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Agents are being warned to start planning for next year if their spring listings aren’t ready, as a tight supply is fuelling fierce competition among agencies.
With increased competition over the limited demand, LJ Hooker Mona Vale agent and auctioneer Josephine Cowling said that if agents aren’t already a standout in the market by the spring selling season, they may as well start planning for 2026.
“If there are agents out there thinking that they are going to get listings, they are already behind the eight ball,” Cowling said.
“They should have been setting those up during the cooler months and helping their clients get ready to go to market.”
According to LJ Hooker, it has become increasingly critical for agents to stand out, as property listings have fallen almost 20 per cent below the 10-year average.
Data from the Network Australians Listings Report 2025 showed that the number of properties listed in FY2024–25 was around 470,000, a significant decrease from FY15–16, when the number going to market was around 580,000.
Cowling, who has been in the industry for over 30 years, said agencies that were having to go out door knocking and cold calling to obtain listings as the spring season started were “already in trouble”.
“When we are doing our job well, the business comes to us through open homes, repeats and referrals,” Cowling said.
“Maybe people need to focus more on their open homes, because we get a lot of appraisals from that and word of mouth.”
LJ Hooker’s head of research and business intelligence, Mathew Tiller, said agents need to educate sellers on timing, as vendors waiting for the next rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia could risk their listing becoming lost in the crowd.
“The shortage of listings suggests that sellers are holding out for more rate cuts, looking to cash in on further borrowing power among buyers,” Tiller said.
Cowling said she had seen the most success when she partnered with the sellers and advised rather than managed them.
“You are dealing with someone’s biggest asset and you need to value that and really hold their hand all the way through.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t believe it is rocket science. Do what you say you are going to do and follow the process from start to finish,” Cowling said
Despite the limited supply of the market, Cowling said sellers needed to operate on their own timeline and not get swept up in the numbers and emotion.
“Trying to get sellers to come to market is just about knowing when the time is right for them” Cowling added.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mathew Williams
Born in the rural town of Griffith NSW, Mathew Williams is a graduate journalist who has always had a passion for storytelling. Having graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Sports Media in 2023, Mathew recently made the move to Sydney from Canberra to pursue a career in journalism and has joined the Momentum Media team, writing for their real estate brands. Outside of journalism, Mathew is an avid fan of all things sports and regularly attends sporting events across Sydney. Get in touch at
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