Elite Agent, Southport (2026)

02/06/2026

A$332 million for a house with a glass elevator, a presidential helipad and a very famous fictional tenant.

The Florida estate at 485 W. Matheson Drive, Key Biscayne, just hit the market – and its CV is unlike anything else in American real estate.

It served as drug lord Frank Lopez's mansion in the 1983 film Scarface. Before that, it was part of Richard Nixon's Winter White House compound.

At US$18,230 per square foot, the asking price exceeds the combined A$242.8 million Google co-founder Larry Page spent on two nearby Coconut Grove properties earlier this year.

The numbers: 2.38 acres, 13,000 square feet, five bedrooms, 862 feet of direct Biscayne Bay frontage – nearly three football fields of waterfront with unobstructed views of the Miami skyline.

The original glass elevator from the film is still there. So is the presidential helipad. (Not many properties can claim both Hollywood and White House provenance.)

Listed by Jill Eber and Judy Zeder of The Jills Zeder Group at Coldwell Banker Realty.

When a property's cultural story is this strong, how much of the price tag do you think is bricks and mortar versus legacy and lore?

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02/06/2026

An apartment with a building work order. An auction that flopped. A campaign that paused over Christmas.

Then 82 new inspections and a sale before auction day.

Geoff Grist's 140-day campaign for a Cammeray apartment is a masterclass in patience and strategic pivots.

The Miller Place unit initially struggled – a building commissioner's work order flagging defects kept cautious buyers at bay. The first auction campaign fell flat.

But when an AGM confirmed eight of nine defects were rectified and the work order was lifted, Geoff shifted gears. He converted to private treaty, paused over the holidays, then relaunched as an auction in February with a competitive reserve.

"The property went from being subject to work-order to having the work-order lifted, which gave buyers the confidence to make offers," Geoff said.

He re-engaged previous buyers. Some came back. 82 fresh inspections proved the appetite was real once the regulatory cloud cleared. The auction timeline created urgency – and the property sold before auction day.

The buyers? Local dog owners who valued the pet-friendly building and direct access to Victoria Cross Metro over a quieter street.

Two vendors. No rush. A result both were very happy with.

What's the longest campaign you've run that ultimately delivered the right result?

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02/06/2026

"Culture is not what you write on a wall. Culture is what you tolerate, repeat and reward every day."

That was the message from Brendon Gale – CEO of the Tasmanian Devils and former Richmond Football Club chief executive – at OBrien Real Estate's 2026 Annual Leadership Conference in Bali.

The four-day program, themed "Advance & Challenge," was built around a single idea: the market is demanding more from every agency, every leader and every team member.

Managing Director Dean O'Brien put it plainly – it's time to challenge the habits that may have worked in the past.

Industry speakers Johnny Bell and Brett Graham zeroed in on the practical side – behaviours, systems and disciplines that turn strategy into actual results.

Sessions from Elite Agent's Samantha McLean, Steven Osborn, Steve Hughes, Paul Loftus, Simon Cashman and Milan Cooper rounded out the program with a focus on adaptability, innovation and accountability.

Dean's benchmark for conference success? What happens when people get back to the office.

"When people return with clearer priorities, stronger accountability and a renewed focus on the fundamentals, the whole business becomes stronger."

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02/06/2026

Darwin's industrial rents have jumped up to 35% in just two years – and the real growth phase may not have even started yet.

LJ Ho**er LJ Ho**er Commercial Darwin director Lee Doyle says prices and rents are lifting across most commercial sectors, with some values already sitting above the previous cycle peak.

The numbers tell the story:

Prime industrial rents have climbed from $130–$150/sqm to $170–$200/sqm in precincts like Berrimah, Pinelands and East Arm.

A-grade office rents are holding at $700–$750/sqm with low incentives, while older stock struggles as tenants trade up.

Darwin's population grew 1.7% in 2024–25 – the only capital city to accelerate faster than the year prior.

The catch? "The biggest handbrake to Darwin's commercial sector is feasibility, with construction costs and end values not yet aligned enough to trigger a broad wave of new development," Lee said.

That supply constraint is exactly what's attracting national investors searching beyond eastern capitals for yield.

The wild card is ex*****on. Defence, oil and gas, mining and major infrastructure projects are flagged – but if they convert into real jobs and population growth, Lee warns "the current supply will tighten quite quickly."

Data centres, hotel repositioning and healthcare-driven retail shifts are adding new layers of demand that didn't exist in the last cycle.

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02/06/2026

"Skill can be taught, but attitude, humility and professionalism are much harder to find."

That's Belle Property Belle Property Lower North Shore Director Matthew Smythe on why the group just appointed Djordje Kresovic to its growing team.

For Directors Matthew and Mark Jackson, the hire wasn't about filling a seat – it was about protecting a culture they've spent years building.

"We want good people who care deeply about their clients, who are coachable, collaborative and genuinely invested in building a long-term career," Mark said.

For Djordje, the move was equally deliberate. With a marketing degree and a deep connection to North Sydney, he'd already built a reputation for client experiences that feel genuine rather than transactional.

"At this stage of my career, who you learn from and who you work alongside matters a lot," he said. "I wanted to be part of a business where there's strong leadership, high standards and people who genuinely want to see each other succeed."

It's a reminder that the best recruitment decisions often come down to alignment over ambition.

What's the one quality you look for first when bringing someone into your team?

