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New research spanning seven studies across four continents has found that neighbour relationships have a stronger impact on homebuyer satisfaction than property features or location. While buyers obsess over square metres and school zones, few ask the question that actually predicts whether they'll love or regret their purchase: "Could my neighbours become friends?"

The study, led by researchers at UNSW Business School, found that self-reliant buyers particularly value this "neighbour information" when making decisions – weighing potential friendships more heavily than those who already have strong social networks. It's an area of property purchasing that typically gets overlooked entirely, while buyers scrutinise benchtops and morning sun.

Worth asking at your next open home: have you met the people next door?

In today’s edition of The Brief

• Why some agents are selling ten properties a month while others stall

• Gold Coast rents overtake Sydney as the most expensive in the country

• A singer’s quirky LA home with a turret library hits the market

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 58 seconds

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INSIGHT

Why top agents aren't complaining right now

Some agents are selling ten properties a month while others wait for conditions to change. The difference isn't luck or location – it's process. Real estate coach Caroline Bolderston has identified the patterns separating those who thrive from those who stall.

The expectation gap that's killing campaigns

Vendors aren't deluded about market conditions – they know it's not a boom. But they're anchored to prices from twelve or eighteen months ago. This creates a trap for agents: back the vendor's hope and you win the listing, but you've already compromised your ability to have honest conversations.

"They're not having the conversations they need to based on what the market is actually doing," Caroline says.

The full article reveals exactly how top agents navigate this without losing listings or damaging relationships.

The question that changes everything

Before any listing meeting, Caroline believes agents should ask one crucial question – and it's deliberately different from asking what they think the property is worth.

"Every property owner has a secret desire around price."

That one shift in language opens up a completely different conversation. But here's what most agents miss: it's not just about asking the question. It's about what you do with the answer.

What you'll learn in the full article:

• The three-price framework: How to present aspirational, market, and guaranteed prices as options, not ultimatums

• The two-week checkpoint: Why top agents never let campaigns drift – and the exact conversation to have

• The "dream price" reframe: The specific question that invites honesty instead of defensive valuations

• Process over precision: How boom-year habits are catching agents out now – and the mindset shift that fixes it

Caroline's advice is simple: "Process always precedes performance. Always. Don't drop the process. That's when you get caught."

The agents who aren't complaining right now have something the others don't. This article shows you exactly what it is.

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday, we discovered the AI workflow that cuts hours

TOGETHER WITH AREC26

Million Dollar Listing stars headline AREC26 lineup

AREC26 has locked in its first eight speakers for the Gold Coast on 24-25 May – and the headliners are Million Dollar Listing LA stars Josh Altman and Josh Flagg. High-performance mentor Ben Crowe (known for coaching Ash Barty) and Harvard negotiation expert Alison Wood Brooks are also confirmed. More speaker announcements and a Property Management Arena to come.

Find out more about the big names coming to AREC26

RENTAL MARKETS

Gold Coast overtakes Sydney as priciest rental market

At $950 a week, Gold Coast houses now cost more to rent than Sydney ($810) – useful context if clients are weighing lifestyle moves. National house rents have hit $650 with 4.8% annual growth; they're slowing, not falling. Ray White's Nerida Conisbee: "The surge phase may be behind us, but rents are not retreating."

AI TECH

AI turns your research into a podcast

Elite Agent Managing Editor Samantha McLean shows us how Google's Deep Research browses hundreds of websites to compile a report on a property or vendor. You can drop it into NotebookLM (free – three audio overviews per day), and it generates a two-host podcast you can absorb on the drive to your next listing.

HOW IT SOLD

Launceston home draws 17 offers in seven-day campaign

Jeremy Wilkinson used an ‘offers over’ pricing strategy combined with premium presentation to generate strong buyer interest for the Lord Street property. More than 65 inspections led to 17 written offers, with the home selling after a tightly managed seven-day campaign.

Agents across Australia are turning standout sales into stories that build trust with future clients. getailsa.com

CELEBRITY HOMES

Rufus Wainwright lists LA home with turret library

The singer behind Shrek's iconic "Hallelujah" cover is selling his 1926 Laurel Canyon retreat for $3M. Wainwright wrote his Grammy-nominated album in the storybook property, which features Tudor ceilings painted red and what the agent calls a "very moody" interior. The 15-foot bookshelves in the octagonal turret steal the show.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Hunter Macri joins Harcourts Queensland as Business Operations Manager

With five years in the state's largest real estate brands, he'll strengthen network relationships and operational systems during the next phase of growth. More here.

Stacey Mitchell builds buyer's agent business across South East Queensland

The former marketing director made the switch three years ago and now operates from the Gold Coast to Mackay with a flat fee structure and focus on off-market properties. 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

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Wishing you a productive day!

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Elite Agent is crewed by Mark Edwards, Catherine Nikas-Boulos, Rowan Crosby, Charmagne Arrubio, Iris Rebello 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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