Sunday Blog

Our auction clearance rates in Melbourne have grown quickly since the Federal election and the reason for this has been the perfect combination, (or perfect storm, as buyers would see it) of a heightened positive buyer sentiment and tight stock shortage. Vendors seem to be the last to catch on to the fact that a…

When markets adjust abruptly, typical analytical routines can become very challenging. In the property industry, the reliability of relevant data such as comparable sales comes into question, and it’s not just agents who struggle to keep up. Buyers and vendors also experience confusion around price expectation because their data points are changing at a rapid…

Most buyers would approach an auction with trepidation and caution. Plenty don’t have a firm plan. And very few would be on first-name terms with the auctioneer, but they should be. In most cases, we make sure we meet and greet the auctioneer every time before we bid. Knowing the listing agent and being familiar…

Now that property values in Melbourne are back on the rise after a miserable downturn, one social observation is loud and clear. Buyers are getting upset about under-quoting. This increased upset has struck consistently over the cycles as our market has started to show green shoots and spell recovery. Buyers who sat back to adopt…

Over the last two decades in particular, many Melburnians have gravitated to a more inner urban lifestyle where they can enjoy cafe precincts and connectivity to their favourite places without the need for a car. Since the days of the ‘quarter acre block with the Hills-hoist in the yard’, our preferences have shifted to a…

Prospective clients ask us all the time, “Do you get access to properties that aren’t advertised?” We do. All the time. They are called Off-Market properties, and just over a quarter of our acquisitions are done off-market. But not all off-markets are good. The difference between a good off-market and a bad one comes down…

In 2014 our prudential regulator, APRA issued a recommendation to our banks to slow down the rate of new investment loans being approved. Not until two years later did our lenders fully adopt the recommendations, but when they did; things got serious. The methodology adopted included; a reduction of the maximum Loan to Value Ratio…

This week I had the pleasure of presenting to a room of eighty-something property managers from around the country at the PM Reach Conference. Not only did I enjoy sharing my insights as a Buyer’s Advocacy business owner, I loved hearing the adventures and proud stories of some amazing industry professionals. Topics were varied and…