Beyond The Sale

Expectations vs. Reality: Real Estate Edition.

Let’s just say we’ve seen a lot happen in the Australian Real Estate Industry 😅

Coming up to the end of the year, and with Kirst about to have her second baby we thought it’d be a great time to reflect back a bit on our careers, bust some myths and talk about few stories we haven’t spoken about on the pod yet…

We’re answering:

- What we thought real estate was going to be like… and how different it actually was

- Whether we remember our first listing… and what really happened

- The moments we genuinely questioned whether real estate was for us

- What we’d go back and tell our younger selves at the start of our careers

- The things that used to stress us out that now feel ridiculous in hindsight

- The real estate advice we were given early on… that ended up being completely wrong

- What we think we would’ve done if we weren’t in real estate at all

- How we learned to deal with rejection (and how much you really have to)

- What would shock our younger selves about where we are now

- If we’d still choose real estate again knowing everything we know today

- What success actually means to us right now

… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

With 20 years in the game, zero sick days, and one of the most recognisable names in Sydney’s Inner West… Simone Azzi from Belle Property has built her reputation on consistency, authenticity and an unshakeable work ethic.

In this replay episode, Simone is sitting down to talk to us about what she has seen over the two decades that she’s worked in the real estate industry: including being the one of the only female agents in the area, going back to work 6 days after having a baby, and how she manages to never get any bad reviews (in an industry that’s full of them).

You’ll hear:

- What her day actually looks like + why she’s still writing reports at 11pm

- How Simone balances spending time with her kids, and still hustling

- Why her husband gave up his own career so she could grow hers

- How Simone built a reputation that means she always gets the second and third listing (even if they don’t go with her for the first)

- Why caring is both her biggest strength AND biggest weakness

- What she won’t tolerate in her team

- Why she still mops floors, folds toilet paper, and fixes beds before opens
… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

Want more of Simone? Follow her on IG @seriously.simone

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

Most agents dream of running a successful office.Marty Fox built seventeen.

From a single WHITEFOX office in Melbourne to a national brand with locations across Australia, New Zealand and a judge on The Block… Marty has redefined what it means to grow, lead, and stay relevant in Real Estate.

In this replay episode, Kirsty and Shane sit down with Marty to unpack his career including the mindset behind his success, the lessons he’s learned leading 100+ staff and how he balances it all while still making time for his family.

You’ll hear:

How Marty Fox went from one office to twelve across Australia AND New Zealand

The secret to scaling without losing quality or culture

What most people get wrong about leadership

The systems and mindset behind WHITEFOX’s incredible growth

What really happens behind the scenes of The Block Australia

Is The Block Australia scripted?

Marty’s take on imposter syndrome and “faking it till you make it”

How Marty gets in front of 30k leads every day

What Marty Fox looks for when hiring sales directors

How WHITEFOX changed the marketing game

What a day in the life looks like for Marty Fox

… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

“I’m still getting people asking me ‘What the f*ck have you done?”

He’d built and sold multiple offices, been the top agent nine years in a row, and had what most people would call a dream career…

But behind the success, there was a part of himself he’d been hiding.

In this episode, Shane is opening up about what really led to his decision to retire. From the pressure to always be “10 out of 10,” the burnout that comes with chasing perfection, and what it’s like to finally slow down.

For the first time, he is also sharing what it was like navigating the industry as a gay man… why he kept that part of himself hidden for 35 years, the comments that made him feel like he couldn’t be open, and what’s changed since he finally decided to live life as his authentic self.

If you missed it, watch Shane’s announcement on IG here.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

He's the mind behind the Real Estate Diaries with Gavin Rubinstein, the jet-ski videos with Matt Lancashire and some of the wildest property listing videos you've seen online. 

Joining us on the podcast today is Tom from XMedia - a creative powerhouse who has defined a genre of Real Estate social media. From starting out with a $50 shoot on the Gold Coast to filming in Sydney's top luxury listings - he knows a thing or two about marketing.

You’ll hear

0:00 - How it all began

2:12 - Exactly what goes into planning one of XMedia’s Real Estate shoots

3:58 - Behind the Scenes of Real Estate Diaries with Gavin Rubinstein

6:42 - The social media content strategy the top performing agents swear by

08:02 - Is there proof that these viral videos actually sell homes?

9:00 - How much should agents be spending on social media?

10:30 - The importance of finding the right videographer

12:46 - The future of real estate marketing

16:20 - Has XMedia turned away agents before?

18:13 - The one piece of content you need to have on your social media profiles

22:13 - Should you be using paid Meta ads to promote your agency?

24:54 - What’s next for XMedia

27:35 - Rapid Fire

… and SO much more.

Want to work with Tom and XMedia? Find out more here.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

Andrew Cumming, better known as @brisbaneagent, has built a buyers agency empire by doing the exact opposite of what most agents are taught. His TikToks have turned comments into clients, and his content is giving buyers more confidence than some agencies do in person.

In this episode, Andrew reveals how he built his brand from scratch, why he pivoted from selling to buying, and what the data (and the DMs) are telling him about Queensland’s property market right now.

