In this episode, REB journalist Emilie Lauer sits down with PRD chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo to unpack the current state of Australia’s property market and spotlight the most affordable, liveable suburbs. The duo starts the episode by exploring the market’s response to the previous interest rate cuts and how they’ve impacted demand, supply, and property prices. Asti said that while the first cut had minimal effect, the second led to a modest rise in auction clearance rates, building mom...
Jun 26, 2025•41 min
In this episode, REB’s journalist Emilie Lauer sits down with Melbourne’s leading luxury real estate agent Sarah Case to share her journey from snowboard instructor to director of sales strategy at RT Edgar, where she now oversees $350 million in annual sales. Sarah’s path into real estate was unplanned, sparked by a spontaneous lunch and a job interview at Mirvac, where she built a strong foundation in residential and off-the-plan sales. Known for her unwavering honesty, Sarah believes transpar...
Jun 19, 2025•34 min
In this episode, REBAA president and founder of Streamline Property Buyers Melinda Jennison sits down with Liam Garman to unpack the Brisbane market, what it really takes to be a buyer’s agent, and ethical concerns for the industry. The pair begins discussing Melinda’s latest updates from the Brisbane housing market, and how surging demand for both investments and owner-occupiers has driven demand for area-specific buyer’s agent services. They then turn to what it takes to become a buyer’s agent...
Jun 05, 2025•30 min
In this episode, REB’s Liam Garman is joined by Shawn Hayes, operations manager at LJ Hooker Property South West WA, to unpack how mentorship, culture, and a growth mindset can shape long-term careers in real estate. Shawn shares her journey from a 17-year-old trainee in business administration to now leading operations across one of Western Australia’s fastest-growing agencies. Along the way, she reflects on the role of strong leadership, her time selling off-the-plan in Darwin, and how returni...
Jun 03, 2025•47 min
In this episode, REB’s Liam Garman recaps his top insights from AREC2025 before sitting down with Mauricio Umansky – founder and CEO of The Agency and star of Netflix’s Buying Beverly Hills – to explore emerging trends in the luxury property market and what it really takes to succeed in real estate. Liam opens the episode with key lessons from AREC, including how agents can elevate their listing campaigns. The episode then showcases REB’s interview with Mauricio, sitting down with the star to di...
May 30, 2025•12 min
In this episode of the REB Business Empowerment Showcase, Little Real Estate’s Anne Crarey and Philip Eldret join host Liam Garman to unpack the benefits of operating as Australia’s largest privately owned real estate agency – and how their innovative model is helping agents thrive in today’s market. Anne and Philip open the discussion by sharing how being independent – with 12 offices across three states – gives Little Real Estate the agility and opportunity that franchise models often lack. Th...
May 27, 2025•33 min
In this episode of the REB Business Empowerment Showcase, CampaignAgent’s head of revenue, Vinay Singh, joins host Liam Garman to explore shifting vendor behaviours, evolving marketing strategies, and how agents can stay ahead in 2025 and beyond. Vinay kicks things off by sharing his 20-year journey in real estate – from sales agent to auctioneer and principal – and how CampaignAgent’s flexible finance solutions are bridging the gap by enabling pre-sale marketing and cosmetic upgrades. The conve...
May 22, 2025•34 min
In this episode, host Liam Garman sits down with the RiSE Initiative’s Steven Carroll to unpack mental health and wellbeing in the real estate industry, and how property professionals can access free and confidential support. They talk about Steven’s career journey, having recently been appointed chief executive officer of the initiative, and the goal of RiSE: to promote the awareness of good health and mental wellness in the industry. Liam and Steven unpack how mental triggers can come from a r...
May 15, 2025•32 min
In this episode, REB editor Liam Garman is joined by Tim McKibbin, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW), to explore one of the most pressing issues in the industry – the exceptionally high churn rate among new agents – and the steps needed to create a more sustainable, educated workforce. The conversation kicks off with a sobering statistic: nearly 80 per cent of new real estate professionals exit the industry within their first year. McKibbin unpacks why better foundational training...
