Will Rates Rise Next Week? Can Japan Teach Us Anything About Sydney Property Prices?

October 29, 2026

The latest inflation figures, released on 28 October 2026, have strengthened the case for another increase in interest rates. For Sydney property buyers, the question is what that might mean for prices. On Wednesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that annual headline inflation had risen to 4.3% in September,

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Inspecting Property After Property? Here Are 5 Things You Should Do

October 12, 2026

There is a point in many property searches when the excitement starts to wear off. Initially, every new listing presents an opportunity. But after a few weeks, or perhaps a few months, the process starts to feel remarkably repetitive. Eventually, the properties begin to blur into one. Over the past

Another Rate Rise. Who Wins, Who Loses and Where are the Opportunities?

October 2, 2026

With the fourth increase this year to 4.6%, it takes the cash rate to its highest level since 2011. The RBA says inflation remains too high, with domestic demand and capacity pressures continuing to contribute to persistent inflation. Governor Michele Bullock has also made it clear that the Board is

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The Price Guide Is Not the Price: What Sydney Buyers Get Wrong in a Changing Market

September 24, 2026

In a changing market, buyers need to understand what the guide is really telling them Recently I bid for clients at an auction in Strathfield. Before auction day, our analysis of the comparable sales put the property’s value at between $8 million and $8.5 million. On the day, we secured

5 Reasons Why Some Buyers Never Inspect the Right Property

September 17, 2026

Many Sydney property buyers assume that access to online listings, automated alerts and weekend inspections will naturally lead them to the right home or investment. We regularly see capable and well-funded buyers spend months, and sometimes years, inspecting unsuitable properties while missing homes that could have met their needs, budget

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House Prices are Falling. So Why Has Housing Affordability Hit a Record Low?

September 10, 2026

The affordability paradox Here is the housing story that should have everyone’s attention: Australian property prices are falling — yet housing affordability has just hit its worst level on record. According to the latest realestate.com.au Housing Affordability Report, a household earning around $125,000 a year could afford just 12% of

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The Digital Buyer: How Property Buyers Are Searching for Properties in 2026

September 4, 2026

Insights from Sydney buyers’ agents Buying property in 2026 involves far more than monitoring Domain and realestate.com.au. Today’s property buyers can investigate a home’s sales history, planning context, environmental constraints, strata records, surrounding development activity and local issues before they even decide whether an inspection is worthwhile. At the same

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How to Spot a Bargain

August 27, 2026

Everyone loves a bargain. And in the current market, bargains may seem more attainable. But what exactly is a bargain? A property is not a bargain simply because it is advertised below recent sale prices, has a low price guide, or appears to be selling at a discount. A genuine

Buy Now or Wait Until 2027? A Sydney Property Buyer’s Guide

August 20, 2026

Should you buy Sydney property now, or wait until 2027? It is the question many property buyers are now asking after a period of changing interest-rate expectations, higher living costs and softer conditions across parts of the Sydney market. The more useful question is not whether the Sydney property market

5 Things the Headlines Won’t Tell You About the Sydney Property Market

August 13, 2026

You will have noticed from the headlines that Sydney’s property market has changed. Dwelling values are down 3.7% from their January 2026 peak. Total listings have increased, vendor discounting has risen and auction clearance rates have fallen into the 40% range. At the same time, homes are taking longer to

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5 Ways Sydney Buyers have Changed in 2026

July 27, 2026

For anyone buying property in Sydney, 2026 feels noticeably different to the frenetic markets of recent years. After spending most weekends inspecting homes and negotiating purchases across Sydney, one overall trend has become increasingly clear: Buyers have not disappeared, they have simply changed the way they buy. Tighter borrowing conditions,

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Waiting for the Bottom of the Market? Here’s What Most Sydney Buyers Get Wrong

July 16, 2026

Every week, buyers ask me the same question. “Nick, is now the right time to buy? Or do you think prices are going to keep falling?” These are understandable questions. Nobody wants to buy a home only to see its value fall further a few months later. My answer, however,

Forget the Headlines: What the 2026 Budget Really Means for Sydney’s Inner West Property Market

July 9, 2026

The 2026 Federal Budget introduces the most significant changes to property taxation in a generation. The Government’s objectives are clear: Improve housing affordability, give first home buyers and owner-occupiers a better opportunity to compete for established homes, encourage investors to direct their capital towards new housing, and ultimately increase Australia’s

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When do I tell my clients to walk away?

