Elevate: The Official Podcast of Elite Agent Magazine Elite Agent

PropTech breakthroughs are redefining how buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants interact with property.







And if anyone knows how this will impact the industry, it’s entrepreneur in residence at REACH Australia and New Zealand Tom Ellis.







In this episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Samantha McLean, Tom takes a deep dive into his mentoring role at REACH and shares his insights on this year’s cohort, highlighting the innovators breaking through traditional PropTech barriers.







Tom also reveals the secrets behind startup survival in tough markets and how any business, including yours, can turn challenges into opportunities by zeroing in on uncontestable value.







He delves into the game-changing impact of AI and virtual reality on the real estate experience, explaining how these technologies are revolutionising agent rankings and client interactions.







Tom also discusses the key factors for making smart PropTech investments, the surge in mergers and acquisitions, and provides a sneak peek into his presentation at the upcoming PropTech Summit, where he’ll explore emerging opportunities in the Build-to-Rent sector.







“I think in these environments there’s a requirement for people to slow down and really communicate well on what problem they’re trying to solve. A focus on understanding impact and what that means, whether it’s impact to people, impact to teams, impact to bottom line, everything is looking at that understanding of how to drive a more optimised dollar spend rather than investment in billboards and marketing.” - TOM ELLIS







Sam and Tom also discuss:









* 2:48 - From banker to innovator: Tom’s journey from cashflow finance banker to REACH, and how he's leveraging technology to add value across the entire property chain.







* 5:45 - Master mentor: Tom’s role at REACH mentoring 34 APAC companies, transforming newcomers into industry powerhouses and savouring every success story.







* 6:45 - PropTech revolution: Insights on this year’s REACH Cohort, spotlighting the PropTech innovators breaking through barriers and why REACH doesn’t solely bast its support on capital return.







* 12:00 - Startup survival secrets: How to adapt and thrive in tough times, and why surviving a challenging market can be a bigger win than hitting home runs.







* 15:00 - Challenges and triumphs: How to convert challenges into opportunities, deliver unmatched value, and communicate your solutions effectively to outshine your competitors.







* 17:30 - What clients want: Tomorrow’s agent, why consumers need a trusted advisor and how you can build lasting relationships and market yourself effectively.







* 20:15 - AI’s impact: How virtual reality and AI are revolutionising the real estate experience, including the latest agent ranking technologies you need to know.







* 25:10 - Smart PropTech investments: Key factors to consider before investing in PropTech, including solving real problems and understanding your risk tolerance.







* 27:40 - The M&A surge: What’s driving the increase in mergers and acquisitions in the real estate industry and why this trend shows no signs of slowing down.







* 31:55 - PropTech Summit preview: A preview of Tom’s presentation at the summit, including emerging opportunities in real estate and PropTech in Build-to-Rent.

In this episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Samantha McLean, the Harcourts NSW CEO shares the powerful story of her son Lachy Cameron’s inspiring 900km run from Brisbane to Sydney to raise funds and awareness for mental health.







She reveals how she took up running to support Lachy on the journey, and how the life-changing lessons learnt along the way include the power of perseverance and mental resilience and why, in life and real estate, you need to prioritise progress over perfection.







Katrina also shares how she got into real estate, her incredible 28-year career and how coming from a place of saying ‘yes’ saw her take on bold career moves with the right balance of trepidation and determination.







She also takes a deep dive into the power of goal-setting and shines a light on why it’s so important to look beyond just GCI and consider wider business success and whether you’re taking the time to make memories and enjoy the little moments.







Sam and Katrina also reflect on the housing crisis, with Katrina outlining why she believes in urban consolidation and rentvesting, before revealing they’ll both be speaking at the Australian PropTech Summit.







Finally, Katrina explores the delicate balance of integrating technology with the human touch in real estate and how you can use it solve your clients pain points as well as the ‘clunky’ areas of your business.







“There will be beautiful moments on disappointing days and disappointing moments on beautiful days. Just remember to be human. It's about living through those seconds, those minutes, those hours, but being supported is having someone to hold you through them. So think about who that support system is.” - Katrina Tarrant







Sam and Katrina also discuss:









* 1:50 - AREC insights: Katrina shares the life-changing takeaways from AREC, including Chip E’s powerful words that inspire her to live life to the fullest.







