GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT

CBRE just landed a spot on The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality 2025, and they didn’t get there by ticking a few HR boxes. The global real estate powerhouse impressed judges with real-deal efforts: flexible work, fair pay, family-friendly policies, and a serious stance on tackling harassment. It’s a timely reminder that creating an inclusive workplace isn’t just good optics, it’s smart business.

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 33 seconds

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STRATEGY

’Moneyball’ for real estate

How Dion Besser’s Moneyball mindset helped double his agency’s performance

In a profession where personal branding often gets top billing, Dion Besser has taken a different path. The founder of Melbourne agency Besser & Co has built a high-performing business not around hype or heroics, but around systems, structure, and doing the basics brilliantly. His unexpected inspiration? A baseball movie. Rather than relying on gut feel or scouting intuition, Moneyball uses statistics and evidence to evaluate player performance. The focus shifts to undervalued skills, like on-base percentage, that actually contribute to team wins, even if they don’t look flashy.

“I think I've watched it a dozen times now,” Dion says of Moneyball. “It really hit me a couple of months ago and I thought: I could do that here. I could apply the same thing to business.”

Focus over flair: the real GCI driver

Dion’s transformation started with a mindset shift. Instead of looking for a one-size-fits-all “super agent,” he divided roles by strength: prospectors prospect, listers list, and administrators are judged on precision, not personality. It’s less Hollywood, more high-performance.

“All real estate agents are trying to look for that next big superstar… but I’ve stopped banging my head against the brick wall looking for that.”

Inspired by Moneyball, he realised real estate didn’t need heroes, it needed specialists. Just like the Oakland A’s focused on on-base percentage, Dion focused on measurable outcomes like appointments booked or calls made.

Numbers don't lie

Every role at Besser & Co has a metric attached. Admin KPI’s track brochure errors. Property management teams log and categorise complaints. Sales performance hinges on activity, not bravado.

“We categorised all the complaints, figured out how many we were getting in each area, and then worked on reducing the ones that came up the most. It wasn’t about guessing, it was about understanding the numbers.”

It’s a shift from gut feel to data discipline, with clear results. Pay rises are tied to performance, no politics, no ambiguity. As Dion puts it: “A pay rise is a number… so why shouldn’t performance be a number too?”

Culture by design, not default

Despite the emphasis on data, Dion hasn’t lost sight of team cohesion. His new culture statement is, Stronger together. Solving, supporting, and succeeding, sets the tone. It’s not about being robotic; it’s about empowering people to master what they’re best at.

“It’s about making people feel valued for what they’re actually good at, not making them feel inadequate because they can’t do four other things.”

The system’s still evolving, especially around creative roles. But the clarity it’s brought to the business is undeniable.

“If you don’t have a target, you don’t know what to aim for. It’s as simple as that.”

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday Laing + Simmons CEO Leanne Pilkington on her view of how leadership has changed over the last decade.

TOGETHER WITH HARCOURTS

Harcourts REACH delivers faster sales and higher prices through AI-driven advertising

Harcourts’ AI-based marketing platform, REACH, is delivering tangible benefits for property sellers, with homes selling an average of four days faster and achieving price increases of around $16,000. Launched in October 2023 in partnership with global tech firm CCT, REACH has quickly become a central part of Harcourts’ digital strategy.

The system uses artificial intelligence to generate more than 100 tailored ad variations for each listing, refining them in real time by identifying and removing underperforming ads while scaling those that are more effective. This dynamic approach ensures each campaign is continuously optimised for stronger results.

Read more about Harcourts REACH here.

RATE CUTS

Inflation cools, and rate cut odds heat up

Australia’s inflation has eased to 2.1% in May, its lowest level since October 2021, putting a July interest rate cut firmly in play. The trimmed mean, now at 2.4%, sits comfortably within the Reserve Bank’s 2–3% target band, a signal that monetary policy may finally loosen. Financial markets are pricing in an 88% chance of a rate cut when the RBA meets in early July.

COMMERCIAL MATTERS

Office market faces 'lease expiry cliff'

A massive wave of office lease expiries is set to test Australia's largest CBD markets, with approximately 2 million square metres expiring between 2026-2028 in Sydney and Melbourne. Tenants are showing a clear "climb to the core" preference for centrally located, higher-grade spaces on upper floors. With 60% of major Sydney tenants implementing return-to-office mandates, the financial and legal sectors will drive nearly 800,000 square metres of high-value tenant decisions.

TEAM CULTURE

Why micromanagement holds back real estate leadership

Too many real estate leaders mistake control for effectiveness, but according to LJ Hooker’s Jarita Rayasam, that mindset is a growth killer. “Leadership is strategic. Micromanagement is tactical,” she says.

When leaders hover, team members stall, waiting for approval, second-guessing decisions, and missing key opportunities to evolve. Jarita advocates for a different model: trust your team, tailor your support, and create an environment where people can “express themselves without fear.”

CELEBRITY HOMES

Former triathlete's luxury lakefront sanctuary hits the market

A stunning architectural home in Birtinya, on the Sunshine Coast, is up for sale as former triathlete Ingi Doyle moves to a new chapter following some health challenges. The north-facing waterfront property features over 370 square metres of living space, a 25-metre heated lap pool, and a steam room with lake views. After nearly five years of ownership and extensive upgrades, Ingi is ready to simplify and travel more, making way for new owners to enjoy this wellness-focused sanctuary.

AGENTS ON SOCIAL

Just like you wouldn’t sprint without stretching, agents need a warm-up before hearing "the reason this house isn’t selling… is you." Pro tip: Deep breaths, strong coffee, and a thicker skin than the asking price.🏋🏼‍♀️ 😅

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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