Ray White leadership urges agents to focus on fundamentals at Engage 2026

Mr Snell challenged agents to embrace their position as the "home for high performance" while celebrating record-breaking achievements across the group.

He highlighted Ray White's extraordinary momentum across NSW and ACT, including $3 billion in sales in both October and November 2025 plus 14 per cent market share growth over the past year.

“Energy is our number one asset in this industry,” Mr Snell said.

“We are the home of high performance.”

The network's technological infrastructure is powering unprecedented reach, with 300,000 NurtureCloud calls being made per month, and Ray White conducting with one in four auctions across the country.

“Do you realise the depth of data we have?” Mr Snell asked the audience.

“If you are part of Ray White and don't utilise these tools, understand this: no other business has the capacity to invest back into their business like we do.”

Mr Snell celebrated standout market share achievements, including a 27.07 per cent market share in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and 55 per cent market share at Ray White Helensburgh.

The network's strength extends across all divisions, with 350 property managers supporting the residential sales team.

“We show what's possible. It's great to see what the benchmark can be,” Mr Snell said.

He said Ray White's success extends beyond traditional metrics.

“We have so many agents making more than 100 transactions per annum,” he said.

Mr Snell outlined the network's 2026 objective: to continue building a home for high performers while maintaining the family experience that defines Ray White's culture.

“We invest in our corporate team. I am so proud of my team and the investment they bring,” he said.

He urged agents to leverage the organisation's resources and support systems.

“You won't get the benefits if you don't lean in,” he said.

Ray White’s top leadership has issued a powerful call for a return to fundamental real estate practices and unwavering personal standards to drive success in a competitive market.

“Maintaining the standard of being proud of every transaction is our focus.”

Ray White Upper North Shore Director David Walker and Ray White AKG Group CEO Avi Khan emphasised that in a climate of "noise" and uncertainty, agents must focus on controllable, basic activities.

Avi Khan, a lawyer by background and passionate about growth, noted that the core of real estate success remains strong, especially as the Brisbane market is tied to Sydney. "We are going back to basics, door knocking, letters, phone calls. Fundamentals are stronger than ever," he said, contrasting this with spending "10-15 hours a week on social media," which he sees as less effective than "belly to belly and face to face" connection.

David Walker reinforced the philosophy of disciplined, consistent action. "Discipline is having more respect for your future than your comfort today," Mr Walker quoted as his favourite mantra.

He stressed that a small number of consistent activities, like making phone calls, maintaining high open home standards, and protecting local streets through cold calls and door-knocking, are what separate top performers from the rest. Mr Walker noted that consistent activity, such as talking to 30 people before leaving the office, leads to a high percentage of listings.

The leaders underscored the critical role of high standards in a challenging environment. "The best people in the industry know where they are going and execute," Mr Walker said. He defined standards as the "line I am not prepared to go below," encompassing everything from phone calls and energy levels to dress and exercise.

Looking ahead, Mr Walker predicted the Sydney market will be a "grind" for the next three to six months. His advice for a successful year: "Separate yourself from the rest in a tough market by not focusing on what you are not in control of, working your goals, and having a clear direction."

Mr Khan, whose business growth is guided by the six next leaders currently trialing leadership inside his business within the NOVA project, highlighted the importance of people and evolution.

"My passion is growing people and building teams around people," noting that many different ways exist to run a business, but leadership must be demonstrated first.

Both leaders also flagged the importance of technology, with Mr Walker noting that NurtureCloud is "changing the game" for their businesses.

Ultimately, the key message for agents is to simplify their focus: "If you nail each day, you’ll nail each month," Mr Walker said.

The Australian residential property market is bracing for a "very different" year, requiring real estate agents to aggressively lift market share amidst expectations of lower price growth, according to Ray White Group Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee.

Ms Conisbee delivered a comprehensive market update, revealing that the $12 trillion residential property sector, with a significant 40 per cent of its value in NSW/ACT, is navigating a year where buyer urgency is easing and campaign strategy will matter more than market momentum. Price growth is expected to slow, meaning the industry "can't rely on price growth this year."

The economic landscape is clouded by uncertainty. Inflation remains problematic at 3.8 per cent, above the RBA’s 2-3 per cent target. While predicting 1-2 interest rate rises this year, Ms Conisbee stressed the market remains highly unpredictable, despite the unemployment rate sitting at a 2022-low of 4.1 per cent.

A dire housing supply crisis is also deepening, stemming from a 20-year lack of development. Compounding this, construction costs have re-accelerated, labour is hard to secure, and construction companies are facing receivership. The last time Australia came close to building 1.2 million homes over five years was during a period of record-level Chinese investment.

Ms Conisbee noted the high sales volumes of 2025 were threatened by the ongoing concern over changes to CGT and negative gearing, a discussion that previously led to some of the lowest transaction volumes in a decade. While the top end of the Sydney market was currently slowing, affordable homes were seeing stronger growth than the market average.

