Raising the Bar - QLD Property

In episode 29 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with George Iacovou, Principal Financial Adviser and Founder of Great Advice, to unpack the financial decisions that shape long term success for Queensland property owners. After founding Great Advice at just 23 years old, George has spent more than a decade helping individuals, families and business owners navigate inves...

In episode 28 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Lara Paholski, CEO of LiveSign, to unpack the biggest regulatory change facing Queensland property professionals in more than a decade. With AML/CTF Tranche 2 reforms commencing from 01 July 2026, lawyers, conveyancers, accountants and real estate agents will all face new obligations around identity verification, cus...

In episode 27 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Peter Burgin, Chief Auctioneer and Head of Performance at Ray White Collective, to unpack what it takes to build trust, perform at a high level and consistently deliver results in Queensland real estate. With more than 23 years in the industry, over 15,000 auctions called and an REIQ Auctioneer of the Year title to h...

From starting in real estate at just 18 years old to building one of the most recognised brands in Brisbane Bayside property, Tamara Hall’s career has been shaped by grit, mindset and an unwavering focus on trust.  In episode 26 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Tamara Hall, founder of Tamara Hall Properties, to unpack the mindset, resilience and client-first phil...

From working 84-hour weeks in the Surat Basin gas mines to becoming one of the top-performing Ray White agents in the world, Matt Micallef’s rise in Queensland real estate is anything but ordinary. In episode 25 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Matt Micallef, Owner and Selling Principal of Ray White TMG, to unpack the mindset, emotional intelligence and relentles...

From walking away from a commercial law career to join the State Theatre Company to becoming the first female and youngest ever CEO of the REIQ, Antonia Mercorella’s journey is anything but conventional. In ep 24 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella to unpack the career pivots, legislative battles and leadership decisions that have helped...

Every year, Queensland buyers settle on properties with hidden risks they never saw coming. From unapproved building work and boundary disputes to title defects and fraud. In episode 23 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Paul Watkins, General Counsel at Stewart Title Australia, to unpack one of the most overlooked forms of buyer protection in Australian property: t...

In episode 22 of Raising the Bar George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with Italian Knight and community icon Mariangela Stagnitti, who has spent over 40 years helping people get on their feet, not just financially, but in life. Starting as a batch clerk in a local bank branch, Mariangela has built a career grounded in relationships, trust and showing up for her clients across multiple genera...

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.  In episode 21 of Raising the Bar, George Sourris from Empire Legal sits down with industry titan and ex REIQ Chairman Peter Brewer to unpack what it really means to lift standards in Queensland real estate. From building a career that spans over four decades to leading major reform through the REIQ, Peter shares a no nonsense perspec...

Courtney Caulfield sits down with George Sourris from Empire Legal to share her journey from law to becoming one of Brisbane's most influential women in real estate. We cover: Her pivot from law into Queensland real estate Building a personal brand that actually converts Balancing motherhood with high-performance selling What QLD buyers and sellers need to know right now Full show notes + lin...

Ash Hansom from LJ Hooker Cannon Hill joins George Sourris to reveal how she became the #1 agent in Murarrie, outselling her nearest competitor 3 times over. We cover: Dominating a Brisbane suburb from scratch Why she outsold the competition 3:1 Building referral pipelines that actually work What buyers in Murarrie and Cannon Hill should know Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/e...

Alex Tincknell shares how he built Elders Real Estate Redlands from zero experience in the Queensland property market. We cover: Starting a real estate agency with no industry background Why the Redlands market is one to watch Hiring and building a team in QLD real estate Lessons from the first 12 months Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-18-alex-tincknell Raising the Ba...

Emma Flatley went from selling agent to scaling Acquired Buyer's Advocacy across Queensland in just 6 months. We cover: Making the jump from selling agent to buyer's agent Scaling a QLD buyer's agency fast What buyer's agents really do for you The Brisbane and Gold Coast markets through a buyer's lens Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-17-emma-fl...

Rebecca Russell from Place Kangaroo Point shares how she went from bartending to dominating Richlands real estate. We cover: Switching careers into QLD real estate Locking down a suburb as "your" patch The daily habits that separate top 1% agents Richlands and southside Brisbane property trends Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-16-rebecca-russell Raising the B...

Thomas Metos from MEC reveals the 5-star customer formula that transformed his small business. We cover: Building a 5-star customer experience Systemising service so every client feels looked after What real estate agents and property pros can steal from this playbook Running a small business in Queensland Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-15-thomas-metos Raising the Ba...

Aaron Woolard from Place New Farm shares how he went from White Pages cold calls to becoming Brisbane's inner-city attraction agent. We cover: Starting with literally the phone book Becoming an attraction agent in one of Brisbane's hottest suburbs New Farm, Teneriffe and inner-city property insights Building a book of business that sends clients to you Full show notes + links: empirelega...

Shane Lawson from North Coast Pool Inspections shares pool safety insights every QLD and Northern NSW property buyer needs to hear. We cover: What pool safety inspections actually check Common failures that trip up sellers The QLD pool safety certificate explained How buyers can protect themselves pre-contract Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-13-shane-lawson Raising th...

John Cassimatis from Belle Property Coorparoo shares 25+ years of lessons from the Brisbane real estate market. We cover: What changes (and what doesn't) over 25 years of property Coorparoo and southside Brisbane market cycles Advice for first home buyers right now How to pick a great agent Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-12-john-cassimatis Raising the Bar is Emp...

Alex McEwan from McGrath Wynnum/Manly shares his journey from mechanic to top-performing Bayside real estate agent. We cover: Career pivot from the workshop to real estate Wynnum, Manly and Bayside property trends Winning listings in a competitive QLD suburb Building client relationships that last Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-11-alex-mcewan Raising the Bar is Empir...

Sachin Nair, co-founder of Fincode Loanmarket and former QLD Police officer, shares rapid growth hacks for mortgage brokers. We cover: From the QLD Police force to finance Scaling a mortgage broking business What borrowers need to know about the current QLD lending landscape The broker + conveyancer + agent relationship Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-10-sachin-nair R...

Ethan Petrie from Ray White West End shares how he went from earning 100k to 2.4m in just 3 years in Brisbane real estate. We cover: The mindset shift that changed everything Prospecting at volume in West End and inner-city Brisbane How to scale GCI fast in QLD real estate What buyers and sellers should demand from their agent Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-09-ethan-...

Suzana Wade from Locate Property shares why picking the wrong property manager in QLD could cost you thousands. We cover: What a great property manager actually does Red flags to watch for when choosing one Brisbane rental market trends Protecting your investment property Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-08-suzana-wade Raising the Bar is Empire Legal's podcast for...

Anthony Bartzis from Southern Cross Building Inspections reveals what building and pest inspections in QLD really cover. We cover: What B&P inspections check (and what they miss) Common issues in Brisbane and Gold Coast homes How buyers should use the report pre-contract Timber pest risks in QLD Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-07-anthony-bartzis Raising the Bar is...

Vass Stammes from VMS Town Planning and PropCheck unpacks splitter blocks and due diligence traps in the Brisbane property market. We cover: Splitter blocks: profit vs traps Brisbane City Council zoning essentials Due diligence every QLD property buyer should run How to use town planning to spot opportunity Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-06-vass-stammes Raising the B...

Ric Medlin from The Home Buyer Helper shares the ultimate buyer's agent guide to the Wynnum/Manly property market. We cover: Why Wynnum and Manly are on so many buyers' shortlists What a buyer's agent actually does QLD Bayside property values and trends Negotiation tactics that work Full show notes + links: empirelegal.com.au/blog/news/episode-05-ric-medlin Raising the Bar is Empire...