Belle Property Neutral Bay, Mosman & Crows Nest
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02/06/2026

The CGT change could actually lower the tax bill for property investors.

The Federal Budget scrapped the 50 per cent capital gains discount in favour of inflation indexation. It sounds like a tax hike – but Ray White Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee says the maths tells a different story.

When property prices grow slowly and inflation stays high, the indexed cost base can rise faster than the asset's value. The taxable real gain shrinks – or disappears entirely.

Nerida's scenario modelling puts numbers to it. On a $1.75 million property held for six years, with inflation at 5 per cent and price growth matching it, indexation raises around $89,000 less tax than the old discount. At 4 per cent inflation and 3 per cent growth, it's still $51,000 less.

And that's before behaviour kicks in. Softer prices mean fewer sales – and CGT only generates revenue when investors actually transact. Ray White data already shows open home attendance dropping to 2.5 attendees nationally, with Sydney and Melbourne closer to two.

The bigger budget question: is the government banking on revenue that may not arrive?

How are you factoring CGT changes into conversations with your investor clients right now?

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01/06/2026

He went from 90 sales a year to an average sale price just under $7 million.

The secret? Learning to say no.

Matt Lancashire and Haesley Cush have launched Ray White Collective Luxury – Brisbane's first agency dedicated exclusively to homes above $4 million.

But this isn't an overnight pivot. Matt spent years deliberately narrowing his focus, refusing listings below a certain price point until specialisation became his entire model.

"A lot of people say, 'I'm going to sell high-end property.' They get one, but then they also sell low-end properties. That is not specialisation."

The preparation matches the positioning. For one early prestige listing, Matt interviewed the architect, builder and trades to match the owner's knowledge of the home. That campaign attracted 447 buyers in four weeks and sold for $11.8 million – a Brisbane record at the time.

Since July last year, his team has collected 4,881 buyer responses from individuals targeting homes above $5 million.

Matt's edge goes beyond data though. He's currently building another architect-designed home himself to deepen his understanding of what high-end construction actually involves.

"If you've never built an architectural home and you don't know the 10,000 decisions that you've made to get the outcome you want – you'll never actually know what's truly involved."

His view: Brisbane's luxury market has matured to the point where specialist representation isn't optional.

For agents considering a shift toward specialisation – at any price point – what was the moment you decided to narrow your focus?

Ray White
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01/06/2026

A $53 million London mansion has a secret basement you enter through retracting floorboards and a hidden staircase.

Yes, it's inspired by The Dark Knight. And yes, it's real.

Tech billionaire Sergey Frolovichev – who helped expand Bumble and Badoo before Blackstone's $4.2 billion acquisition – is selling his Hampstead home through Draper London.

The 14,500 sq ft property features a concealed design studio modelled on the 2008 Batman film, complete with display cabinets and cinematic lighting accessed via a hidden entrance from the games room.

It's selling shell-and-core at £29.95 million, with an additional £5–7 million needed to finish interiors. Once complete, Draper London suggests it could be worth up to £40 million (A$71.2 million).

The rest of the spec reads like a wishlist: triple-height entrance hall with a rooflight 12.5 metres above, basement health spa with pool, seven bedroom suites, and nearly 8,000 sq ft of outdoor terracing.

(The original house dates to 1934 – neo-Georgian by architect Charles Henry Bourne Quennell, since remodelled by practice SHH.)

Craig Draper calls it "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create one of the finest new residences in Hampstead."

What's the most memorable feature you've ever seen in a luxury listing?

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01/06/2026

From BDM to business owner – Fahim Kabir has launched his own REMAX franchise in Perth's southern suburbs.

After a decade in real estate spanning property management, sales and new home construction, Fahim has opened REMAX Proactive in Willetton.

His path is worth noting – he previously managed both PM and sales divisions simultaneously at REMAX Extreme in Cannington before making the leap.

"Having ownership over the processes, culture, and direction of the business was a major motivating factor," Fahim said.

REMAX Australia MD Joel Davoren said it's a reflection of the talent progressing within the network.

It's a familiar story in real estate – talented operators reaching the point where they want to build something of their own, backed by a brand they already know.

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01/06/2026

Someone in your suburb is asking ChatGPT who the best agent is. Right now. At 2am. And the answer isn't always you.

The average prompt typed into ChatGPT runs about 60 words – not "best agent in Broadbeach Waters" but something closer to "I need to sell my house before I buy the next one and I'm terrified of paying two mortgages."

Google's biggest interface shift in 25 years means AI overviews now answer questions before anyone clicks a single link. Zero-click search is here.

So how do you become the answer?

Samantha McLean broke it down during Week 3 of the AI Sprint. A few standouts:

The "magic mirror" trap – AI flatters you when you search yourself. Swap with a colleague and get an honest read. (One agent discovered Google's deep research had their days on market at 55. It wasn't true.)

Information gain matters most – Google's March 2026 update targets AI-generated content that adds nothing new. The human details only you know – the cafe locals queue at, why units on one side of the building are worth more – that's the signal.

Case studies beat sold flyers – explain the process, the hurdles, how many buyers missed out. That's what proves expertise under Google's EEAT framework.

Video is the next zero-click frontier – Google's Ask YouTube feature will deep-link users to the exact timecode where their question gets answered.

Samantha's bottom line: "People will have access to the same information you do, but the AI can't provide the insight you can."

What's the first thing you'd want AI to surface about you when a seller asks?

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