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Landlords are no longer choosing agents on instinct or reputation alone; instead, they’re researching, comparing, and even “digitally interviewing” agents before making a move, according to a leading property director.
Ahead of his upcoming session at the Property Management Excellence Conference (PMX), Real Estate Gym founder and director, Tom Panos, said digital-first landlords are changing the rules for business development managers (BDMs).
“There are no more blind dates in business,” Panos said. “Landlords are doing digital interviews with real estate agents before they select them.”
According to Panos, the shift reflects a new era of transparency and self-service in real estate. With AI tools, social media, and content marketing giving landlords direct access to data and insights, the traditional “cold sales” approach is losing its edge.
"The self-service landlord that accesses AI and content online is replacing traditional cold sales,” he explains.
For BDMs, this means the skills that once worked – phone prospecting, hard-selling, or relying on commissions alone – no longer cut through. Instead, success now depends on building credibility online, creating value-driven content, and demonstrating expertise long before a landlord reaches out.
At the PMX Conference, Panos will reveal his Million Dollar BDM Playbook, and explore how BDMs can attract landlord leads without falling into what he calls “commission-breath” sales tactics, and create trust at scale.
To hear Panos speak further on the art of business development in real estate, come along to the Property Management Excellence Conference.
The Property Management Excellence Conference 2025
REB’s Property Management Excellence (PMX) Conference provides a first-of-its-kind platform for property management leaders to share practical strategies, showcase innovation, and champion recognition of the sector nationwide.
Taking place in Sydney on Thursday, 27 November 2025, the one-day conference will reveal how top-performing agencies are quadrupling rent rolls, how BDMs are winning landlords in competitive markets, and how technology can enhance, not replace, the human side of service.
Hosted by one of the country’s leading real estate coaches and commentators, Tom Panos, the groundbreaking event features high-impact sessions, including:
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The million dollar BDM playbook.
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Starting fast: The playbook of Australia’s fastest-growing agencies.
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The frontline of growth.
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Scaling smart: Building high-performance, sustainable teams.
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Turning point: How technology is redefining the future of property management.
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Breaking growth barriers: Why the next two years matter more than the last 20.
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The truth about agentic AI: Separating promise from payoff.
To learn more about the event, click here.
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