The Crunch with Crib Creative

This week Jess and Shane sit down with Nicola Fleet from Mint Real Estate — the number one agent in Bicton and Attadale, and someone who's been quietly building one of the most service-focused businesses in Perth for over a decade.Nicola shares how she fell into real estate (spoiler: it wasn't the plan), why she's always capped herself at four or five listings at a time, and what that kind of intentional restraint actually looks like when you're the top agent in your area.The conversation gets into the shift in buyer behaviour post-COVID - less communication, more DocuSign, and what that means for agents who built their business on relationships. They also dig into community give back, with Nicola having donated close to $80,000 in commission to her sellers' chosen charities since 2019.And with the WA market showing signs of change, Shane and Nicola weigh in on what's coming - longer days on market, more realistic sellers, and why the agents who coasted through the boom might be in for a rude awakening.

Kareena Ballard needs very little introduction in WA real estate.From starting her career in nursing to building Jones Ballard alongside her son Adrian, Kareena has shaped the industry at both a business and leadership level. She’s the first female President of REIWA and the Real Estate Institute of Australia, and recently had the Kareena Ballard Achievement Award announced in her honour.In this episode we discuss career pivots, leadership and what really matters whether you’re just starting out or well into your career and wondering what’s next.If you’re in real estate for the long haul, this one’s worth a listen.

In this episode of The Crunch, we’re joined again by REIWA President Suzanne Brown to unpack what actually played out across WA real estate in 2025 and what agents and property managers should be watching as we head into 2026.Suzanne breaks down the real market drivers behind the headlines, where the pressure points showed up for sales and property management, and what surprised even those closest to the industry. We also look ahead to 2026, covering expectations around supply, demand, regulation, and where agents should be focusing their energy as conditions continue to shift.

This week we’re joined by Tim Lane, Executive Manager of Policy & Advocacy at REIWA, to unpack the incoming Anti Money Laundering reforms and what they actually mean for WA real estate agents.From July 2026, many agents will fall under the AML/CTF regime for the first time. That means new compliance obligations, new processes, and very real consequences if you get it wrong.In this episode, we cover:What the new AML reforms are and why real estate is now in scopeWhich real estate activities and businesses are affectedWhat agents will need to do differently day to dayCustomer due diligence, reporting obligations and record keeping in plain EnglishCommon concerns REIWA is hearing from WA agentsWhat agents should be doing now to avoid a last-minute scrambleIf you’re a sales agent, business owner or running an agency in WA, this is one episode you don’t want to skip.AML Resources - REIWA AML Home page: https://members.reiwa.com.au/s/advocacy/anti-money-launderingIncludes the webinar recordings, FAQs, back issues of newsletters.AUSTRAC: https://www.austrac.gov.au/amlctf-reformREIWA and First AML partnership: https://members.reiwa.com.au/s/products/first-aml

In this episode, we sit down with REIWA’s new CEO, Blaine Slater — a fresh face to real estate with a big background in leadership. After two decades at TSA Group, Blaine’s taking on one of the most important roles in WA property. We chat about what drew him to REIWA, his vision for the year ahead, and how he plans to make the organisation more relevant for today’s agents.

From the Netherlands to the WA coastline — Nikki de Rijcke’s real estate story is one of resilience, growth and serious results.As Director of JW Residential, Nikki has led her boutique agency to win Top Boutique Office by Listings Sold at the 2025 REIWA Awards, while also ranking in the Top 5 Assisted Salespersons by Listings Sold.In this episode, Nikki joins Shane and Jess to talk about her journey into real estate, the lessons learned building a business through change, and how hard work leads to results.If you’re an agent looking for practical insight and motivation from someone who’s done the hard yards — this one’s for you.

In our second episode back, The Crunch chats with REIWA President Suzanne Brown about leadership, the industry’s image, and what’s next for WA real estate.Suzanne shares how she went from being the youngest woman in WA to earn a real estate license, to representing the industry as REIWA President.From shifting how agents and tenants are seen, to what’s ahead for the property market in general and what Suzanne sees as some of our biggest challenges and opportunities, this episode is full of real, practical insights for anyone working in WA real estate.

Ronnie and Georgia of The Block fame join us for this episode of The Crunch. The newest REIWA Ambassadors talk us through the ins and outs of selecting a proeprty to renovate or develop and how they choose an agent to work with as well as the differences between the Perth market and the Eastern states. Plus Shane gives us a rundown on the latest market stats - things are looking up!

In this episode David James is back as co-host and we welcome Dave Murray from Realmark Urban to the studio to let us in on his secrets to his successful first years in real estate and how his apprenticeship under one of Perth's best agents set him up and gave him the confidence to go out on his own Dave discusses how like attracts like, why hard work always prevails and the difficulties of staying the course in real estate.  We were pretty impressed with Dave (who's only 25) and we think you will be too! If you enjoy the episode please rate and review and if you have any feedback or anyone from within the Perth property market who you'd like to hear from, please let us know in the comments!

++ THE CRUNCH ++   This week on The Crunch this week we welcome Peter Zambotti from Mont Property. Peter specializes in selling the suburbs around Mt Pleasant and Ardross and we discuss the differences in that market compared to Shane's core area of Gosnells.   The guys also delve into why process is so important in getting and maintaining listings and how to create momentum when stock levels are low.    

This week on The Crunch we ask Ross and Shane to grade 2022 and give us their best predictions for 2023. As always, it's not that simple with the guys breaking down how various markets within Perth are performing and what the key factors are that will affect us in 2023.   With a reputation to maintain, will Ross "Rostradamus" Hunter and Shane "Crystal Ball" Beaumont's predictions be on the money? Only time will tell!

This week David James - Sales Coach joins Jess as co-host, bringing his always-on-positive attitude. He's been doing his research and he thinks the current Perth market is looking a lot like the early 2010s. Good news for Perth agents!   Plus Di Addenbrooke, Director & Licensee of Pulse Property Group talks about building trust in your community and what new agents need to do - how can they compete with an agent who has 25+ years of experience?