Episodes

John Cunningham is a respected name in the estate and he is currently spearheading the Pathway to Professionalism program across the country. He brings surprising insights into what’s wrong with the real estate industry and why agents have no choice but to embrace change. We talk about:

• How will agents provide advice even though only the vendor pays them?

• The skills gap in agents across Australia.

• The small percentage of agents he thinks are able to become professional

• Is Purple Bricks really a disruptor?

• What this unregulated market costs buyers.

• Why buyers make mistakes, what they’re doing wrong.

The future looks bright for some but not all agents. This is one very interesting interview, especially for buyers and sellers who’ll want to be able deal only with professional agents.

What really makes prices go up? (Hint: it’s not the agents…)

Sales agent and principal Michael Harris reveals the challenges real estate agents face when having price conversations with both vendors and buyers. It seems not everyone is ready to face the truth. Other revelations in this episode include:

• What makes a good property and what “rubbish” property looks like.

• Presentation tricks used by vendors.

• The biggest frustration agents have with buyers.

• The impact of credit tightening and why inner city home owners are staying put.

• Different types of pre-auction negotiation processes and when it’s best for a buyer to go to auction.

• How to be taken seriously when you make an offer.

If you want to understand how the slowing market affects property in the inner city, you’ll need to listen to this conversation.

Michael Ferrier joined us for a no-holds-barred talk about property inspections. What goes into them, what’s wrong with them and why you need them. He reveals some really important issues for property buyers:

• The biggest warning sign to look for in a strata report.

• The biggest major issue in new apartments & who is obliged to fix defects.

• Why he lobbied against compulsory building & pest inspections in contracts.

• The magic number of inspections a building inspector can do a day before the report suffers

• The circumstances under which buyers are covered by pre-purchase reports and when they aren’t

Don’t rely on a pre-inspection report until you listen to this episode!

We all need to make smarter decisions around property now that we can’t get access to as much money following APRA intervention & the Royal Commission. In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why the banks won’t lend you as much money as they used to.

• The new impact of poor investments on your lifestyle.

• The disposition effect and how it leads to selling the wrong property.

• What locations and properties lose the most money when the market drops.

• The secret to buying property that will survive a market downturn.

• What the future holds for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Perth.

• The finer points you need to know when selecting an A grade investment property.

• How to identify a “flyer”, “floater” or “flop” and when to hold or when to sell.

An entire episode dedicated to the juicy topics of debt, risk, the quality of assets, rewards of patience and planning for the future.

Auctioneer David Scholes candidly shares examples of buyers pushing themselves beyond their limits, the auctioneer’s role in getting them to do this and the extreme times when he actually stops mid-auction because a bidder is over extended!

Hear more about:

• His frustrations with sales agents,

• How smart agents will handle a situation when only one bidder is registered,

• Why the reserve price isn’t important,

• How he lures reluctant bidders,

• What experienced bidders do to control an auction,

• The real reason auction clearance rates drop in a transitional market,

• The psychology of online property auctions and whether they will replace on-site/in-rooms auctions.

Experience counts: David’s observations on the past 5 Sydney property cycles will enlighten you.

Don't believe the hype! What property statistics can you rely on?

Kent Lardner is a “geek with a personality” and he tells us why knowing a little bit can be dangerous, largely because of the inconsistencies & nuances of data, of which most of us know nothing. In our chat we cover:

• The trouble with median sales data

• How agent bias can affect vendor price expectations

• What goes into an AVM (automated valuation model), when they are used and why automated estimates vary so much from actual sales prices in Australia

• Technological advances that might soon mean machines replace property valuers & real estate agents

• Short term and long term indicators that predict capital growth

• Tips for making an objective assessment of property value so you can work out what to pay

If you want to make better property decisions, this episode is a must-listen-to!

The secret to influencing buyers when selling lifestyle properties.

Kate Lumby, sales agent, auctioneer and principal of Lumby Hampson in Sydney’s Hills District, reveals the performance art of property sales.

• The props used by agents to “sell the dream”

• Different buyer behaviour and the buyers who are their own worst enemy

• Tips for becoming the favourite buyer of both the agent and the vendor and why some people get to buy a property for less money

• How good agents lead a buyer to the negotiation table

This episode reveals all the little details that affect the way property buyers behave.

Matt Hayson, real estate salesperson and director of Cobden & Hayson gives insights including:

• Different types of buyers and which ones get the best deals

• The conversations top agents have with their vendors behind the scenes

• Specific buyer influencing strategies used in a buyer’s market

• Why some unscrupulous agents are good for buyers to deal with

• The truth about pre-auction offers

• How some vendors cost themselves a good sale price