GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT

The REIQ is back in Papua New Guinea, spreading its real estate magic and proving that property management training knows no borders. REIQ’s Le-Anne Allan recently led the charge, sharing her expertise with a dynamic group from all corners of PNG, including banking, law, resorts, and real estate. With another session already locked in for April 2025, this partnership is all about raising the bar, building skills, and having a little fun along the way.

Today’s read time: 4 minutes, 32 seconds.

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SALES

Mark McLeod: How do you create momentum in real estate?

Mark McLeod, Ray White’s Chief Strategy Officer, dives into the tricky concept of momentum in real estate.

What keeps it going, and why does it disappear? According to Mark, it all comes down to volume and sticking to a well-defined patch.

By focusing on repetitive tasks in a specific area, agents can create a "layering effect", which is a kind of compounding energy that drives sales, builds recognition, and helps them smash through milestones to grow their business.

The power of geographic focus

How well do you know your area? Mark emphasises the value of focusing on a specific geographic spot, explaining that it creates a "layering effect" where consistent marketing and repeated interactions help build momentum naturally over time.

"An agent who lists in a very wide geographic area doesn’t get the advantage of the layering effect of consistent marketing around listings in a tight geographic area," he says.

By focusing on a specific location, agents can repeatedly engage with locals through open homes and marketing campaigns, fostering trust and recognition that ultimately leads to more opportunities and sustained success.

Volume beats GCI

Mark is also encouraging agents to shift their focus from Gross Commission Income (GCI) to the number of transactions they complete. "Volume is the driver," he stresses, adding that prioritising sales volume can lead to significant leaps in business performance. "Whether it’s $8 million or $1 million, it counts as one," he says, urging agents to plan their strategies around achieving milestones such as 50, 75, or even 100 sales annually, as this approach guarantees GCI will naturally follow.

Hitting the 50-sale threshold

Mark’s analysis reveals a striking pattern: agents who consistently achieve 50 or more sales per year tend to build on their momentum, often reaching 60, 70, or 80 sales. "Agents who were able to reach the 50 milestone and maintain it often went on to 60, 70, 80+ sales," he says. In contrast, those who fail to hit this benchmark often plateau or struggle to maintain growth, emphasising the critical role of strategic planning and effort in achieving long-term success.

ICYMI, last week, we discussed how property managers are thriving

TOGETHER WITH EXPLORE PROPERTY

It’s time to move beyond the 'boutique' label

The real estate industry’s fixation on size, whether it be “boutique” or “large-scale”, is missing the point, says Andrew Acton, founder of Explore Property. After building a network of 13 offices, Andrew argues that success is about purpose and impact, not the size of your operation. ”The problem with the ‘boutique’ label is that it often becomes a comfort zone, a way to avoid the challenging but rewarding work of scaling your impact,” he says.

“When we started Explore Property, we didn't set out to be boutique or huge - we set out to help people reach their potential by building great real estate businesses.”
Andrew says real estate businesses that thrive are those focused on empowering people and delivering real value, proving that it’s the size of your impact, not your agency, that matters most.

Read more about scaling for impact here.

SMART SNIPPETS

The great housing compromise
Australian homebuyers are increasingly turning to units as house prices surge across capital cities. Research shows unit markets are twice as likely to be affordable compared to houses, with Brisbane emerging as the most accessible market. Spring Hill offers units at $480,000 with a 5.8% rental yield for those willing to make the switch.

Future Fund could ease housing crisis
The HIA is urging the Future Fund to invest in apartment construction to address Australia’s housing shortage. Managing Director Jocelyn Martin says investment could reverse a 50% drop in apartment starts over the past decade and deliver much-needed homes by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

China’s urban village overhaul to transform 300 cities
China is dramatically expanding its urban village redevelopment program from 35 cities to nearly 300, targeting the transformation of one million homes to address housing shortages and boost the struggling real estate sector.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Thomas McGlynn appointed REINSW President
The BresicWhitney CEO brings two decades of experience to lead the industry body into its 115th year. 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.

SOUND WAVES

Navigating ‘allyship’ in the workplaces

Today’s curated listen explores how the pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has shifted leaders’ focus to ‘allyship’, to foster inclusivity within teams.

Dive straight into the listen below or the deeper dive here.

Read the article from MIT Sloan Management Review here

AGENTS ON SOCIAL

Real estate is the only career where you can threaten to quit 9 times in a single week, until that one deal finally closes and suddenly you’re a real estate genius again. 🤝✍🏼

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

Wishing you a productive day

Elite Agent is crewed by Mark Edwards, Catherine Nikas-Boulos, Rowan Crosby, Giverny Pringle, Charmagne Arrubio and Samantha McLean. We aim to uplift the real estate industry by delivering forward-thinking, hype-free news and education that fosters knowledge and fuels ambition.

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