May 08, 2025•35 min
In this episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, Liam Garman sits down with Goldfields managing director Marco Gattino to dive into the evolving build-to-rent (BTR) sector, the complexities of Australia's housing supply shortage, and what lies ahead for Sydney's luxury property market. They begin by examining how BTR could be a game changer in addressing the housing affordability crisis – provided key factors like land costs, yields and international capital remain favourable. Gatti...
May 01, 2025•29 min
In this episode, REB editor Liam Garman sits down with Metricon CEO, Brad Duggan, to discuss what’s holding back housing supply in Australia, the trades shortage, and his optimism for the future of Australia’s property market. They begin the podcast looking into the planning process and the opportunity to access land to unlock more housing stock, before unpacking the much discussed skills shortage. Brad and Liam then look ahead and discuss what the state of the residential construction pipeline ...
Apr 24, 2025•25 min
In this unmissable episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, host Liam Garman sits down with Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) CEO, Tim McKibbin, to see what’s in store for Australia’s housing market amid global economic volatility – and how property will remain a store of value for many Australians. The pair discuss the global economy, interest rate cuts, and how property remains a stable long-term investment when compared to alternative asset classes. They then analyse Sydney c...
Apr 17, 2025•39 min
In this episode of the REB Business Empowerment Showcase, LJ Hooker's head of commercial Tom Donnelly, and head of research, Mathew Tiller, join host Liam Garman to explore why an increasing number of real estate principals and agents are shifting into the commercial property space – and how it can serve as a rewarding, long-term business path. They begin by breaking down the key differences between residential and commercial real estate, discussing everything from sales cycles and client relati...
Apr 15, 2025•29 min
On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, REB journalist Emilie Lauer sits down with Natalie Hortz and Bridgette Collis to explore how women are overcoming structural barriers in the traditionally male-dominated field of real estate – and how they can continue to empower one another to rise to the top. Natalie shares how she has seen women step into roles once dominated by men, including sales and business leadership, while also reflecting on how lingering perceptions of the industry can...
Apr 15, 2025•37 min
In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, founder and director of A-Class Estate Agents, Amir Jahan, joins Liam Garman to discuss his pathway to Instagram fame – and how he’s harnessed social media to cut through the clutter, drive his listings, and deliver results for his vendors. Amir talks about his life journey, including tackling homelessness as a teenager, and how he built his real estate business. The pair then discuss Amir’s fame on Instagram, including appearances on a number of...
Apr 10, 2025•26 min
In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, Thom Richards, managing director and head of product at Cohabit Technologies, joins host Liam Garman to discuss strata management and the need for greater transparency for all stakeholders. Formerly the head of product at Managed, Thom shares his steps to providing a verified source of truth for building data across the nation. He then unpacks Cohabit’s health score, evaluating buildings across five key pillars: financial aspects, compliance, liv...
Apr 08, 2025•27 min
In the latest episode of the REB Business Empowerment Showcase, Liam Garman sits with Paul Findlay, director of real estate Australia at Cloudstaff, to discuss key challenges and innovative solutions in the real estate industry - and how business can utilise outsourcing to scale operations. Paul discusses his transition from real estate agent to Cloudstaff, addressing the 4,000 vacant property management jobs, staff retention challenges, and the role of remote assistants in easing workloads. Tec...
Apr 03, 2025•43 min
How have economic indicators, local and global events, and supply and demand shaped the first half of the 2025 Australian property market? In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Emilie Lauer sits down with Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo, chief economist at PRD, to unpack the network’s latest Australian Economic and Property Update report for the first half of 2025. Key topics include the resilient but cautious economic climate in Australia, the country’s global standing in property develo...
Mar 27, 2025•47 min
Queensland agent Anna Dunne knows all too well that time management and personal accountability form the backbone of sales success. On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Liam Garman sits down with Place Bulimba lead agent Anna Dunne to discuss her career shift from hairdresser to real estate agent, and the mindset and techniques that have fuelled her sales success. Having worked as a hairdresser and hair care product salesperson, Anna shares how excellent time management and a c...
Mar 06, 2025•23 min
Software expert Rohith George shares why embracing innovative financial management solutions is key to preventing trust abuse and enhancing operational efficiency. In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Liam Garman is joined by Rohith George, chief operating officer at Managed, to discuss how agencies can mitigate the risks associated with trust account mismanagement and modernise their approach to financial transactions. The pair unpacks the vulnerabilities of traditional trust ...