July 2, 2026

It might surprise many people when I say that some of the best outcomes we achieve for our clients are the properties they never buy. Over the years, I have advised clients to walk away from beautiful homes with spectacular views, renovated apartments, and properties they had already fallen in

Who is still Buying Properties in 2026?

June 26, 2026

Market Update – Changes to SMSFs The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster for Sydney property buyers. First came the Federal Budget announcements affecting negative gearing and capital gains tax. Then weeks of uncertainty as investors, lenders and buyers tried to assess the implications. This week saw another significant

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Why Some of the Best Properties in Sydney Don’t Sell

June 18, 2026

How to Tell if You’re Looking at a Bargain or a Dud? One of the biggest mistakes Sydney buyers make is assuming that if a property hasn’t sold after four or five weeks, there must be something wrong with it. Sometimes that’s true. But some of the best purchases we’ve

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The 5 Most Expensive Property Buying Mistakes I Have Seen in Nearly 20 Years as a Buyer’s Agent

June 11, 2026

Over nearly two decades acting as buyers’ agents across the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, Lower North Shore and beyond, I have observed a consistent pattern: The most costly mistakes are rarely technical. They are behavioural. Each of the mistakes outlined below stems from a single underlying issue, namely buyers making

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4 Strategies to Prepare Investors for the New CGT Changes

June 5, 2026

The Federal Government’s proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax have understandably raised questions among Australian property investors. For many, the prospect of paying significantly more tax on future investment gains raises questions about whether it still makes sense to hold, upgrade or expand a property portfolio. While the headlines may

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Family-Friendly Suburbs in the Inner West: Parks, Playgrounds and Amenities

June 4, 2026

Family-friendly suburbs in Sydney’s Inner West offer a distinctive combination of green space, strong school catchments and walkable amenities that make daily life easier for families with school-age children. Why the Inner West Appeals to Families The Inner West of Sydney combines established residential streets, village-style high streets and a

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The Great Inner West Squeeze: Who Can Still Afford to Buy Here?

May 29, 2026

Sydney’s Inner West has decisively shifted from its blue‑collar roots to become one of the most tightly held, high‑value residential regions in New South Wales, increasingly accessible only to higher‑income households. In this article, we examine how that transition occurred, why capital growth has been so pronounced, and why we

3 Negative Gearing Loopholes Property Buyers Need to Understand Before 2027

May 21, 2026

The proposed reforms to negative gearing in Australia are set to materially reshape investor behaviour, particularly within tightly held metropolitan markets such as Sydney’s Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and Lower North Shore. While the Federal Government’s stated objective is to reduce speculative demand for established residential property, the practical outcome

Inner West Budget Beater: How Smart Buyers Can Turn Tax Changes into Opportunity

May 15, 2026

The latest Federal Budget has not “killed” property investment in the Inner West, but it has changed the rules of the game. We believe that informed, strategic buyers can still use this Budget to their advantage if they understand what still works, where new opportunities may lie, and how to

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Sydney Buyers Finally Have Negotiating Power Again — But Most Do Not Know How to Use It

May 8, 2026

In nearly 20 years as a buyer’s agent, I can count on one hand the number of times we have seen a buyer’s market: Post GFC around 2008 – 2009, the credit squeeze in 2018 – 2019, the small COVID shock window from March – May 2020 and the interest

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Where Is The Safest Place To Allocate Capital In Today’s Property Market?

May 1, 2026

Earlier this week, I wrote about the likely changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. In the current environment of rising scrutiny of investment properties, I believe that for many Sydney buyers, particularly in the Inner West and surrounding suburbs, a strategically selected Principal Place of Residence (PPOR) remains

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