Trust takes centre stage at PMC

A blind world champion surfer, a neuroscientist and some of the industry’s sharpest strategists told more than 500 property managers from across Australia and New Zealand that consistency, honesty and making their value visible are what keep clients loyal.

Paralympian and four-time world surfing champion Matt Formston told the room that high performance isn’t a single moment. It’s built from small, consistent decisions made “when no one is watching.” 

Ray White Chief Strategy Officer Mark McLeod said trust can’t be demanded and must be earned with every update sent to landlords. 

The Efficiency Co founder Joe Shannon gave delegates three changes they could make on Monday to show investors their value. Alchemy Labs’ Dom Thurbon called truth a competitive “super power” in a tightening market.

Matt told the audience that growing up he couldn’t use the word can’t. 

“My whole life people told me I can’t. My life experiences tell me I can. When we look at things that are hard in life, when you build a good process... standards without consequences are just wishes. 

“Declare the goal before you have earned it. Live in the reality. Riding for Australia, we went to go to the 2014 championships. We believed we were world champions before we even got there. We visualised what we weren’t. You have to purely believe inside yourself. Use all your senses to make that reality come true for yourself,” he said.

Matt also defined the baseline of real leadership.

“What does real leadership feel like? Easy, safe, confident - a true leader will show you the way, and lead from the front. The more data you can give people, will give them a good experience,” Matt said.

“Having standards, being consistent, and doing it over time builds trust.”

Joe Shannon founded The Efficiency Co after years inside agencies watching the same pattern repeat: good businesses growing past their own structure, and principals paying for it in hours. 

He works with principals and leadership teams across Australia and New Zealand on strategy, structure and performance.

Joe encouraged all the property managers at PMC on the Gold Coast to make their value visible.

“Create an investor experience and here’s three things you can implement on Monday. The investor journey, make your value visible. It will be a hit and this will work for retention,” he said.

“Summarise your value at the end of every single month and not just by sending the owner’s statement. Show what you did for your owners and turn it into monthly proof of value. And create an investor hub and a power team. This will build a justification of your fees, creates stronger relationships, fewer complaints and surprises.” 

He also said to make your communication visible to the residents and the community. Work smarter and harder. Work harder and they will see their property manager as a trusted advisor. Service is expected but the value is how it is experienced.”

At the conference, Ray White Chief Strategy Officer (real estate) Mark McLeod delivered a powerful reminder to the room: real estate is fundamentally about relationships, and trust is the ultimate product. 

In a crowded marketplace often distracted by shortcuts and new technology, Mark emphasised that enduring success comes down to mastering the basics that require zero natural talent - punctuality, follow-through, active listening, and relentless consistency.

Central to building that trust is proactive communication. 

Mark described information as the true vehicle upon which trust is constructed. 

“Clients do not just expect service; they crave clarity, insight, and consistent updates,” he said.

He challenged attendees directly: are you regularly delivering valuable market knowledge to the landlords and property owners in your local community?

Mark said to obsess over the simple disciplines, communicate without friction, and anchor every client touchpoint in genuine reliability. 

Trust cannot simply be demanded - it must be systematically earned with every update you send, he said.

Alchemy Labs’ Dom Thurbon spoke of the ‘truth about trust’.

Dom spent over five years as a Partner at EY, one of the world's largest professional services firms.  “When it comes to thriving and tightening markets, truth is a super power. At the individual level and at the industry level and. Truth, trust and honesty. Use them to your advantage to win in the market. This is your competitive advantage.” 

He said there are four forces that are changing the landscape in which we operate. The economy will dictate your business in the next 18 months to 2 years. There will also be significant demographic shifts that will radically change what your customers need and want. Political and regulator volatility will also change your environment and technology is also changing our roles every single day. “But truth and honesty will drive trust that wins.

“Truth is not a value, it is a behaviour. We’re either doing it, or we are not.”

Milo Wilkinson is a behavioral scientist and neuroscientist who decodes the biological drivers behind human actions, connection, and organisational dynamics. 

Her work centers on "the moments that matter" - the neural triggers that dictate how people bond, what makes someone memorable, and why we do what we do.

Milo said that belonging is a biological necessity, not an office nicety. 

“The human brain registers social exclusion and antisocial behaviour as physical pain,” Milo said.

“In workplace dynamics, divided "in-groups" and "out-groups" erode performance; being locked out of leadership trust circles creates acute cognitive strain, while chronic isolation carries health risks on par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Because people are easily "infected" by the emotional states of those around them, culture directly dictates an individual's capacity to perform.”

Milo links neuroscience to individual agency. 

“You cannot force leadership, but you can maintain full control over your attention and outcome,” she said.

Anchored in the principle that what you focus on grows, she said that mindset dictates the physiological experience the body registers. 

Milo said by intentionally steering focus and cultivating genuine connection, individuals and leaders can fundamentally reshape their environment, resilience, and workplace impact.

Ray White Queensland Head of High Performance, Wellbeing and Culture, Andrew Crowell, spoke about the different uniforms he’d worn at the Adelaide Crows to the Brisbane Lions and now at Ray White. 

“What I have learned about this industry after10 months is that people in our business can’t switch off, you all take work home with you. You all seem to carry what isn't yours. You care about your roles and the people around you but it can deteriorate your energy, demands exceed resources.” He spoke about how you utilise your time away from work to help you reach high performance.