Are You or The Market Doing The Most Work?

Chances are you’re beginning to feel it at opens, in listing presentations, during general real estate conversations on the street…we’ve moved into a different market. Not suddenly. Not dramatically. But predictably.

And as expected, right on cue, I’ve had the calls from agents in the field. “It’s tough out there,” they say.

Some are blaming Trump. Some are blaming the media. Some are blaming the Government.

When pressure rises, there’s always a search for something external to explain it.

The last thing most agents want to hear right now is: “This is where the best in the business shine. This is where they take market share by controlling the controllables.”

Nope, that line doesn’t feel comforting in a softer market. But let’s be clear. This isn’t a motivation piece.

This is about positioning. This is about accepting that this is simply the way the market is behaving. But the bigger question is, what does that mean for those working inside it?

Where we are right now

At the moment prices are flatlining, and in some pockets, beginning to retreat. Momentum has slowed materially.

Interest rates remain elevated, inflation continues to pressure household budgets, and consumer sentiment is still fragile.

In fact, consumer confidence sitting near multi-decade lows is probably the most important signal in all of this. Because markets don’t move purely on data.

They move on how people feel about that data. And right now, what we’re seeing is the early stage of every cycle shift. We’re seeing a transition from momentum-driven growth to sentiment-driven hesitation.

What the numbers are really saying

A quick look at auction clearance rates tells a consistent story. Over the past few months, the national clearance rate has been sitting in the low to mid-60 per cent range.

Not collapsing. Not booming. Just easing. And consistency is what signals change, not headlines.

What that actually tells us is simple: Roughly six out of 10 homes are selling under the hammer.

In stronger conditions, that figure sits closer to eight or nine out of 10. So yes, there’s been a shift or around 20 per cent.

But here’s where it matters to look deeper. When you factor in post-auction negotiations, the effective clearance rate is closer to 75–80 per cent.

So despite the noise, the reality remains: Around 8 out of 10 homes are still selling.

And that’s the metric that matters. Not sentiment. Not commentary. Turnover. That’s the KPI.

What has actually changed

It’s not demand that has disappeared. It’s behaviour that has changed. Buyers are more selective. Time on market is stretching. Price discovery is less predictable.

And vendors, particularly those entering the market now, are more informed than ever before.

Many already believe they’re stepping into a buyer’s market, and that belief alone changes everything.

It influences pricing. It shapes negotiation. It impacts how feedback is received and acted upon.

Perception becomes part of the price equation.

What this means for agents

This is where clarity matters, because in strong markets, the market does most of the work.

In shifting markets, the agent does.

The role stops being purely transactional. It becomes advisory.

You’re no longer just selling property. You’re interpreting conditions in real time, managing expectations on both sides, and guiding decisions where confidence is fragile and timing is uncertain.

That changes how you operate.

Commission pressure often reduces, not increases, as inconsistent operators step back.

Listing competition softens, but conversion becomes more important.

Price positioning becomes strategic, not hopeful. Vendor communication becomes daily, because silence creates uncertainty, and uncertainty kills momentum.

Your edge is clarity

In this environment, your advantage isn’t enthusiasm. It’s clarity.

Clarity through communication. Clarity through data. Clarity through experience. And above all, clarity through storytelling that is grounded in evidence.

It’s about case studies and comparable results, not opinions. It focuses on real outcomes that show how similar situations have been handled.

Because in uncertain markets, people don’t need noise, they need reference points.

History or already written

We’ve seen this phase before and every time, the sequence is the same.

Sentiment shifts before data does. Then eventually, something changes. Inflation eases, rates stabilise, global pressure settles, and confidence returns.

And when it does, it doesn’t return slowly. It moves quickly.

The simple equation

This is not the time to retreat. It’s the time to understand both the economics and the emotion of the market, and work through both.

Because if you strip it right back, the equation is simple: If transaction volume drops and you want to maintain results, activity must increase.

That is the only lever.

My view is this: Most agents will need to increase communication and prospecting by at least 25 per cent just to hold their last 12 months’ performance.

That’s not opinion. That’s mathematics.

And in this market, mathematics is a better business partner than media commentary.

This is not a difficult market. It’s just a different one.

And different markets don’t reward the same behaviour. They reward adjustment. They reward discipline. They reward consistency when others reduce effort.

About the Author

Manos Findikakis is the CEO of Agents’Agency, Australia’s first multi-brand real estate network, ‘the only fully integrated solution for you and your people to create an unforgettable experience.’

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