The Right to Disconnect: What it means for your agency, when it starts and how you can maintain your winning edge

In an industry that promotes that it never sleeps and where agents thrive on hustling, will new Right to Disconnect legislation change the fabric of real estate?

That’s the question Elite Agent Digital Editor, Kylie Dulhunty, explores in this episode of the Elevate podcast, hosted by Samantha McLean.

Kylie takes a deep dive into how the legislation will alter real estate practices, detailing the specific types of communication affected and what will happen if agencies fail to comply.

She unpacks the six crucial factors that will be examined in deciding if communication is unreasonable, offers insights into how this legislation extends to evaluating employee behaviour as well and explores what the changes mean for sales agents, property managers, senior managers and admin staff.

“I’ve talked to agents that have driven to the airport in Sydney at 10 o’clock at night because the vendors have got back and a buyer has signed and they want to get the deal done. And I think that is still going to happen, because if you look at the way sales agents are paid, it’s based on commission. So if they potentially miss that contact, it could really affect what they earn. If they miss a phone call or an email, it could mean they miss a listing or they miss a sale, that buyer’s gone and they buy with someone else.” – Kylie Dulhunty

Sam and Kylie also discuss:

• 3:43 – Navigating the new normal: How the Right to Disconnect will change real estate, the kind of contact it relates to and what happens if you don’t comply.
• 5:00 – Defining the boundaries: Unravel the six key factors to determine when communication crosses the line and whether an employee’s silence can be deemed unreasonable too.
• 7:02 – Disconnecting demystified: What the pivotal change means for sales agents, property managers, senior managers and admin staff.
• 11:11 – Conflict resolution: Strategies for addressing workplace disputes over the Right to Disconnect.
• 12:34 – Future-proofing your agency: Actionable steps to shield your business and the critical question of revising employment contracts.
• 13:48 – Leveraging technology: How PropTech offers solutions to after-hours communication challenges.
• 16:03 – Countdown to change: When the Right to Disconnect starts and the mindset makeover essential for navigating the transition.

Resources:

Elite Agent: What the right to disconnect means for you
REIQ: Right to disconnect – Information for real estate workplaces