You’ll hear

0:00 - Andrew’s hottest industry take

1:17 - How Andrew built his reputation as The Brisbane Agent

3:44 - Andrew’s advice for your real estate agents

6:32 - Does he physically attend to the properties he sells for his buyers

11:59 - How Andrew gets off-market properties for his clients

13:14 - The future of purchased.com.au

16:05 - The age bracket that brings Andrew the most leads

17:35 - A hack to getting your real estate agency ranked on Google

18:17 - Why kids are showing their parent’s Andrew’s content online (and how this is getting him sales)

21:04 - How Andrew builds rapport with investors before he’s even met them

22:34 - An insight into the minds of Brisbane buyers right now in 2025

24:15 - What advantage does the Brisbane market currently have over Melbourne and Sydney?

27: 55 - Brisbane’s hottest markets for investors

29:44 - The most undervalued suburbs in Brisbane from a Buyer’s Agent’s perspective

30:57 - Rapid Fire

… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

Want more of Andrew? Follow him on IG @brisbaneagent or head over to his Buyers Agency IG @purchased.com.au

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

What if we told you that there was a way to get your open homes FLOODED with clients coming from social media… and you don’t even have to come up with the content ideas yourself?

As Co-Director at Place Kangaroo Point, Michael racks up 500,000+ views on campaigns (when most agents are lucky to get 30-40k), has built one of the largest social followings of any Australian agent, AND still finds time to lead a 28-person office while selling some of Queensland’s biggest homes.

So how is he pulling it off?

Listen to find out.

You’ll hear:

Why some $10M+ homes in Brisbane sell fast and others sit for months

How he gets BIG name brands involved in his listing videos (like Belvedere vodka and Aston Martin)

How selling for Quade Cooper blew up his profile overnight

The $12.5M listing he won just by cold DM’ing a builder on Instagram

The mistake that cost him sales when he first became a Director

How he actually balances being both a top agent and running an office

Why he rejected a $2.5M fee-earner to protect culture

The simple ‘test’ he gives new recruits before letting them in the door

… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

Want more of Michael? Check him out on IG @michael_bacon_ or visit his website www.michaelbacon.com.au

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

Brisbane is booming.

The population is growing, but houses aren’t being built fast enough and the Olympics are about to put a lot more pressure on the market.

So what does that actually mean if you’re an agent working in Queensland or wanting to take advantage of the boom?

Today we are sitting down with Jordan Navybox, the Managing Director at Cohen Handler, to find out what’s really going on. Everything from off market luxury deals, houses with indoor climbing walls, to helping locals who can’t buy into their dream suburb.

But we’re not only talking about the market, we’re also getting into Jordan as a director, how he runs his team and the most important traits he looks for in new hires.

You’ll hear:

What’s behind QLD still being the fastest-growing state in Australia five years after COVID

The scary number behind how few homes are actually being approved

The truth about who’s actually using buyers agents in Brisbane (it’s not who you think)

Why developers aren’t making moves right now

How Jordan hears about homes before anyone else

The percentage of deals happening off market

The one thing Jordan looks for when hiring new team members + why he has said no to top performers

An old school trick his team still uses to find homes

The hard line he won’t cross in business

Who are the next wave of buyers coming into Brisbane?

… and SO much more.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

Want more of Jordan? Visit his IG @navyboxj or head over to the Cohen Handler website here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

Most agents never get the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes with developers and big brands.

But Zoe Goodhardt has and what she’s learned might change the way you think about buyers, marketing, and building trust. 

Zoe is the Head of Growth and Marketing at TAG, a digital marketing agency that is behind some of Melbourne’s most creative campaigns that include selling out multi million dollar developments.

You’ll hear:

The marketing trick that gave one project its own personality (and sold FAST)

The real reason developers pick some agents over others

What big brands do that smaller agencies can steal today

The buyer profile that cleared 90% of a 40-unit project

The lifestyle shots that actually sell a property

Why REA is losing ground… and where developers are spending instead

The exact cost-per-lead numbers that make developers say yes

The #1 reason developers are ditching portals and what they’re using instead

How this agent’s LinkedIn posts made him the go-to for developers

A “politician” strategy you can use to ensure you’re the agent everyone knows

… and SO much more.

Want to work with Zoe? Visit her over at www.wearetag.co

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.

How do you go from zero network, zero experience…

To running one of the most disruptive and cutting edge real estate offices in Australia?

On this week’s episode, Kirsty is sitting down with the incredible Lana Samuels to talk about the steps she took to becoming one of the most recognised agents in the country.

From taking WHITEFOX from a four person start-up to a brand with offices across Australia AND New Zealand, still doing cold calls (and landing $7M listings) to using out of the box strategies to build her name, her business and her reputation… Lana is talking about it all.

You’ll hear:

How to fast track your growth (Lana compressed 20 years of experience into just 7)

Ways to build credibility quickly in a region where no one knows your name

How to use your strengths to win listings and clients in ways that come easy to you

Tips on creating a team culture that works together

The secrets behind her viral videos (and how to use them in your own strategy)

What happened when she spoke French in one of her listing videos

The boundaries she swears by that protects her business, and her peace

… and SO much more.

If you want more of Lana, follow her on IG @lana.samuels.

Watch the YouTube Version of the Podcast here.

See all of the behind the scenes over at @beyondthesalepod or @kirstycunningham and @shanespiteri

This podcast couldn’t be possible without our sponsors, YPA, 268 Fund and AgentSpot. If you’re looking to buy, sell or invest this year click on the links to find out how they can help you.