and unit prices has never been wider, with detached homes now costing almost $300,000 more than units. According to CoreLogic’s latest figures, the ‘house premium’, or the difference between median capital city house and unit values, was just 16.7 per cent in March 2020, but has now jumped to 45.2 per cent. That equates to $293,950 difference. Find out why the gap is growing here.

Together with Elite Retreat and Kolmeo

What's the difference between an average year and a really great year, or even a pivotal year in your business? Usually, it's not a dozen or more things - often, it is just one or two genius moves. And that is our theme for Elite Retreat this year, which will be held at the stunning Intercontinental Hayman Island resort.

Our speakers and invited guests will reveal their genius moves, from leadership to marketing, financial moves and also the moves they wish they had made but missed! Early Bird is only up until we announce our speaker lineup on 1 March - make your genius move by putting 11-14 August in your diary and securing your registration here.

Today’s Feature

Don’t tap out at the final bell: why follow-up matters

In the business arena, the final bell doesn’t signal the end of the match, it’s a checkpoint for growth and building trust. In today’s feature, Harcourts Australia CEO Adrian Knowles reveals why ignoring the power of follow-up is like leaving the ring before the match is won, abandoning relationships and opportunities on the mat. More here.

Brekky Browse

People are talking about these. Read up; join in!

A decade of innovation*
@realty celebrates its 10th birthday

What happened when Bill Gates called?
The colourful history of John Singleton’s Paddington office

New Zealand’s January housing slump
Sales volumes near 40-year low, but already turning the corner

Banish the bland
How to write engaging listing descriptions

The Hilton’s haven is up for grabs
Rick and Kathy Hilton have listed their Hamptons estate

Put The Brief in your ears
with thanks to Rex Software

Anything else?

One a penny, two a penny…

If you’ve got the annoying Hot Cross Buns song stuck in your head now, that’s totally what we intended. You see, Good Food has taste-tested eight novelty hot cross buns to see which should make it into the toaster this Easter and which should head straight in the bin. There’s everything from Pizza Shapes flavour to fairy bread and even Caramilk flavour. And we think this is a bit of a lesson in differentiation. And one top agent who knows all about differentiating to stand out in a busy marketplace is Alex Jordan. Discover his tips here.