Network & Industry

In This Edition…

💪 Strengthening our brand as we step into the future

👨‍💻 Top 10 new proptech innovations in Australian real estate

🚁 Agency raises over $60,000 for Westpac Rescue Helicopter

⚖️ Proposed changes to FN Constitution

🚫 Underquoting: A reputational risk that must be avoided

📖 2024 Annual Report now out

🐄 Regional & Rural Muster keynote revealed

🏆 QLD State Award winners announced

⚠️ NSW rental reforms reminder

🏅 Former member awarded ‘Legend Life Member’

🎓 What ‘People First at First National’ means for training and development

See you in Port Douglas

👓 2 minute read

With Easter and our State Awards season now in the rearview mirror, anticipation is rising across the network as we look forward to revealing who our national award winners will be at National Convention. This pivotal Convention has attracted in excess of 40% of member offices and offers the chance for your network to showcase exciting initiatives we’ve been working on, as well as foreshadowing the advancements we have planned for the coming twelve months.

We have an excellent business agenda planned, as well as the entertainment and fun you have come to expect. Our keynote speaker, Stephen Scheeler, is the former CEO of Facebook Australia/New Zealand. He’s now the CEO of Mission AI – the world leader in using AI to decode the human brain. You can watch his video introduction below. We also have Michelle Payne, a leader in the racing world and the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Her inspiring journey of resilience and determination will inspire you!

With Federal Election campaigning now well underway, a bidding war between Labor and Liberal has broken out concerning housing policies. If elected, their most recent announcements are best summarised as follows:

Labor

Government will offer a loan guarantee to allow all first-home buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit (available on homes valued up to the average price in every city or region)
$10 billion allocated to build 100,000 homes reserved for first-home buyers

Liberal

Will allow first-home buyers purchasing new homes to claim mortgage repayments as a personal tax deduction (on first $650,000 of a mortgage) for five years – Available for individuals on income up to $175K ($250K for couples) and there are no caps on.

As is usually the case during elections, caution prevails amongst buyers. Auction clearance rates have fallen (to the lowest level this year) but uncertainty over tariffs, equities and bond markets is also a significant factor. Ultimately, the fundamentals remain strong for Australian property and, with the potential for further rate cuts ahead, autumn and winter may prove to be busier than usual for most agents.

Congratulations once again to all of our State Award winners. I’ll look forward to seeing you in Port Douglas.

Explore the Convention Agenda

2024 QLD State Award winners announced

👓 1 minute read

Queensland members came together to celebrate the successes of 2024 at The Star Brisbane on Saturday 5 April.

During the evening, FN Cleveland was announced winner of QLD Sales Office of the Year and FN Townsville (Aitkenvale), was announced QLD Property Management Office of the Year.

Topping the individual awards were:

Melissa Starkey of FN Surfers Paradise who took home QLD Property Manager of the Year
Luke Burley of FN Townsville (Aitkenvale) who won QLD Business Development Manager of the Year
Bianca Stubbs, FN Cleveland who achieved QLD Salesperson of the Year

Amongst the specialist awards announced, former Townsville member and FN Advocate, Wayne Nicholson, was recognised for his enormous contribution to the industry and First National when he was announced, Legend Life Member.

2024 Annual Report and AGM notification

👓 30 second read

All members have now received notification of the upcoming National Convention Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 8 May in Port Douglas – 8:45 am for 9:00 am.

All documentation concerning the meeting is accessible via FN Central in the membership section.

Details concerning proposed changes to the Constitution can be found here.

Grab yourself a copy of the latest Organisation Chart for National Support Office. Download a copy below.

NSO Office - Full Org Chart.jpg

People First at First National

👓 1 minute read

First National will strengthen its learning and development resources over the next 12 months

To stay ahead of the industry and deliver ever-better value, First National Real Estate is in the process of completely rebuilding its approach to how we train your staff and support your business.

