Mulligan, Buyers Agents

22/05/2026

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐧. 🤮🤮🤮

But one has to question: is this exact culture the reason why real estate remains one of the least trusted industries in the country?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐀 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫. 𝐍𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. ( Excluding REIA President’s Award).

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬

Pay the Entry Fee: You must first be a paying, financial member of your state's REI (like REINSW or REIV). Not all agents are.

Self-Nominate: No Consumer input. You have to actively step up and nominate yourself to even be considered.

Sing Your Own Praises: You spend hours inside an online portal writing extensive essays about your own "excellence" and uploading glossy photos of yourself.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭: You have to buy expensive gala tickets just to sit in the room and see if your self-nomination won a trophy.

The Winners: It ultimately becomes an award for who is the biggest narcissist. (The single exception to the self-submission rule in the REIA framework is the REIA President’s Award.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭

Then, agents use these ‘Awards’ to inflate their already massive egos. They look prospective clients in the eye and boast that they "won the award", conveniently leaving out the part where they nominated themselves, spent weeks drafting their own praise, and bought a table at a dinner to collect it.
They get up on stage and thank everyone as they accept their “Award”.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

When you see those trophy posts today, ask yourself: are industry awards a true benchmark of success, or just an expensive exercise in patting yourself on the back?

Personally, I’d Rather Get a Referal from a Former Client. Success is winning over consumers' hearts and minds: Not a Self Nominated Fake Award. 🤮🤮🤮🤮

15/05/2026

A Cautionary Tale for Real Estate Agents: A Recent NSW Supreme Court Decision in a Bronte Sales Campaign

A recent decision by the NSW Supreme Court in the matter of Keci v Barnes [2026] NSWSC 521 serves as a reminder that statements, although technically true, can be misleading in context when made during a residential sales campaign.

In this case, the Court found that the purchasers were induced into a residential property contract due to misleading representations regarding neighbouring development and future ocean views.

Notably, the Court acknowledged the existence of an approval pathway for approximately 9 units or houses on adjacent land. However, it was also established that the vendors and agents were aware of a separate State Significant Development (SSD) proposal involving approximately 100–120 dwellings.

The Court did not rule that the development of 100–120 dwellings would definitely occur. Instead, it found that there was a known and material development risk that was not disclosed when the agents provided reassurances to the purchasers regarding the impact on the views.

The Court's reasoning was that once the agents chose to address the neighbouring development and its impact, their statements implied that no other materially relevant development risks were known.

This decision may also have broader implications for compliance under the Property and Stock Agents Act.

13/05/2026

Negative gearing changes are officially coming to Australia’s property market and the impact could be significant.

From 1 July 2027:

• Negative gearing on established residential properties for future purchases will end
• Existing investors are expected to be grandfathered under current rules
• Newly built properties will still qualify
• The current 50% capital gains tax discount will move to an inflation-indexed model

This is one of the biggest shifts in Australian property taxation in decades.

The Government says the changes are designed to improve affordability and increase housing supply. But will it actually get large numbers of first home buyers into the market?

Probably not to the extent many people expect.

Australia’s affordability crisis is far bigger than negative gearing alone.

The real issues remain:

• Chronic housing shortages
• Population growth
• Construction costs
• Planning and zoning delays
• Infrastructure bottlenecks
• High interest rates
• Limited housing supply in key areas

In many markets, first home buyers are not even competing directly against investors.

What these reforms are more likely to do is change investor behaviour.

Expect to see:

• Increased demand for new builds
• Greater focus on rental yield and cash flow
• Reduced appeal of some negatively geared established properties
• More investors looking at SMSF structures
• More selective, research-driven property buying

The reality is this: tax benefits alone have never made a poor property a good investment.

Over the next decade, strategic property selection, strong locations and long-term fundamentals may matter more than ever.

04/05/2026

Family Dinner Delicious food and massive servings. Welcome back to Australia

28/04/2026

Birthday Lunches!

18/03/2026

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐫

In the Sydney property market, the most expensive thing you can bring to a negotiation isn’t a bigger deposit. It's your heart!

Real estate is never just about bricks and mortar. It’s about the "lifestyle dream." It’s the morning sun in the courtyard or the street that reminds you of home.

But here’s the truth: If you’re emotionally attached, you’ve already lost the negotiation.

The "Heart Over Head" Tax

When a buyer "falls in love" with a home, logic disappears. That’s when the "Emotional Tax" takes over. It doesn't just happen at auctions. It happens in quiet living rooms and over quick phone calls with agents:

The "Whatever It Takes" Offer: Throwing an extra $50k at a private treaty deal because you’ve already mentally moved your furniture in.

Blindness: Ignoring a $20k damp issue or a noisy neighbour because the kitchen styling is "so you."

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Settling for a "B-grade" property just because you’re tired of looking and want the search to be over.

