GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT 👋

A mansion in Manhattan, modelled on Versailles, was purchased by Yugoslavia as an embassy in 1946.

When Yugoslavia split into five countries, ownership was divided between Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. It was successfully sold for $50 million in cash on September 27, 2022 - but not before all five owners unanimously agreed on the price and the terms.

And you thought dealing with two vendors was challenging…

In today’s edition of The Brief:

• How to turn January buyer attention into real opportunity

• Tom Panos positions early momentum as a competitive edge for 2026

• The focus on safe housing outcomes following the Victorian bushfires

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 52 seconds

New to The Brief? Join us for free 🤝

AUCTION STRATEGY

Challenging industry habit

Why McGrath West Group stopped waiting for February

Super Saturday did not emerge as a branding exercise or a bold prediction about the market. It began as a response to a clear problem: a January with no listings and no income. What followed was a disciplined rethink of how agents respond to buyer attention, seasonality, and team structure.

Built on consumer behaviour data and executed at scale, the initiative has since become a fixed point in McGrath West Group’s annual planning, reshaping how January is approached and what is possible in the so-called quiet months.

Buyer behaviour beats industry habit

For years, January was treated as a write-off. But the data told a different story; buyer attention spiked from Boxing Day into the new year, even as listings dried up.

“More people look at real estate on Boxing Day than any other day,” CEO John McGrath said. Instead of waiting for February, the group decided to meet buyers when they were already paying attention, reframing January as an opportunity rather than a pause.

Volume only works if the system holds

Running dozens of auctions on one day is not a test of marketing; it is a test of organisation. Training began months earlier, suppliers were brought in early, and auctions were treated as team events rather than individual performances.

“We don’t do lone-wolf auctions,” McGrath West Group principal, Kon Stathopoulos said. “If you come to one of ours, there are five or six agents supporting the listing agent.” The result was consistency under pressure, not chaos.

Repeatability over novelty

The growth of Super Saturday has been steady rather than spectacular by design. From 31 auctions in its first year to 149 last January, the focus has been on execution rather than attention. Both John and Kon point to the same differentiator: standards holding firm even as volume increases.

“If you believe in something and you see an opportunity to zig when others zag, and you can do it without compromising standards, then you back it,” John said.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI yesterday: the human skills that can’t replace tech.

VIC: BUSHFIRE HOUSING SUPPORT

$19.5m recovery package targets housing stability after Victorian bushfires

Access to safe housing has emerged as a central concern following the bushfires that have impacted large parts of Victoria. In response, the Allan and Albanese Labor Governments have announced a $19.5 million recovery package, with targeted funding to support displaced residents and stabilise housing outcomes. As part of the package, $1.5 million has been allocated to coordinate emergency accommodation for people forced into hotels, serviced apartments and other temporary housing.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Tom Panos reveals his 90-day playbook for 2026

If you're waiting until after Australia Day to get serious, Tom Panos says you've already given away your best advantage. This first Thought Leaders episode of 2026 covers the critical January 15-February 1 listing window, his Sydney clearance rate forecast (80%+ with a rate cut), and why AI should be your 'first employee'. Plus: why only 20% of REA listings have video.

HOW IT SOLD

The tenant who became a $1.95m buyer

April Strauss persuaded the vendor to let a hesitant buyer rent the Randwick apartment first. After six weeks of living in the space – and learning another buyer was interested – she purchased for $1.95 million, $135,000 above the suburb's typical high-end.

Stories like this build your online reputation long after the sold sticker comes down. Want yours told? getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

Copper baron's restored mansion lists for $4.5M

Eleanor Roosevelt once attended a party here – with 6,000 guests. This 24,600-square-foot Gilded Age mansion in upstate New York features 16 bedrooms, a private lake, and 38 acres of rolling hills. The roof? Made entirely of copper, naturally.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

realestate.com.au: official real estate partner of the AO.

realestate.com.au is set to take centre court as the Official Real Estate Partner of the Australian Open in a new multi-year sponsorship deal with Tennis Australia, bringing together two of Australia's greatest passions - property and sport. 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

Real estate DMs are a strange mix of serious offers, random questions, and people who definitely just want a free price opinion. 📩🤦‍♀️

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

Wishing you a productive day!

Elite Agent is the definitive platform for ambitious agents and industry players. Thought Leaders is the weekly show where top operators reveal how they’re reinventing real estate. AI-Powered Agents is your playbook for deploying AI that sells homes and scales teams.

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