Over the coming 12 months, we’ll be refreshing FN Central – soon to become ‘myFN’ – and rolling out:

Accredited, tailored training through the National Training Academy and Learning Hub
A blend of face-to-face, live webinars, coaching guides, and self-paced eLearning
Localised training, shaped by your Regional Council (as we’ve always done)
Seamless onboarding and ongoing development supported by First Connect and structured induction programmes

‘People First at First National’ is about building a culture where learning never stops, and your team is equipped to thrive. Get ready for:

National Training Academy – Certificates and Diplomas, Accelerate Masterclass (recruitment/sales/PM/commercial), Leadership & Growth, FN Futures (attract/engage/ retain talent), Onboarding and CPD
FN Learning Hub – 24/7 on demand courses, guides and video tutorials, WH&S compliance modules, Sales, PM and Management compliance modules, Legislation, Progress tracking and certification
Digital Enablement – First Connect (HR), myFN (upgraded intranet) Digital Hub (Best practice workflows for sales, PM and commercial)
Structured Onboarding & Induction – Self-paced modules, ready when you need them
Engaging, Practical & Measurable Learning - Panel-style Webinars and Peer Learning Events

Stay tuned and we’ll announce updates in due course.

Sustainable seafood innovator to speak at Regional & Rural Muster

QLD Sales Power Up

👓 30 second read

Queensland’s recent Sales Power Up provided a great opportunity for sales agents to catch up and ‘power up’!

REIQ Legal Counsel, Casey Cossu offered insights to the introduction of CPD in Queensland, and the Seller Disclosure regime. Real estate coach, Brad Jackson discussed listing presentations – offering plenty of ‘golden nuggets’ for salespeople to drop into their dialogues straight away. Trainer and former First National member, Aaron Shiner helped our agents better understand dollar productive activities, converting hesitant prospects to listings, and setting up 30/60/90 day marketing plans. Finally, we warmly thank Mark Cheney and Bianca Stubbs who participated in a panel session where they revealed their daily routines and winning strategies.

REIA federal election guide

With the 2025 Federal Election fast approaching, the policies put forward by all major parties will have a direct impact on our industry, your business, and the clients you serve. The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) called on the major Australian political parties to respond to our “7 Point Election Commitments: A Home for all Australians”. REIA received formal responses from both the Coalition and Labor and have now complied into a Federal Election Guide<insert link>. We encourage you to share this with your networks to facilitate informed voting on 3 May 2025.

REIA worked closely with State and Territory Real Estate Institutes and industry to develop our 7-Point Election Commitments: A Home for all Australians, which outlines critical policies and reforms to address the barriers that are holding back more Australians from home ownership. Our requests also included targeted support for the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regime that will apply to the real estate sector next year, as well as support for our small businesses and workforce.

Both the Coalition and Labor’s policies are centred around bolstering first homebuyer support, though their approaches differ.

Coalition’s election commitments focus on cutting red tape for small businesses, helping first-home buyers enter the property market by allowing early access to superannuation savings and tax offsets on mortgage payments, supporting construction and rebalancing migration intakes.

Labor’s housing plan centers on expanding their Help to Buy shared equity and First Home Guarantee scheme and a $10 billion pledge to go towards building 100,000 new homes exclusively for first-home buyers, combined with small business energy relief and cost-of-living incentives.

The Greens are advocating for radical housing reforms, including a national rent freeze, increased taxes on property investors, and major investments in public housing, while strongly opposing current negative gearing and CGT settings which risks reducing rental supply. Both major parties have committed to not changing current settings.

Professional development opportunities

ONLINE

What: Commercial Webinar 1 with Wendy Thomson & Joel Rauer

When: 28 April 11:00 am to 1:00 pm AEST

Where: Zoom

NSW

What: Michael Sleiman | Auction Training

Chris Booth | Eliminate Funding Friction in the Sales Process

When: 1 May 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Where: Club Parramatta, Sydney

What: Legislation Update Webinar with Alexandra Haggarty

When: 13 May 10:00 am to 11:00 am AEST

Where: Zoom

What: Sales Think Tank

When: 20 May 9:30 am to 1:30 pm

Where: Wollongong Golf Club