Empower Blog Buying Strategy

Is Your Property Portfolio Built On Sand or Stone?

Isn't it interesting to see the celebrations people have at New Year's Eve when we're seeing out the old year and welcoming in the new one? We tend to flock to iconic buildings and iconic bridges all around the world to capture the moment when the clock strikes midnight. If you think about Australia, everyone likes to flock to the Sydney Harbour Br...

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What is The Practicality Test?

Hi, Ben Kingsley here. In this Expert How to Video, I want to talk to you about or introduce another concept which flows on from The Buyers Decision Quadrant. Now you can check out the Buyers Decision Quadrant video in this area of the expert session under our How to Videos but I want to basically bring that further. I want to talk about the Practi...

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Is interest rate really THAT important?

BH: Today I'm chatting with Simon Gillespie who's the Senior Finance Adviser and an investment savvy finance specialist and we're going to talk about the question: Is interest rate really that important? I must admit Simon I often get that question from clients where they just say - what's the best rate you can get me? It's probably not the best qu...

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Are you Paying Too Much for your Property?

Today I want to talk to you about the three biggest reasons why you might be paying too much when buying property. Number 1, the justify that they can afford it. Let me tell you a little story. Husband and wife couple, do their budget at home and then they head off to speak to their mortgage broker. Their mortgage broker has a suite of lenders a...

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How to negotiate a great property deal out there?

Buying a property in a buyer’s market is a lot easier than buying in a seller’s market. With abundant properties, slow-moving sales, and low prices, you can snag a good deal even with rusty negotiation skills. Unfortunately, the Australian property market is not currently a buyer’s paradise. Across the country, prices have been steadily risin...

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Buying an Off Market Property

As Buyers Agents, we absolutely love a good off market opportunity. The key here is having a great network, as these kinds of property sales, while perhaps not having to deal with anywhere near as much competition, require strong property market understanding and negotiation skills if the buyer is to get a good deal. When the market is humming a...

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Tips for Buying at Auction – Part 3

Auction Tip No.4 Now my fourth tip is actually, don't be afraid of the Auction process because I know a lot of buyers are really scared off by bidding at auction. It's a really transparent process. If we're buying something at a private sale, say the agent rings you up and say, "Hey, I've got 2 people interested and I need you to put your best and ...

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Sometimes bidding at auction can really pay off

Many buyers like to shy away from auctions altogether, eliminating even the potential for securing that particular asset. It’s fair to say that most buyers tremble at the thought of having to fight it out in a public place, where agent ‘spin’ and underquoting can confuse even the most organised of buyers. But the reality is that most VENDORS...

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How can Parents help?

I had a fabulous Christmas party with my Mum's side of the family Christmas just gone. Three exciting things happened. Firstly - I'd pulled together a wonderful negotiation on a large floorplan 2BR apartment in St Kilda for a lovely client who was traveling in Vietnam with her friend. Her Dad had agreed to be her Power of Attorney in the event that...

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What is the ONE thing in a negotiation that can get you across the line?

As Buyers Agents, when we are at a party or a BBQ, inevitably the discussion with a new person turns to work. “So, what do you do?” can give way to a whole night of exciting questions and tales about houses, real estate agents, property investing, horror and success stories. It’s almost as interesting a discussion as one you’d have with a c...

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Making Your Offer Irresistible

Real estate negotiation requires creative thinking in any private sale, pre-auction or post-auction negotiation. Buyers make the mistake of assuming that the vendor solely cares about price. Every vendor cares about price, but most vendors care about a combination of price and terms. In a selling situation where the vendor is relaxed about timing, ...

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Secrets of a Negotiator

Whenever we address a group, meet a client or speak on stage, there are two popular questions we are often asked. The first is generally “where should I buy?” Our response to this question is usually long because we give specific and tailored advice to every client; and no client’s property journey is ever the same as another. The secon...

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So when is the best time to buy?

It’s a well-accepted theory that buyers shop in spring right through to Easter – and then the cooler months in Melbourne take hold and buyers slow down – but is this really what happens? The correct answer is that the season is only one tiny factor in what dictates property buyer and vendor behaviour. Economic outlook, suburb, location, go...

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