GOOD MORNING FROM ELITE AGENT

Today is Professional Speakers Day - a shoutout to those brave enough to pick up a mic, own a room, and make their point without a single “um.” And let’s be honest, who deserves a standing ovation more than real estate agents?

You’re the masters of vendor meetings, auction calls, open-home spiels, and those last-minute listing pitches where you have 30 seconds to sound both charming and authoritative. Whether you’re talking GCI or granite benchtops, today’s for you: the unofficial keynote speakers of every neighbourhood.

Today’s read time: 6 minutes, 46 seconds

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PROPERTY MARKETING

Floor plan: the most overlooked dealbreaker

The $10k campaign with a $20 floor plan problem

In a market where agents pour thousands into cinematic video, drone footage, and high-end photography, one element of real estate marketing remains curiously outdated: the floor plan.

“It’s the most neglected part of Australian property marketing, right through from off-the-plan sales to your average high-volume residential campaign,” says Michael Cardillo, Managing Director of FloorScape. And that neglect, he argues, is costing agents more than they realise.

The disconnect between spend and standards

Michael’s foray into floor plans began like many buyer journeys, on a listings portal. “We noticed that above 75% of listings had floor plans, but they were of horrendous quality. They were riddled with mistakes, they looked visually unappealing, and they sat next to beautifully produced photography and video. It didn’t make sense.”

What’s more concerning, he says, is structural: “Floor plans have historically been produced by photographers as a cheap upsell. They sketch it up or scan it with an iPad and send it overseas. The cost to produce that product is like $20 in some cases. There’s no oversight. No one cares about them.”

This low-bar standard can have real consequences: “The biggest and most critical mistake is to do with floor area sizes. The floor sizes on most listings are over 10% inaccurate in some instances. There’s no consistent calculation method, and no regulation or process behind it.”

Perception and presentation

While buyers may not boycott a property over a floor plan, Michael says it affects perception: “They’ll still go to the open home, but it degrades the overall feel of the campaign. It affects how seriously they take the brand, the agent, and the property.”

He points to a cultural blind spot: “There’s a culture of ‘Don’t worry about it, it’s just a diagram.’ But that narrative doesn’t work anymore. Not when you’ve got architectural photography, cinematic video … and a floor plan that looks like it was done in Microsoft Paint.”

Time for a shift?

He doesn’t blame agents, but he questions the logic of legacy workflows, where the photographer is tasked with putting together a floorplan for a listing.

“It’s like getting a haircut at a bakery. Why is a photographer doing a floor plan?” he says.

“People buying at the top end expect better. And they should.”

Read the full story here.

ICYMI, yesterday we discussed what real estate can learn from Amazon’s customer obsession.

NEW SUBURB

New housing precinct approved in Melbourne

Melbourne’s outer north is getting a major glow-up, with the Victorian Government giving the green light to a brand-new suburb set to welcome over 47,000 future residents. The Beveridge North West Precinct will bring 15,000 homes, four town centres, eight schools, and more green space than 13 MCGs combined.

Stage One kicks off right away, with 2,400 homes in the pipeline, while later stages are set to follow the completion of the Camerons Lane interchange. Think parks, bike paths, community hubs, and everything families need close to home. It’s all part of the state’s ambitious Greenfields plan to deliver 180,000 new homes, and more room to grow, for Victoria over the next decade.

BANK OF MUM AND DAD

Aussies helped with rent or bills

New research shows that 6% of Australians have helped a loved one with rent or a home deposit in the past year - because making ends meet now often takes a village. In total, 7.7 million Aussies chipped in financially, covering everything from groceries to medical bills to mystery expenses no one explained. The lines between generosity and necessity are blurring, with parents, siblings, and even grandparents pitching in. Real estate pros are seeing it too, buyers are backed (and sometimes bailed out) by the family wallet.

NZ MARKET NEWS

Auckland drags, Hamilton hums: NZ property still in a slump

New Zealand’s property market isn’t going anywhere fast - at least not in July. National home values dipped by 0.2%, with Auckland and Dunedin leading the downturn, both falling -0.6%. Even usually steady Christchurch saw a slight drop, while Hamilton and Tauranga managed modest gains. Cotality’s Kelvin Davidson says the market is stuck between lower mortgage rates and a sluggish jobs market, keeping prices on ice. “It’s still a buyer’s market.”

CELEBRITY HOMES

Shannen Doherty’s Malibu haven lists for $14.25M

One year after her passing, Shannen Doherty’s serene Malibu estate is up for grabs - and it’s every bit the California dream. Listed at AU$14.25 million, the ocean-view property blends rustic charm with modern design, featuring oak floors, antique doors, and retractable glass walls. The late Beverly Hills, 90210 star transformed the home into a private sanctuary for entertaining friends; a separate guesthouse, edible garden, and sun-drenched terrace round out the estate’s lifestyle appeal.

MOVERS + SHAKERS

Nadine Catley joins Harcourts training team

The experienced educator takes on the Online Training Manager role, bringing 15+ years of sales experience and 8 years in education to the position. More here.

Nakita Tate elevates real estate operations

The Sales Operations Manager at Besser and Co is redefining excellence by integrating technology with human expertise across all business facets. More here.

Success doesn’t rest on weekends! 
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AGENTS ON SOCIAL

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Wishing you a productive day!

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