* 4:43 - The yes journey: How Katrina’s ‘yes’ mindset has propelled her real estate career and how her passion for helping others has been key to her success.







* 7:30 - Housing crisis blueprint: Katrina’s innovative solutions to the housing crisis, from urban consolidation to the benefits of rentvesting and build-to-rent.







* 11:46 - Record-breaking run: Lachy Cameron’s inspiring 900km run from Brisbane to Sydney, raising awareness and funds for mental health, and how she took up running to support him along the way.







* 16:50 - Mind over matter: The life and real estate lessons from Lachy’s run, including the power of mental resilience, the importance of perseverance, and focusing on progress over perfection.







* 22:25 - Beyond GCI: Why setting goals is about more than GCI, the importance of making memories, and savouring life’s small moments.







* 23:15 - Tech and touch: How technology can enhance real estate practice, meet team and client needs, and how to balance tech with building relationships.







* 25:10 - Reality TV inspirations: Where Katrina draws inspiration from for her engaging Elite Agent columns, what agents can learn from MAFS and SATC, and which real estate pro secretly loves these shows.







* 28:20 - Australian PropTech Summit – What Katrina and Sam will speak on, how AI can help the rental crisis, aid PMs in solving clients’ pain points, and elevate service quality.







* 31:50 - Ethical edge: Understand why Millennials value ethical businesses, how to align with these values, and the role of technology in boosting your agency’s ethical practices.

Christine Rudolph believes there are two things that hold women back - fear and not feeling worthy of success.







But, bit by bit, mentee by mentee, the Ray White New Farm agent is empowering women, setting them on a path to success and shaping tomorrow’s leaders.







In today’s episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Samantha McLean, Christine reveals her journey from a small-town upbringing and journalism career to becoming a real estate powerhouse who has hit Elite status year after year.







Christine unveils the bold leap of faith that propelled her into real estate, transforming her future as a single mum and imparting invaluable life lessons for her daughter, Emily, who followed her into the business.







With a passion for mentoring women towards financial independence, Christine discusses how she navigated Emily breaking away to do real estate her way, why she’s so dedicated to building women up, her role with Leading Ladies of Real Estate, and the importance of self-belief.







She also takes a deep dive into her core values of honesty, integrity, and resilience and how these principles form the foundation of her client-centric approach to real estate and her collaborative sales strategy.







Finally, Christine provides exclusive insights into Brisbane's dynamic market, her innovative techniques for calming buyer anxieties, and her ambitious vision for the future, including groundbreaking property projects and a podcast of her own.







“I really believe that you’ve got to look at yourself and think, ‘If I want to do something, what’s holding me back? Is it fear or is it because I don’t believe in myself - I don’t believe I’m worthy of that?’ And I just want to say to everyone, that you really have to get out there and do it. You just have to believe in yourself and face your fears, and you’ve got to be resilient.” - Christine Rudolph







Sam and Christine discuss:









* 3:30 - In the beginning: How Christine transitioned from a small-town upbringing and a journalism career to become a real estate powerhouse, fuelled by life’s challenges.







* 6:40 - A leap of faith: How helping sell her own property marked Christine’s bold leap into real estate, shaping her future as a single mum and teaching her daughter key life lessons.







* 16:00 - Empowering women: Christine’s passion for mentoring women towards financial independence, her role in Leading Ladies of Real Estate, and the importance of self-belief.







* 19:45 - Core values: Explore Christine’s pillars of honesty, integrity, and resilience, her collaborative sales approach, and the secret to building enduring client relationships.







* 24:00 - Client-centric success: Christine’s client-first philosophy, the unique blend of Ray White’s national strength and family atmosphere, and a client’s 80% return in five years.







* 26:36 - Market insight: A deep dive into Brisbane’s stock shortage, interest rate impacts, market sentiment, and Christine’s techniques for calming buyer anxieties.







* 29:00 - From agent to advisor: The journey from being a typical agent to a trusted advisor, including why Christine’s collaborates with and refers clients to other agents.







* 31:20 - Most memorable sale: Why Christine’s favourite sale is about life-changing impact not price, and her dedication to creating ‘beautiful conclusions’ in every transaction.