Feb 27, 2025•34 min
In this episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, top agent turned coach and auctioneer Adrian Bo sits down with REB editor Liam Garman to unpack what makes a top performing agent, including how he nurtures the skills necessary for success. Adrian begins the podcast discussing the “20 per cent club”: how the top 20 per cent of agents make 80 per cent of the income. He then unpacks their common skills, and challenges conventional wisdom that prioritises technical skills over personal ...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, speaker, trainer and coach Josh Phegan sits down with REB editor Liam Garman to unpack how agents can strive for excellence and what they should expect from the property market over the next 12 months. The pair begin the podcast discussing what’s in store for the property market over 2025, including the impact of the upcoming “property election” and potential rate changes, before discussing whether it might lead to unforeseen conseque...
Feb 07, 2025•47 min
Agents who prioritise a knowledge-based approach are best prepared to navigate the evolving real estate sector. On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Liam Garman is joined by the CEO of Laing+Simmons and president of the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA), Leanne Pilkington, to discuss how agents can set themselves up for success in the ever-changing real estate sector. The duo unpack the potential legislative changes and economic shifts the real estate sector could face ...
Jan 30, 2025•28 min
In this episode of the Secrets of the top 100 Agents, REB editor Liam Garman unveils REB’s new Stellar Agencies 2025 ranking, recognising the nation’s top 10 independent property management start-ups. Liam is joined by director of Agile Market Intelligence, Michael Johnson, to discuss the key metrics used to assess the nation’s top performing property management start-ups, including the number of properties under management, growth, and efficiency score. Liam and Michael pull apart some of the e...
Jan 16, 2025•17 min
In this crossover episode with The ifa Show, hosts Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and Keith Ford are joined by shadow financial services minister Luke Howarth to discuss the Coalition’s goals for financial advice and the economy. They begin the podcast discussing the Coalition’s stance on implementing the Quality of Advice Review (QAR) recommendations. The podcast then turns to analysing the Australian economy following high inflation and increased government spending. The trio wrap up the podcast discu...
Dec 23, 2024•50 min
Parliamentary wrangling, rental reforms, industry news and agency moves – here’s what dominated real estate headlines in 2024. On this episode of Secrets of the top 100 Agents, REB editor Juliet Helmke is joined by journalists Sebastian Holloman and Liv Adams to discuss the year in review. The trio rehash the government policies that struggled to make their way through Parliament this year, and set the scene for their future in 2025. They also take a look at where some of the states that are mak...
Dec 18, 2024•40 min
Whether a business leader or industry professional, everyone can benefit from taking stock of what they’ve achieved in 2024 and use it proactively to set goals for 2025. On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Juliet Helmke speaks with Jacqui Barnes, Laing+Simmons head of people and growth, about how she helps the network’s businesses and professionals strategise for the year ahead. Jacqui delves into some of the factors that are set to influence real estate businesses in 2025, an...
Dec 12, 2024•36 min
In a nation that has embraced auctions, the reputation of this sales strategy is mixed. But according to one auctioneer, the experience can always be positive if the professionals involved communicate right. On this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, Aaron Davis, Harcourts’ new head of auctions Australia, talks with REB’s Juliet Helmke to discuss making the jump over the Tasman from the New Zealand market into Australia, and how he’s approaching being a mentor to the network’s up-and-comi...
Dec 05, 2024•26 min
Training, education and upskilling are integral to excelling in real estate, and different types of businesses will approach these tasks in different ways. On this episode of REB’s Business Empowerment Showcase, host Phil Tarrant speaks with Christine Mikhael, chief executive officer of LJ Hooker, about her journey into real estate and how a chance offer to work in property management led her to the top job in one of the biggest real estate networks in Australia. Christine shares her experience ...
Dec 03, 2024•35 min
What does it mean for a suburb to be both liveable and affordable? In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, REB’s Juliet Helmke speaks with Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo, chief economist at PRD, to unpack the network’s latest report in a series its been issuing for 10 years, that defines not only the suburbs with a below-average price point, but those that also offer high amenity. The duo discuss the market segments that have been gaining steam, and delve into how buyer preferences have been in...
Nov 28, 2024•40 min
