HOW TO BUILD YOUR PROPERTY INVESTMENT DREAM TEAM
Success in property investing isn’t a solo act. Building the right team of advisers, brokers and specialists can turn ambition into a long-term, wealth-building strategy.
3 min
To succeed in property investing, you need a trusted team of skilled professionals to guide you and the right mindset to help you land the plane. Your team doesn’t just provide technical expertise, they help balance your mindset, encouraging action without recklessness.
But who exactly do you need on your dream team? Let’s explore.
Qualified Property Investment Adviser
A Qualified Property Investment Adviser (QPIA) is your strategic architect, designing a roadmap for your property_ journey. Their role goes beyond simple advice, they create your investment strategy, provide tailored recommendations, and plan your portfolio with a long-term focus.
They clearly document your goals and objectives, your risk appetite, and the risks associated with an investment, all within a comprehensive written property investment plan supported by detailed graphs and tables on future spending, cash flow, borrowings, tax, and wealth forecasts with appropriate assumptions as it relates to your retirement targets.
Their expertise ensures you remain focused on the ideal blend of potential locations and best-suited, investment-grade properties that align with your desire to retire on $3,000 per week. They’re the trusted cornerstone of your team, turning your vision into actionable steps and outcomes.
Investment-savvy mortgage broker
An experienced mortgage broker doesn’t just source loans, they structure your finances strategically to support your property goals. From credit planning to managing loan structures, they ensure your borrowing strategy forms part of your overall plan for now and in the future. If they’re doing their job right, they should really be your ‘personal’ banker.
Buyer’s agent
Your buyer’s agent acts as your dedicated market area and property selection specialist, responsible for clarifying your brief, identifying, assessing, negotiating, and securing the best-suited investment-grade properties that align with your strategy. They’re not just an extra set of eyes, they ARE your eyes and ears on the ground. They are playing every day on the ‘inside’!
Financial planner
A licensed financial planner takes a holistic approach to your wealth creation and management, covering superannuation/SMSFs, managed funds, shares, and personal insurances. They ensure your property investments are seamlessly integrated into your broader financial, wealth, and retirement strategy, safeguarding your retirement and long-term objectives and financial security.
As the architects of your financial defence pillar, they implement crucial risk insurances to protect your wealth. Think of them as building a moat around your property portfolio.
Accountant
A property-savvy accountant is essential for determining the best ownership structure for your investments– be it individual ownership, partnerships, trusts, companies, or SMSFs. As a licensed tax agent, their expertise ensures your tax position is optimised while remaining fully compliant with regulations. By legally maximising deductions, they play a pivotal role in managing both your income and capital gains tax obligations in an effort to enhance your cash flow, allowing your portfolio to perform more effectively and efficiently.
Solicitor
Your solicitor is indispensable for reviewing contracts, handling conveyancing, and safeguarding your assets.
They ensure property transfers and guarantees are seamlessly executed while protecting you from any hidden surprises in the purchase process.
Their expertise provides peace of mind and solid legal protection for your investments. Thinking more broadly, they will play an important role in your estate planning and wills as your wealth base grows.
Building and pest inspector
A thorough inspection before purchasing a property is essential. A trusted building and pest inspector helps you avoid costly mistakes by identifying structural issues or pest infestations before they become your problem. Their fee is the best insurance to make sure you don’t end up paying thousands.
Property manager
A skilled property manager is your on-the-ground partner for maintaining and maximising the performance of your investment. They handle tenant selection, rent collection, property maintenance, and compliance with rental regulations, ensuring your asset remains a hassle-free source of income.
By managing day-to-day operations and addressing any issues promptly, they protect your property’s value and free you to focus on growing your portfolio. They also coordinate essential safety and compliance checks, such as electrical, plumbing, and gas inspections to meet minimum standards in your state or territory, to safeguard your investment. A good property manager is an investment in peace of mind and long-term success.
These professionals ensure you’re equipped to make informed, confident decisions at every stage of your investment journey. Even with the best team, your success depends on your mindset as a long-term investor. Your team not only provides technical expertise but also helps keep your mindset balanced – encouraging action without recklessness.