* 35:39 - Vision for the future: What’s on Christine’s agenda for the next 12 months, including personal property projects, building her own podcast, and expanding her business.

This year’s Federal Budget might contain plenty of promise and big dollar signs, but it only provides half the blueprint for solving the housing crisis.







According to LJ Hooker Head of Research, Mathew Tiller, the missing part of the solution is a finite plan on how and where to build new homes and boost housing supply.







In this episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Kylie Dulhunty, Mathew offers unparalleled insights into the roots of the housing crisis, the impact of international migration, and pioneering solutions to clear construction backlogs.







He also reveals a trio of innovative approaches to lure private investors, enhance rental property availability, and secure housing for essential workers.







Mathew also advocates for bold stamp duty and superannuation reform, and how the humble granny flat could play a major role in the rental crisis.







He also takes a deep dive into current real estate market trends, prices, his forecast for interest rates and what agents need to do now to have a successful winter and spring.







“Until the government invests more into housing and providing the needed rental accommodation that those vulnerable households need, then it's up to private investors, for the private market, to make up the shortfall and come to the party and provide the accommodation that's needed. So if they tax investors out of the market, then there's going to be a hole. It's not going to solve the crisis, unless governments step up to the plate.” -Mathew Tiller







Kylie and Mathew also discuss:









* 2:05 - Dawn in Dubai: How Mathew launched his real estate career in the dynamic Dubai market, and the pivotal role Tim Lawless played in his journey.







* 5:12 - Decoding the housing crisis: The origins of the housing crisis, the impact of international migration, and innovative solutions to clear the construction backlog and boost housing supply.







* 11:20 - Federal Budget breakdown: Why the Federal Budget's funding promises fall short without a clear plan on where and how to build homes where they’re needed most.







* 14:53 - Defence housing blueprint: Why the Federal Government should adopt a Defence Housing Australia-style model to attract private investors, boost rental property numbers, and ensure long-term security for essential workers.







* 18:53 - The right-sizing solution: Strategies to optimise our housing stock, including stamp duty reform and exempting sales proceeds from the pension asset test.







* 22:40 - Innovating secondary dwellings: How incentivising homeowners to build granny flats can significantly boost housing supply and use existing land resources for private rental market benefit.







* 24:28 - Landlord’s lament: Why all levels of government need to collaborate, not compete, why landlords are selling up and what it means for the rental market.







* 27:55 - Market update: Stay ahead with the latest trends in auctions and opens, high-demand buyer regions, and what current appraisal numbers mean for winter and spring.







* 29:50 - Western boom: Why Western Australia and South Australia are real estate hotspots, with rising prices and a market outpacing other states.







* 31:22 - Inflation and interest rates: Will the Federal Treasurer’s economic forecasts prove right? The impact of energy rebates and tax cuts on CPI, and the likelihood of an interest rate cut this year.

Do you often sit back and lament how the best agents have the ability to turn complete strangers into hot leads and fully fledged clients?







Now you won’t have to.







In today’s episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Samantha McLean, real estate mentor and creator of The Listings Lab, Jess Lenouvel, shares her insider knowledge on how you can dominate in the digital marketing sphere, and go from chasing clients to attracting them.







Also the author of More Money, Less Hustle: Becoming the Seven-Figure Real Estate Agent, Jess reveals the power of focusing on psychology and attraction marketing and how understanding your audience’s motivations and pain points can revolutionise your business strategy.







Jess delves into why email is still the best place to win attention, why you don’t need to be active on every social media platform and how shifting from 'I' to 'You' in your messaging will resonate and create greater traction with your target market.







She also takes a deep dive into the three biggest digital marketing mistakes agents make and why traditional farm areas are a thing of the past.







Jess and Sam also discuss how AI can save you time, why authenticity, not perfection, is critical in video marketing and smart outsourcing strategies to help you scale your business to seven-figure success.







“If you’re chasing everything, you’re actually not giving yourself the space to attract what it is that you want to be attracting.” - Jess Lenouval







Sam and Jess also discuss:









* 2:50 - Jess’s journey: How and why Jess launched The Listings Lab, why a one-size-fits-all marketing approach fails, and the magic of attraction and psychological marketing.







