Thought Leaders – Real Estate Re-imagined (formerly The Elevate Podcast) From Underquoting to AI: Tom Panos on What's Really Changing in 2026
While many agents take January off to recharge, top coach and commentator Tom Panos warns that the window between January 15 and February 1 is actually the most critical time for building momentum. In this episode, he explains why starting now, not later, gives you a distinct advantage in a market where listings are tight and buyers are back. He also weighs in on the industry's "underquoting" debate, offering his take on why it generates bidders but not necessarily better prices.
Tom Panos needs no introduction—he is the man behind the Real Estate Gym, has coached over 20,000 agents, and calls more than 100 auctions a year. As we head into 2026, Tom shares his blueprint for the "agent of the future," explaining how top performers are already using AI not just to write emails, but to act as their "first employee" and turn video content into an SEO goldmine.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
The "Golden Window" Strategy: Learn why listing and launching between Jan 15 and Feb 1 can secure your vendors a higher price before the market floods in February.
The Underquoting Reality Check: Understand Tom’s perspective on the difference between "spray and pray" marketing and targeted campaigns, and why high bidder counts don't always translate to higher prices.
AI as Your First Employee: Discover the specific AI workflows Tom would use if he were starting at 22 today—from generating "commission-breath-free" video scripts to using psychometric profiling tools like Crystal and Humantic.
The Video SEO Shift: Why video is no longer just about social engagement—it's now a primary driver of SEO, with tools like Gemini translating your spoken words into searchable traffic.
Chapters
02:15 New Year's Resolutions: The importance of a "Mental Health Friday"
05:30 The "Golden Window": Why waiting until after Australia Day is a mistake
08:45 Market Outlook 2026: Sydney, Melbourne, and the "Fire Emoji" markets (Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide)
12:20 The Inflation & Interest Rate Equation
13:50 The Underquoting Debate: Ethics vs. Strategy
17:40 The "Speed Camera" Analogy: Why compliance is no longer optional
19:30 AI in Action: How agents are actually using it (Video ideas, Reports, Translation)
24:10 The 22-Year-Old Agent Strategy: How to use AI as your first employee
26:30 Video is the New SEO: How Gemini and search are changing the game
29:45 The Agent of 2026: Efficiency, Brand, and the end of "Cold Calling"
33:20 Final Thoughts & Real Estate Gym Updates
Resources Mentioned:
Real Estate Gym: Tom’s training platform for high-performance agents.
Crystal / Humantic: AI tools mentioned by Tom for psychometric assessments of clients before meetings.
HeyGen: An AI application Tom uses to translate video content into different languages (e.g., Cantonese, Bulgarian) to build trust in cross-cultural markets.
Gemini: Google's AI, noted for its ability to translate video content into SEO juice.
Ignite / CRM Reports: Using AI to summarize standard portal reports into punchy text messages for vendors.
Connect with Tom Panos
Website: tompanos.com.au
LinkedIn: Tom Panos (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-panos-3069a818/)
Instagram: @tompanos
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