Simon Cohen’s guide to buying prestige Sydney real estate
The Luxe Listings star on the best way to manage a prestige real estate portfolio in uncertain times
3 min
Since bursting onto our screens with Amazon Prime’s Luxe Listings Sydney, prestige buyer’s agent Simon Cohen has become a household name. The co-founder of agents Cohen Handler and brand ambassador for H&R Block has been selling some of Sydney’s priciest properties for more than a decade now and is now considered the highest grossing real estate agent in the country.
He spoke to Kanebridge News about the challenges and triumphs of working in the Sydney market.
What in your view is the best real estate market to invest in right now?
Without question, Sydney. It’s the market that increases the most and has the least drop when things go bad.
What is the best way to manage a luxury property portfolio in a market where both prices and interest rates are increasing?
Don’t freak out! Always know that if you’re in the right city, the right suburb and in a blue-chip location, that your property and investment will always be safe. Stay strong, stay believing in your asset and ride the wave.
How realistic is Luxe listings? What has surprised you about working on the show?
It’s certainly a reality TV show, so it’s very realistic. All the deals and properties are real. What surprised me the most, is how much love and enjoyment people and viewers have got out of it from all around the world.
Where does an agent with your reputation and experience choose to live?
I currently live in Elizabeth Bay and I’m currently building one suburb away, in Potts Point.
What services can a buyer’s agent provide?
Sourcing every property that exists out in the marketplace, doing the due diligence and valuations and being able to help negotiate the lowest price possible for the purchaser.
What’s your advice for people looking to make their first investment in the residential property market?
“First time property investment can be complex and overwhelming, so seeking advice from experts. (Look for) a team that can provide the guidance and work with you every step of the way to advise on what tax deductions to consider (i.e. stamp duty, capital gains, and land tax) when considering your first investment property. Don’t get emotional. Buy where (you are) going to have the best capital growth and the greatest yield. Look for properties in the best blue-chip locations as you can afford and as close to major cities as you can afford, because they are always the ones that are going to have the best return.
How can a buyer’s agent assist overseas buyers interested in the Australian market?
A buyer’s agent is especially useful for overseas buyers because we’re giving them the in-depth understanding of what’s happening in the marketplace in which they are looking to buy in. We’re able to give them access to off-market properties and also point out things that they’re not able to see such as the warts, the problems the things that the shiny, beautiful photos might not show. Investing in an overseas property can be a lucrative opportunity for many buyers, but it can also come with its own set of challenges and complexities, especially when it comes to navigating the tax implications of such a purchase. This is where partnering with a H&R Block tax experts can be extremely valuable.”
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The US housing market remains under pressure as high mortgage rates continue to weigh on affordability and demand. Industry leaders say 2026 has been one of the toughest years for home sales, with slower price growth, weaker mortgage activity, and fewer buyers entering the market. However, experts say reduced competition and more price cuts could create opportunities for well-prepared buyers.
2 min
The typically busy spring season for the housing market was a dud, and the summer isn’t looking much brighter.
Housing services companies like Zillow Group and Rocket RKT +3.78% were loud and clear last week on earnings calls: Rocket CEO Varun Krishna called the quarter through June “one of the toughest spring housing markets in years.”
Jeremy Hofmann, Zillow’s chief financial officer, said on a conference call that the company predicted earlier this year that the market for mortgages would be flat. “We actually now think it’s going to be down low-to-mid-single digits,” he said.
The rest of 2026 will remain challenging for mortgage origination volume, says KBW analyst Bose George. The question now is what happens in 2027. “If mortgage rates remain [around] 6.75%, I think that’s going to be challenging even for next year,” he says.
But what’s bad news for mortgage companies could be a positive for bargain hunters. Buyers can expect prices to grow more slowly—or mildly decline—with less competition as long as mortgage rates remain unpredictable.
Mortgage rates at the beginning of the year were solidly below year-ago levels, notes Zillow senior economist Kara Ng. But they surpassed last year’s levels recently, she adds, referencing Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of 30-year fixed mortgage rates. Last week’s reading, at 6.69%, was higher than year-ago levels for the first time in 2026.
“From the affordability point of view, it’s going to get more challenging in the second half of the year,” she says. “And when affordability gets more challenging, that impacts sales and home price appreciation.”
Mortgage application data tracked by the Mortgage Bankers Association has cooled since the beginning of the year. The trade group expects that the number of mortgage originations in the remaining two quarters will lag behind last year’s levels, after exceeding 2025 levels in the first half.
Rocket’s early-stage data—which the company told Barron’s it derives from its brokerage Redfin, demand for its mortgage products, and signs in its servicing portfolio that a homeowner is preparing to refinance or move—“leads us to expect the third quarter mortgage market to be smaller than the second,” Chief Financial Officer Brian Brown, said on the company’s call. He added that such an occurrence is “something the industry has not seen since 2022.”
Prices will be about flat nationally, Ng says. Zillow’s most recent forecast, which shows how values are expected to change in the year ending June 2027, show them dropping in roughly half of the 100 largest U.S. metros for which data is available.
Buyers aren’t rushing in at a time when mortgage costs are rising and unpredictable. But those with the right combination of patience and cash could stand to benefit. “If you are financially qualified to buy a starter home, you are facing less competition and you’re more likely to get a price cut,” Ng says.
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