* 7:30 - Embracing real estate: What drove Jess to choose a real estate career and how she transformed her shyness into a digital marketing superpower.







* 12:00 - Beyond farm areas: Why traditional farm areas don’t work for digital marketing, and how to build a broader audience with targeted messages and clear value propositions.







* 16:40 - Attraction vs chasing: Shift from chasing clients to attracting them, the secret to finding your niche, and why you can’t be all things to all markets.







* 19:45 - Marketing mistakes: The three big digital marketing mistakes agents make, including why you need to ditch the ‘Just listed/Just sold’ posts on social media.







* 22:30 - Understand your audience: Why knowing your target market’s pain points, problems, fears, and desires is essential, and how shifting from ‘I’ to ‘You’ can transform your marketing strategy.







* 24:47 - Standing out online: Strategies to cut through the digital noise, boost organic reach on Facebook, and why you don’t need to be active on every platform.







* 27:43 - Email advantage: Why the inbox is still the best place to win attention, how to create an emotional connection and tips to stop unsubscribes.







* 31:50 - The AI marketing advantage: How AI can save you time, the best tools to use, and why your videos should prioritise authenticity over perfection.







* 37:05 - More money less hustle: Insights on scaling your business, reducing work hours, and achieving seven-figure success.







* 40:50 - Smart outsourcing: Why you shouldn’t outsource your marketing, which tasks to delegate, and how to make effective outsourcing decisions.

In a profession known for its cutting edge competition, three agents are redefining what it means to be a real estate agent one good deed at a time.







For Ray White Northern Coast Director of Investment Growth Janine Prinsloo, Buxton Geelong Group Director Matt Plunkett and Ray White Erskineville Senior Sales Executive Moira Verheijen, real estate isn’t just about doing deals, it’s about using the platform to give back to their clients and their communities.







In this special edition of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Kylie Dulhunty, the trio reveal their acts of kindness, why they look to help others and how, even though it’s not the aim, they help build a personal brand and shape their success.







Janine reveals that her dedication to kindness, from crafting memorable gifts to consistently going the extra mile, has enriched her career and deepened her client relationships in property management.







Matt shares how his philanthropy and innovative use of real estate tools not only support community causes but also humanise the industry, showing that genuine engagement can redefine the role of real estate agents.







Moira explains how her signature gesture of baking cookies for open houses enhances her relatability, creates lasting impressions, and strengthens client relationships, emphasizing the power of personal touches in real estate.







“We don't do it for business. Definitely not. I can guarantee that. It's because I want to help, first of all, but I think it shows the human side of a real estate agent as well.” - Matt Plunkett







Kylie and Janine discuss:









* 2:18 - Opportunity returns: How Janine's commitment to a young couple 10 years ago created lasting rewards and why going the extra mile matters.







* 5:35 - Building bonds: Janine explores the power of kindness and why she leaves every client with a tangible gift.







* 8:10 - A gift to remember: The story behind the unique, handcrafted gift Janine prepared for a tenant’s 16th birthday.







* 10:20 - The joy of giving: How Janine’s acts of kindness enrich her PM career and deepen her connections with clients.







* 12:00 - Selling trust: How to navigate the challenges of property management and why focusing on kindness can give you a strategic advantage









Kylie and Matt discuss:









* 15:40 - Strategic giving: How Matt and Buxton's tailored support for Geelong charities reflects their business values, and what drives Matt's personal commitment.







* 17:40 - Creative contributions: Discover how Matt's innovative use of common real estate tools can inspire new charity support methods in real estate.







* 18:20 - Networking for good: How Matt's ability to forge strong community connections enhances charitable efforts and how your agency can do the same.







* 19:50 - Humanising the industry: Why focusing on genuine help over business benefits helps reshape the image of real estate agents.







* 22:30 - Choose your cause: Matt’s tips on ****selecting charities that resonate personally and professionally, and why being actively involved can redefine the role of real estate agents in the community.









Kylie and Moira discuss:









* 24:09 - Sweet beginnings: Why Moira bakes cookies for her opens, how this personal touch makes buyers feel welcomed, and enhances her relatability.







* 26:16 - Beyond sales: Why Moira doesn’t include her baking in her listing presentation,