Ever-eroding profit margins mean that most real estate agencies are operating in survival mode, but according to industry leaders, agents need to be planning five to 10 years into the future to secure the sustainability of their businesses.

On this episode of the Secrets of the Top 100 Agents podcast, host Phil Tarrant sits down with the recipient of this year's REB Excellence Award and three-time winner of Thought Leader of the Year, Douglas Driscoll. The Starr Partners CEO shares his insight into sentiments within the real estate industry at present, why there is no such thing as a Sydney market anymore, and how the changing role of technology fits into the industry moving forward.

Douglas also discusses:

• The importance of educating rather than promoting to clients
• How agents can become known as the authority in a particular niche
• What the best agents are doing right now in terms of attitude and strategy