This is an edited extract from How to Retire on $3,000 a Week: The Property Couch’s Playbook for Passive Property Investing by Bryce Holdaway & Ben Kingsley (Major Street Publishing RRP $32.99), available at all leading retailers. Visit http://thepropertycouch.com.au/
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First-home incentives can still form part of a long-term investment plan if used strategically.
3 min
Australia’s home prices continue to grow, and while that makes them great investments, they are also some of the most unaffordable in the world.
That’s why first-home buyer schemes such as the First Home Owner Grant, the First Home Guarantee, and stamp duty concessions have become so valuable.
These programs are designed to reduce upfront costs and fast-track people into homeownership.
But the question many aspiring investors are now asking is can these schemes be used as part of an investment strategy? These government initiatives aren’t designed for investors, but they can still play a key role in your long-term investment journey if used strategically.
What the schemes actually allow
Every first-home buyer incentive in Australia is created to support owner-occupiers, not investors.
Whether it’s a cash grant, reduced deposit requirement, or a stamp duty discount, the catch is always the same in that you must live in the property for a set period of time. For example, the First Home Owner Grant often requires you to live in the property for at least six to twelve months, depending on the state.
The First Home Guarantee allows you to purchase with just a 5 per cent deposit without paying lenders’ mortgage insurance, but again, you’re required to live in the property for at least one year.
Likewise, state-based stamp duty concessions are only available for properties intended as a principal place of residence. If your intention from the outset is to buy a property solely for rental income, you won’t be eligible. However, if you’re open to living in the property initially, then transitioning it into an investment, there’s a path forward.
A strategy that works
Rentvesting has emerged as one of the most practical ways for first-time buyers to take advantage of these schemes while also laying the groundwork for a property portfolio.
The concept is simply, buying a property in an area you can afford (using the first-home buyer schemes to assist), live in it for the minimum required period, and then rent it out after fulfilling the occupancy condition.
This approach lets you legally access the benefits of first-home buyer schemes while building equity and entering the market sooner. Instead of waiting years to save a full 20 per cent deposit for an investment property, or getting priced out altogether, you get your foot in the door with reduced upfront costs.
Once you’ve satisfied the live-in requirement, the property can become an income-generating asset and even serve as collateral for your next purchase.
What to look for in a rentvestment property
If you plan to eventually convert the property into an investment, you need to think beyond your short-term living experience. It’s essential to buy a property that performs well both as a home and as a long-term asset.
That means looking at key fundamentals like location, rental demand, and growth potential. Suburbs with strong infrastructure, access to employment hubs, good transport links, and low vacancy rates should be high on your list.
A balanced price-to-rent ratio will help ensure manageable holding costs once the property transitions to an investment.
Established low-density areas often outperform high-rise apartment developments that flood the market with supply and limit capital growth. And ideally, your property should offer scope for future improvements, whether that’s a cosmetic renovation, granny flat addition, or potential to subdivide down the track.
Mistakes to avoid
There are a few common missteps that can undermine this strategy. The first is selling too soon. Some grants and stamp duty concessions include clawback provisions if you offload the property within a short period, which could see you lose the benefits or even owe money back.
It’s also a mistake to let the lure of a government handout sway your purchasing decision. A $10,000 grant doesn’t justify compromising on location, growth prospects, or property fundamentals.
Another pitfall is failing to consider the financial impact once the property becomes an investment. Repayments, tax treatment, and outgoings may change, so it’s important to stress-test your position from day one.
Lastly, beware of buying into oversupplied areas simply because they’re marketed to first-home buyers. Not all new builds are good investments. If hundreds of identical properties are being built nearby, your long-term growth could be seriously limited.
With the right approach, your first home can be the foundation for an entire property portfolio. It starts with using available government support to lower your entry cost.
From there, you occupy the property for the required time, convert it to an investment, and leverage the equity and rental income to fund your next purchase.
Many of the most successful investors today began with a single, strategically chosen property purchased using these exact schemes. By buying well, you can turn your first home into the launchpad for long-term wealth.
Abdullah Nouh is the Founder of Mecca Property Group (MPG), a buyers’ advisory firm specialising in investment opportunities in residential and commercial real estate. In recent years, his team has acquired over $300 million worth of assets for 250+ clients across Australia.
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