Property Investment Podcast Network

Investors thought negative gearing was the big threat, but a new crackdown on SMSF borrowing could be the change that really blindsides Australians. On The Smart Property Investment Show, Liam Garman sits down with Emilie Lauer to break down a major week for property investors, from the proposed self-managed super fund (SMSF) borrowing ban to rising inflation, interest rate pressure, and fresh warnings of a divided housing market. The duo explores why the SMSF decision has sparked backlash, with critics arguing it targets everyday Australians trying to build wealth and take control of their retirement, while doing little to solve housing affordability. Attention then turns to inflation and interest rates, as renewed price pressure raises questions about borrowing capacity, refinancing options, and investor confidence. The duo also examine Domain's latest FY2027 forecast, which tips price falls for Sydney and Melbourne while Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth continue to show resilience. Despite the uncertainty, the pair argue that opportunities remain for investors who stay disciplined, look closely at affordability-driven markets, and do their due diligence before making their next move. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

Most people separate sport, business, and investing. But for one former Olympian, the mindset behind all three is exactly the same: discipline, execution, and relentless improvement. On The Property Nerds podcast, Arjun Paliwal sits down with former Australian Taekwondo Olympian Hayder Shkara, who has built a property portfolio worth over $8 million alongside a national legal business. Shkara shares how the habits forged in elite sport – structure, resilience, and performance under pressure – became the foundation for both his business success and property investing strategy. After competing at the Rio 2016 Olympics, he went on to found the Justice Network, a multi-state network of law practices across Queensland, NSW, and Victoria, while simultaneously building a diversified property portfolio across Australia. The discussion then explores how his investment strategy evolved from data-driven market selection to a more holistic approach focused on finance structures, equity positioning, and long-term opportunity cost. Shkara also reflects on how becoming a father has sharpened his focus, reinforcing his drive to build lasting financial security for his family through property.

Following the collapse of leading Australian buyer's agency Dashdot, questions are emerging about the quality and transparency of property advice being offered to investors. As confidence wavers, investors are left asking how to properly conduct due diligence and what the evolving property landscape will mean for future decisions. In this episode of Property Buzz, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the wave of disruption sweeping through Australian real estate, including a close examination of the liquidator's report into the Dashdot collapse. With $16.5 million in liabilities, 695 creditors, and $10.5 million tied up in "prepaid services & refunds", Tarrant questions whether the numbers fully stack up, suggesting the sector may be heading into a period of overdue rationalisation. The discussion then turns to the broader advisory landscape, with the pair questioning whether the traditional dominance of buyer's agents will give way to more tailored, locally grounded insights from property managers who hold long-term, on-the-ground experience in asset performance and tenant demand. They also examine Canberra's recent tax backflips, unpacking the policy shifts and mathematical blind spots that continue to shape housing affordability and influence property prices.

Most Australians have given up on investment property. But right now, buyers are entering the market with $60,000 deposits, while everyone else waits for a break that isn't coming. On The Smart Property Investment Show, Liam Garman sits down with Rohit Gehlot, founder of InvestorAid, to reveal how everyday Australians are still building property portfolios despite rising prices, tighter lending, and affordability concerns. Gehlot shares how he built an eight-property portfolio in just a few years and why many aspiring investors rule themselves out before exploring the options available to them. The duo explores various strategies, including rentvesting, government incentives, and targeting overlooked growth markets, while challenging the belief that investors need to buy where they live. The discussion also touches on why freestanding homes continue to outperform many apartments, and how renovations and granny flats can accelerate both equity growth and rental returns. Attention then turns to opportunities across Tasmania, regional NSW, and Melbourne, with Gehlot arguing that investors who stay flexible and strategic can still find opportunities despite the market noise. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

Most property investors obsess over growth and yield, but the single biggest blind spot in any property strategy has nothing to do with acquisitions – it's what happens when life suddenly forces everything to stop. On The Property Nerds Podcast, Arjun Paliwal, Jack Fouracre, Adrian Lee, and Chris Seneviratne make the case that personal insurance isn't a side conversation but one of the most critical and consistently ignored pillars of any serious property strategy. The conversation reveals a dangerous pattern as investors carry enormous debt with virtually no protection over the income that services it, leaving everything they've built exposed to illness, disability, or sudden loss of earning capacity. Seneviratne shares how personal insurance, including life, total and permanent disability (TPD), trauma, and income protection, is designed to protect not just individuals, but the property portfolios built around them. A powerful real-life case study highlighting how the right cover can completely change outcomes during a crisis, allowing families to maintain stability even when facing devastating health challenges. The episode also challenges common misconceptions, including reliance on superannuation cover and the assumption that insurance is unnecessary until later in life, when costs and exclusions are often higher.