In Sydney, a 5% "emotional mistake" can easily cost you $100,000.

How to Kill the Emotional Tax

The most successful buyers leave their hearts in the car.

Set a "Hard Stop": Your walkaway price, not a fuzzy feeling.
If the price goes $1 above it, you walk. No exceptions.

Look Past the Staging: Fresh flowers and expensive candles are cheap.

Floor plans and structural integrity are what actually hold value.

Keep Your Cards Close: The moment an agent knows you "have to have it," your leverage is gone.

A house is a home, but the buy is a transaction.
If you let your heart lead the negotiation, you’ll end up with a beautiful house and a very massive mortgage.

𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.

17/03/2026

Want to know the Facts Surrounding the Proposed Changes to Real Estate Agents' Obligations....? read this....There are a lot of misconceptions being said on social media platforms that are simply false.

A Fairer Playing Field for Property Buyers and Compliance and Financial Penalties that will shock the industry.

When I put our submission together, it was 26 pages. I supported the majority of proposed changes, but I expanded on the realistic time frames for an agent to comply with price adjustments, ESP, and SOI.

Most sales agents work 6 days a week. They hang out on Saturday afternoons and hopefully have a day off with their loved ones on Sunday. It makes sense to loosen the requirements here and give them to the next business day.

Want to know the Facts Surrounding the Proposed Changes to Real Estate Agents' Obligations....? read this....There are a lot of misconceptions being said on social media platforms that are simply false. A Fairer Playing Field for Property Buyers and Compliance and Financial Penalties that will shock...

09/03/2026

Most property buyers think negotiation means one thing: getting the price down.

That’s the biggest mistake I see.

Professional negotiators approach property very differently. We don’t just negotiate price. We negotiate motivation, timing and deal structure.

In almost every transaction there are three layers:

Price
Terms
Motivation

Most buyers only see the first. The real leverage is usually in the other two.

A simple question often changes the entire negotiation:

“What outcome would make this a successful sale for you?”

That question reveals what the seller actually cares about. Settlement timing. Certainty. Simplicity. Sometimes even privacy.

Once you understand that, the negotiation changes completely.

Most people negotiate property once or twice in their lifetime.

Professional negotiators do it every week.

That difference can save buyers tens sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Paul Mulligan
Harvard-Trained Negotiator

09/03/2026

"𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠.”

That was the selling agent’s response.
The property had just hit the market.

Our client liked it.

But the asking price was well above what the evidence supported.

So we made an offer.
About $60,000 below the guide.

The agent wasn’t impressed.

“You’re wasting everyone’s time.”

𝙉𝙤𝙬, 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨:

They argue.
They start explaining comparable sales.
Or they get defensive and walk away.

All three approaches usually make the situation worse.
Because at that point, the conversation isn’t about price anymore.

It’s about emotion.

The vendor feels insulted.
The agent feels pressured.
The buyer feels dismissed.

Logic doesn’t fix that.
So instead of arguing, I took a different approach.

I said:

“𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲.”

Then I stopped talking.

The tone changed almost immediately.
The agent started explaining the vendor’s situation.

Why did they choose the price guide?
What they were hoping to achieve.
And most importantly, where the flexibility might be.

That conversation led to a deal.
Not at the original asking price.
Not at the first offer either.

But at a number both sides could live with.

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣.

In negotiation, people rarely change their position because of better logic.

They change their position when the emotional pressure disappears.

When someone feels understood, the conversation becomes collaborative instead of confrontational.

That’s when the real negotiation begins.

27/02/2026

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞

Most property buyers start with the wrong question.

At an inspection, I often hear:

“𝗦𝗼… 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸?”

It sounds harmless.

But it keeps buyers stuck.

Because “What do you think?” invites a safe answer.

“It’s nice.”
“Could work.”
“We’ll see.”

Polite. Non-committal. No clarity.

And without clarity, you cannot negotiate properly.

If you want to buy well, you have to be deliberate.

Instead of generic questions, I make observations:

“You look excited — but you’re worried about overpaying.”

“Feels like the home works, but the street doesn’t.”

“Seems like you’re tired of missing out and trying to justify it.”

“This is close to right you’re deciding whether to compromise.”

You don’t have to be perfectly right.

When you label what’s actually happening, buyers either agree or correct you.

Either way, the real issue surfaces.

That’s where intelligent decisions are made.

𝙈𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚.

It isn’t.
Negotiation drives price.
It drives emotion.
It drives timing.
It drives leverage.
It drives concessions.

Settlement terms.
Access conditions.
Deposit structure.
Exclusivity.
Competitive pressure.

Only highly skilled negotiators understand that negotiation is an ecosystem not a number.

Clarity drives confidence.
Confidence drives strategy.
Strategy drives outcome.

If you want an edge in a competitive market, stop having unhelpful conversations.

Start identifying the real tension in the room.

That’s where leverage begins.