Editor’s picks: The top 10 podcasts of 2020

It should come as no surprise then that some of our favourite Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast episodes to both listen to, and have been involved in, have told tales of spirit, community, pure grit and ingenuity over the past 12 months.

We’ve seen agents go against all odds in the pursuit of excellence in a tumultuous year, and others who have dropped everything to assist those in need. We’ve also navigated really important industry conversations with key stakeholders, and shone a light on the efforts of the real estate profession to provide support to Australia’s economy in such a trying time.

It’s been an amazing year for REB’s Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, and we can’t wait to bring you even more insights, stories and behind-the-scenes action in 2021.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some of news editor Grace Ormsby’s favourite episodes from the year 2020:

1. How this agent is continuing to hit goals through COVID-19

Although many traditional real estate offices struggled under the remote working conditions dictated by the coronavirus crisis, other models found the circumstances are working in their favour.

Brian Whiteman from The Agency Central Coast joined host Emma Ryan to share how his business thrived through COVID-19, the types of buyers he was seeing, and forecast where he saw the real estate industry heading on the other side of the pandemic.

2. Why this agent launched her own agency in the middle of COVID-19

This episode saw Grace Ormsby joined by the brain behind Cveta Property, Cveta Kolarovski.

Cveta shared her experience in kicking off a new boutique agency in the middle of a pandemic and her approach to off-market sales, explained why she views real estate as a “matchmaking” exercise, and explained the importance of having a team that’s completely on board with the business owner’s goals and vision.

3. How the REIA is working with government through the pandemic

In a special episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, Anna Neelagama joined host Phil Tarrant to discuss why it’s been imperative to keep a finger on the pulse of policy change as Australia navigated its way through the COVID-19 crisis.

In her new role as chief executive of the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA), Anna shared with Phil some of the lessons learnt from the pandemic, including how digital solutions have become even more in demand.

4. Maintaining energy in the midst of stage 4 lockdown

Bonaccorde director and Mount Martha real estate agent Amanda Haimona joined host Grace Ormsby in giving a little insight into how real estate agents in stage 4 lockdown still managed to operate.

Amanda shares how she coped with the crisis, gave her tips for other agents, and detailed how COVID-19 has caused her to rethink her personal and business priorities. 

5. The characteristics of a good agent

In this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents, host Emma Ryan was joined by the founder of InvestorKit and Rising Star of the Year at this year’s REB Awards, Arjun Paliwal.

Arjun shared what sets his business apart from other buyer’s agency services, how it felt to be recognised for his achievements at the REB Awards 2020, and what he considers the most valuable and most detrimental characteristics in an agent.

6. How this agent locked in buyers during lockdown

This episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents saw Grace Ormsby joined by REB’s top 10 dealmaker, Mark Di Giulio.

The director and auctioneer at Barry Plant Manningham gave some insight into how he and his team coped with Melbourne’s two lockdowns, explained why he loved the COVID-19 market, and divulged how he still managed to forge ahead with sales and capturing market share over a period that has been tough for so many.

7. How this agent had his best sales ever through COVID-19

The 25th-ranked Top 100 Agent in this year’s REB rankings, Ben Pike, joined Grace Ormsby in this episode.

The director of Sutherland Shire’s Pulse Property Agents provided some insight into the agency’s bumper year off the back of a stellar 2019, weighed in on the importance of team culture and looking after staff, and revealed how he maintained his sales activity through the downturn.

8. What competitive sport and real estate have in common

Kate Smith developed a love of real estate while working as a receptionist at her mother’s agency, Harcourt Smith, while simultaneously pursuing a career in professional basketball.

Kate now owns the Adelaide-based business herself and was placed at #31 in REB’s Top 50 Women in Real Estate 2020. She joined Emma Ryan in this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents to reveal why she is so passionate about working in real estate, how her agency fared in the wake of the pandemic, and the changes she did implement to adapt to the crisis.

9. How COVID-19 has been impacting real estate agents across Australia

In April, Momentum Intelligence conducted a major survey to understand how the coronavirus pandemic has been affecting the nation’s professional services across seven different industries.

To discuss the findings of that survey, the head of strategy at Momentum Intelligence, Michael Johnson, joined Emma Ryan on a special episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents to analyse the findings of the MyBusiness COVID-19 Sentiment Survey, and reveal how agents’ revenue, workload volumes and mental health situations were impacted through the initial stages of the pandemic.

10. How to analyse property data

Property data is undeniably a critical tool, but how does one navigate the abundance of information available without putting trust in the wrong sources, or simply getting too overwhelmed?

SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher joined host Phil Tarrant in this episode of Secrets of the Top 100 Agents to chat through how the property data space has evolved over the last decade. The pair also considered the importance of distressed property reports, vacancy rates and stock on market as investment tools, and looked at what makes a property “stale”.