Buyers agents articles & tips

What Causes Auction Property Sales Results to Fly Past the Quoted Range? It is the Agents’ Fault?

Buyers get very frustrated by auction results exceeding quote ranges; and justifiably so. Interested buyers invest emotional energy, precious time, and in many cases, valuable dollars when they shortlist and pursue a suitable property. Building inspections, solicitor’s review fees and travel costs can make a property pre-purchase adventure quite ...

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8 Tips to Buy in a Hot Market

I’ve been buying property on behalf of clients since October 1998 and in that time I have experienced many hot property markets.  Having moved from Perth to Queensland in 2002 and then to Melbourne in 2006 as well as travelling around the country filming Location Location Location Australia for the last 3 years, it sometimes seemed like I was of...

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Buying Well vs …well,… buying.

Every aspiring investor is gripped with fear about the impact of their property selection when I first meet with them. Their questions range from “where should I buy?” to “what do you think of off-the-plan apartments?” The answer is simple – there are MANY factors that you need to take into consideration to ensure that you buy well; it’...

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How to create an insanely effective purchase plan

If you’ve started off buying property haphazardly, with no clear plan on when and what to buy next, you’re not alone. Many of us buy what we can when we can, most of the time. But, according to experts, doing it this way is not only inefficient but also attracts unnecessary risk. Without a clear game plan on how you’re going to grow your p...

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The Effect of Imperfections on Property Values and Saleability

Now, more than ever since the last property run, buyers are looking for clever ways to buy property at a bargain price. Gone are the days of the buyer's market where a buyer could simply be swift and decisive to pick up a great buy. Now we need to be well connected with the agents, fast to make a decision after the first inspection, and willing to ...

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What is Happening in the Melbourne Property Market this Winter?

I recall my reporting mid to late last year - around September/October, our difficult Melbourne market felt as though it had started to turn a corner for the better. I was too cautious to call it until November, when the race to finishing line for the year's auctions became quite apparent that it wasn't the only driver nudging buyer demand up in th...

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TV vs. Reality – what’s the difference?

I often pinch myself when I think about the blessed professional life that I live! As co-host of Location Location Location Australia, I get the opportunity to travel around this amazing country meeting lots of great people from all walks of life as they invite me into their lives and seek help with (potentially) the biggest decision they will e...

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Is the Real Estate Agent a Friend or Foe?

I’m often amused by the antagonistic approach that some buyers adopt when dealing with a real estate agent in the midst of a negotiation.  Sure, the agent is employed by the seller to get them the best price and terms and draw as much money as they possibly can from the buyer but equally, they’re a crucial cog in the chain for you getting the ...

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Five creative ways to increase rental returns

Quite often investors ask us about clever ways to enhance property value. Most investors pay a lot of attention to the value of the property but why don’t they pay as much attention to the returns? Well, we do, and some clever investors out there do so as well. While we like to see our equity position growing, the bottom line for any ‘buy and h...

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Challenging the top five roadblocks to property investing

Many people WISH they could be property investors, but for whatever reason, don’t commit to the journey. In our industry we see the objections and roadblocks which people put up when it comes to property investing. Sadly, many of these roadblocks are either artificial or ill-founded. In this article I will workshop the top five objections so that...

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Why we don’t like off the plan properties?

We all hear about the benefits of off the plan developments, but aside from stamp duty savings, groovy new dwellings and small holding deposits, what are some of the perils? Many investors have flocked to off plan developments in the past because they were either encouraged by the marketers who were promoting them, or lured by the stamp duty savin...

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Questions you should ask yourself when adding value to a property

Many investors start out with ideas about creating value - or better still; manufacturing equity....The questions we have for them though are diverse. What level of renovation or improvement does the investor have in mind? How hands-on does the investor plan to be? How long will the works take? Will the works cost the investor vacancy periods?...

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Top 3 Tips for Buying Property at Auction

I must admit, I‘m incredibly fortunate to enjoy the professional life that I do.  I get significant job satisfaction in my role as Director of Empower Wealth helping our clients achieve their financial goals through residential property investment - as was recently featured in the cover story of the March Money Magazine  “Earn $2,500 per week...

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