Record-breaking US luxury agents to lead high-level real estate summit
From record-breaking US agents to leadership strategists, AREC 2026 is positioning itself as a must-attend event for ambitious property professionals.
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Some of the world’s most recognisable names in luxury real estate will headline this year’s Australasian Real Estate Conference (AREC), as organisers sharpen the event’s focus on practical skills, performance and long-term growth.
Scheduled for May 24 and 25 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, AREC 2026 will bring together high-profile agents, business leaders and performance mentors at a time organisers describe as one of its most complex market environments in recent memory.
Izzy Savva, Head of Total Real Estate Training, says the program has been shaped by feedback from agents seeking guidance on how to stay competitive amid ongoing change.
“After listening closely to agents in this current market, it became clear that now is the time to focus on the fundamentals — the core skills that build sustainable careers,” she said.
“AREC is designed to focus on what really drives success in real estate: client relationships, negotiation, listing mastery, and personal growth.”
Among the headline speakers are internationally renowned US agents Josh Altman and Josh Flagg, known globally through Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles.
Both have built careers representing some of California’s most prestigious homes and have collectively transacted billions of dollars in property.
Flagg will appear in a Q&A session with AREC founder John McGrath, offering insights into reputation-driven business, marketing and client relationships.
Altman, who has sold more than $9 billion in real estate during his career, is recognised for consistently achieving record-setting results in highly competitive luxury markets.
They will be joined by Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker’s Tim Smith Real Estate Group, who has achieved more than $6 billion in sales and built a reputation for strategic marketing and negotiation expertise across Orange County’s sought-after coastal communities.
Beyond sales performance, AREC 2026 will also explore the mindset and leadership skills required to succeed at the top end of the market.
Performance strategist Phill Nosworthy, leadership expert Holly Ransom and high-performance mentor Ben Crowe are among the confirmed speakers, alongside Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks, whose research focuses on negotiation and communication in high-stakes environments.
Entrepreneur and endurance athlete Jesse Itzler will also join the program virtually, bringing insights from his experience building and scaling global businesses.
According to John McGrath, the event is designed to deliver more than inspiration.
“The real estate industry is facing challenges like never before, and agents need to sharpen the fundamentals while embracing new growth opportunities,” he said.
“AREC is exactly the kind of event that helps our industry step back, reflect, and come away with strategies they can implement immediately.”
Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.
Ophora Tallawong has launched its final release of quality apartments priced under $700,000.
Brickworks has enlisted acclaimed architecture studio Kennedy Nolan to explore how homes could become more adaptable, energy-efficient and connected to community.
2 minAustralia’s housing debate is often dominated by affordability and supply, but a new collaboration between Brickworks and acclaimed architecture firm Kennedy Nolan argues the conversation should also focus on the quality and longevity of the homes being built.
The project, titled Our Next Neighbourhood, examines how suburban housing could evolve in response to shrinking block sizes, rising energy costs, increasing density and changing family structures.
Rather than proposing luxury dream homes, the initiative focuses on what its creators describe as achievable suburban housing models that are more flexible, sustainable, and better suited to modern Australian life.
Brickworks commissioned Kennedy Nolan to investigate what suburban housing might look like if “design, long-term liveability and enduring materials were placed at the centre of the conversation”.
The result is two housing concepts, known as the Street Terrace and Canopy Terrace, which explore higher-density living while maintaining access to green space, natural light and privacy.
The designs incorporate adaptable floorplans that can evolve as family needs change, along with passive design principles intended to reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
Brett Ward, General Manager of Marketing at Brickworks, said the company wanted to broaden the discussion around housing beyond simply increasing supply.
“Much of the housing conversation today is understandably focused on supply and affordability, but there is an equally important discussion to be had about the quality and longevity of the homes we build,” he said.
“We wanted to explore how thoughtful design, combined with durable, resilient materials, could create homes that not only function well today, but continue to support Australian families and communities long into the future.”
Kennedy Nolan said the project was partly inspired by concerns that contemporary housing often struggles to adapt to changing household structures and environmental pressures.
The architects said innovation in suburban housing was “essential” to address changing family groupings, energy use, urban heat island effects and growing disconnection from place.
According to the design team, the concepts draw on lessons from some of Australia’s most influential housing projects while seeking to create neighbourhoods with stronger links to landscape, community and local identity.
Rachel Nolan, founder of Kennedy Nolan, said the practice saw an opportunity to reimagine suburban housing as something “more connected to our climate, our landscape, our communities and our Australian identity”.
The project comes as policymakers, developers and planners continue searching for ways to deliver more housing without sacrificing liveability, neighbourhood character or long-term sustainability.
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