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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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Property Tax Changes: What Sydney Property Buyers Need To Know About Negative Gearing And CGT

April 26, 2026

The Government’s proposed changes to property tax settings, particularly negative gearing and Capital Gains Tax (CGT), have significant implications for current and aspiring property buyers in Sydney’s Inner West and beyond. In this article, we explain what is being discussed, why these settings are under pressure, and what prudent buyers

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Advanced Lease Analysis for Sydney Industrial Assets: A Practical Guide for Investors

April 22, 2026

Sydney’s industrial market has become one of the most sought‑after commercial asset classes for sophisticated investors, driven by structural demand from logistics, e‑commerce, trade services, and data‑driven industries. For all of that momentum, returns are ultimately determined not by the shed alone, but by the structure and quality of the

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Advanced Lease Analysis for Inner Sydney Strip Retail Assets: A Specialist Guide for Property Buyers

April 22, 2026

Inner Sydney strip retail assets, from high‑street shopfronts to mixed‑use ground floor tenancies, offer a distinct blend of income potential and risk. For serious property buyers, the quality of the existing lease is often more important than the aesthetic appeal of the shopfront or the popularity of the street at

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Advanced Lease Analysis for Sydney CBD Office Assets: A Specialist Guide for Property Buyers

April 22, 2026

Sydney CBD office assets present both significant opportunity and elevated complexity for sophisticated property buyers. We focus in this article on how to analyse CBD office leases in detail, so that investors can price risk accurately, compare assets on a like‑for‑like basis, and avoid overpaying for income that may be

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A Comprehensive Guide to Analysing Commercial Leases for Sydney Investors

April 22, 2026

Analysing a commercial lease properly is one of the most important determinants of value for Sydney commercial investors, because the lease is the asset that underpins both income and value. We set out below a technical guide to lease structures, yield calculations, and the due diligence that sophisticated investors should

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3 Reasons Why Buyers Still Overpay in a Softer Market

April 16, 2026

You would expect buyers to be paying less in a softer market. In Sydney right now, many are still paying near-peak prices because they are competing in the wrong places, misreading where competition actually exists, and relying on pricing signals that no longer reflect true value. The reality of a

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Navigating Sydney’s 2026 Off-Market Landscape: Data-Driven Insights for Strategic Property Buyers

April 14, 2026

Sydney’s 2026 market data confirms that an off-market buying strategy is no longer optional; it is central to buying well in tightly held suburbs such as the Inner West and Eastern Suburbs. In this follow-up article, we integrate the latest Cotality and Domain insights to quantify why dedicated buyers’ agents

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Sydney Cooling: What are the Best Opportunities for Buyers Right Now

April 10, 2026

Sydney’s property market has definitely shifted from a frenzy into a cooler, more balanced phase, but the data shows a measured slowdown rather than a collapse, with selective opportunities emerging for disciplined buyers across Sydney and especially in the Inner West and middle‑ring suburbs. Why it appears that the Sydney

Common Mistakes Sydney Home Buyers Make and Strategies to Avoid Them

April 7, 2026

Purchasing a home in Sydney is one of the most significant financial decisions many individuals will ever make. The property market in this city is complex and highly competitive, characterised by rapid price growth, limited stock, and varying local market dynamics that differ substantially from suburb to suburb. Despite these

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How Professional Buyers’ Agents Protect Sydney Home Buyers from Costly Pitfalls

April 6, 2026

Sydney’s property market remains one of the most dynamic and competitive real estate environments in Australia. Its diversity, from inner-city terraces to coastal family homes and high-rise apartments, attracts a wide range of buyers with varying priorities. However, this complexity also exposes purchasers to significant risks, both financial and emotional,

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Information is Easy, Judgement Is Not: Why Expertise Still Defines Success in Sydney’s Property Market

April 2, 2026

In today’s property landscape, information has never been more abundant. Vast online databases, instant valuation tools, social media commentary, and AI-driven market analyses provide buyers with a seemingly limitless supply of data. On the surface, this availability of information should make property buying more straightforward and objective. Yet in practice,

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Strategic Buying Under $2 Million: Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and Lower North Shore Opportunities

March 28, 2026

Strategic property acquisition under $2 million in Sydney’s Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and Lower North Shore requires a disciplined, data‑driven approach, particularly in markets where medians often sit well above that level. In this article we outline how investors and home buyers can use a sub‑$2 million budget to secure

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Understanding Contract and Due Diligence Risks in Inner West Houses and Off-the-Plan Apartments

March 27, 2026

The legal and commercial risks in a Sydney property purchase can differ significantly between established Inner West houses and off-the-plan apartments across the broader metropolitan area. Buyers who understand these differences, and who obtain appropriate legal and due diligence advice before exchange, are generally better positioned to avoid costly disputes,

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