The update also highlighted significant regional expansion. Smaller markets are growing fast, with Newcastle nearing the size of Canberra, and Albury Wondonga doubling in size to approach that of Darwin. In other capital cities, Gold Coast units are now more expensive than Sydney units, and strength is evident in Adelaide, Darwin, and South-East Queensland, while Melbourne remains a highly taxed, slow-growth market.

To combat the challenging market, Ray White is leveraging its proprietary technology. Ms Conisbee announced Neoval, a competitor to Cotality, is providing suburb-level data and written localised data reports overnight. This capability, alongside weekly articles, market commentary, and access to local, luxury, regional, and property outlook reports, gives the network a crucial informational edge in a year where strategy is key. Open home attendance data, currently showing a drop-off in Sydney weekly attendees (3.3), is flagged as a key indicator to watch.

Ray White The Bayside Group director and chief auctioneer Kevin Chokshi and Ray White NSW/ACT Head of Performance Alex Pattaro engaged in a role play about securing a million dollar listing and which strategies to use.

They spoke about selling, communication, customer experience and the benefits of using NurtureCloud for buyers.

Mr Chokshi said it was important sellers feel they are in control and are part of the process, providing them with the confidence to sell with Ray White.

“I research the market, I know the buyers, and l look at market trends,” he said.

Ray White CEO - Strategy Mark McLeod asked attendees ‘why would this year be any different’?

He said success requires more than good intentions - it demands decisive action and commitment.

Mr McLeod highlighted the power of Ray White's technology platform, particularly NurtureCloud.

He urged agents to make a firm commitment to leveraging their databases, pointing out that recent sales and listings data is now deeper and richer than ever before.

“We have the best tools in the marketplace,” Mr McLeod said.

“You have to make a decision in 2026 as to who you want to be.

“Differentiate yourselves using tools your competitors don't possess.”

He specifically called out Smart Buyer Match as a way to stand out in the market and transform the open home experience.

Mr McLeod warned that the future won't wait for agents who remain passive.

He advocated for either using the available tools or being inquisitive enough to find out who to speak to for guidance.

Real-time vendor reports, he said, are already delivering better experiences for vendors.

Mr McLeod revealed that 93 per cent of people have never achieved a goal they've set for themselves and asked the audience ‘what do you want to be in 2026?’

Ray White Caboolture agent Jayden Nipperess chatted with Ray White Upper North Shore partner Domenic Maxwell about how to choose the best agent.

Mr Nipperess said his red hair plays into “catching the audience”.

‘It’s the ginger effect’,” he said.

“Social media is great, and Instagram is a must in our market.

“Every single one of my campaigns, with the use of marketing, has attracted leads.”

Ray White Surry Hills | Erskineville | Glebe directors Ercan Ersan and Matthew Carvalho spoke about auctions about how it can work to a client’s advantage.

They discussed why auctions are powerful, how it gives clients a four-week campaign to work out where the market is. They both agreed understanding the buyer is imperative.

Ray White Whiteman & Associates agent Justin Meredino spoke about marketing property.

“If you don’t pay for marketing you won’t allow your property to be exposed,” he said.

“If your property is exposed with good marketing, all the prospective buyers get followed up by me.”

With 34,000 followers on Instagram, it’s not just a social media presence for Mr Meridino.

“It’s all about customer service for me. I am working for you, not against you,” he said.

“If you choose to go with me, and spend the marketing, I am not closing the door to just one buyer.”

Sydney Swans Chief Operating Officer Drew Arthurson delivered a powerful message on high performance, culture, and leadership to the Ray White network, stressing that unlocking the best in others begins with committing to personal and team excellence.

His presentation, titled with the mantra, "Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better," focused on the two primary levers for success: culture and performance.

Mr Arthurson outlined the core principles and "accelerators" that drive elite performance, drawing parallels between the high-pressure environment of a professional football club and the real estate business.

“I love working with Ray White, we are in different industries but both focused on performance.”

“Elite team non-negotiables: Leaders must model, reward, and challenge trademark behaviours to ensure team members are "showing up well" and fulfilling their core responsibilities,” he said.

“The power of trust. Trust is fundamental to any business, with the "speed of trust" acting as a key performance accelerator. Conversely, lower levels of trust result in a "trust tax" that closes down potential.

“Active listening as a leadership super power: Communication is the "best unlock" for high performance. Leaders should consciously choose to ask three critical questions of their team: "Do you need to be helped, hugged, or heard?"

“Consistent Commitment: Every single day, an individual is "casting a vote to deliver on your trademark," which ultimately builds a stronger team identity.

“Focus on Reflection: Individual and team improvement requires reflection on one concrete thing that must be committed to and started immediately. When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

Paula McLarnon
Ray White Helensburgh
Sales Associate

“I have only been with Ray White for a year, so I have loved the whole Engage event, especially the session on role playing, the listing presentation. I also really liked hearing from Avi Khan and David Walker, two leaders at the top of their game. There were so many great insights from them both.”

Hank Lu
Ray White Everest Group
Sales Agent

“I found the listing presentation role play “very informative”. It’s key information for all agents. It has been great to learn something new, such as answering questions like ‘what do you think the property is worth?’ and how much do you charge? - it’s all very important questions to our clients”.