Buyer's agents are coming under increasing scrutiny over financial advice in the wake of the Dashdot collapse. But it's not all bad news for investors, with backlash building against the government's tax reforms and rate cuts looming on the horizon. After a challenging few weeks for the real estate industry, this episode of Property Buzz, hosted by Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman, explores whether relief could be emerging as yields return to focus and Australia's major banks flag potential rate cuts. The pair discuss how quarantining losses can provide longer-term tax relief for investors, alongside the shifting political landscape shaping property sentiment. They also turn to the property advice ecosystem, including growing scrutiny around unlicensed financial advice and the standards expected of buyer's agents operating in an increasingly complex environment. The discussion continues around the fallout from the Dashdot collapse, and what it signals for the ongoing professionalisation of the buyer's agent industry.

The budget has landed. Investors are reacting. But do the old rules of property investing still apply, or is Australia entering a new era of wealth creation through real estate? In this episode of The Smart Property Investment Show, host Liam Garman sits down with Australian Property Scouts' Sam Gordon to unpack whether we're witnessing a reset of Australia's property market in real time, and what investors need to do to stay ahead of it. Gordon breaks down which suburbs and regions are best positioned to thrive in the years ahead, and which areas risk being left behind as the market evolves. He also discusses the findings of the newly released APS Whitepaper, challenging the federal government's prediction that rents will rise by just $2 a week. Gordon argues the impact could be far more significant, with rental increases of up to 40 per cent in some markets. You can view the whitepaper here. Despite the doom and gloom dominating headlines, Gordon says the latest tax changes are unlikely to derail sophisticated investors, estimating they will pay around 6.5 per cent more in tax under the new settings. So, are we witnessing the end of the old property playbook, or simply the start of a smarter one? Enjoy the podcast. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

While most investors have been rattled by the tax overhaul, the biggest risk right now isn't the budget itself, but how lenders are reacting to it, with pre-approvals increasingly unreliable and buyers at risk of being caught mid-deal. On The Smart Property Investment Show, Phil Tarrant speaks with Eva Loisance, principal at Finni Mortgages, about the post-budget lending shake-up and what it means for investors trying to secure finance in an increasingly unpredictable environment. Loisance explains that pre-approvals are no longer a safe assumption, with some lenders already stripping out negative gearing from servicing models while others hold the line pending clearer legislation. She warns the real impact is already hitting borrowing power, with modelling showing some dual-income households could lose close to 30 per cent in lending capacity if servicing rules fully exclude negative gearing benefits. As uncertainty flows through the system, lenders are tightening conditions, reassessing risk, and quietly reshaping what investors can actually borrow – well before any law is finalised. The episode also explores how investors may pivot, including a shift toward new-build stock that retains tax treatment advantages, despite higher costs limiting feasibility for many. Loisance flags potential flow-on effects into the rental market, with investors forced to chase yield more aggressively as tax efficiency is stripped back and holding costs rise. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

New Zealand commercial property is drawing serious attention from Australian investors, and the yields are a big part of why. In this episode of Inside Commercial Property, Scott O'Neill is joined by Matt Harris and Michael Vincent of Lighthouse Financial to unpack what's making the New Zealand market so compelling right now. Lighthouse is one of New Zealand's leading financial services firms, guiding more than 4,000 Kiwis toward financial freedom since 2014 with holistic advice spanning accounting, lending, and investment. The conversation covers the forces shaping New Zealand property in 2026. New Zealand has moved through the interest rate cycle ahead of Australia, with the official cash rate easing significantly from its peak, and that shift is changing how investors think. For an everyday Australian investor, the combination of a favourable exchange rate, no stamp duty, and a maturing commercial market makes a genuine case for diversification. Matt and Michael also explain the practical side of buying across the Tasman: how the structures, lending, and tax considerations work for a foreign investor, and why the experience is more familiar than most Australians expect. In this episode, we cover: Why New Zealand's position in the interest rate cycle is reshaping investor behaviour. How the shift toward income-driven assets is opening the door to commercial property. What the exchange rate, stamp duty, and lending environment mean for an Australian buyer. How New Zealand's commercial market is maturing, and where the opportunities sit. The structures, tax, and first steps for an Australian investing in New Zealand.

While most of the country worries about slowing markets and policy uncertainty, Perth's fundamentals continue to suggest the boom is far from being over. In a special crossover podcast episode of Smart Property Investment and Real Estate Business, Liam Garman sits down with Ashby Farrell from WHTEARCH to explore why Perth continues to outperform while Sydney and Melbourne lose momentum. Farrell explains that Perth's growth is being driven by genuine owner-occupier demand rather than investor speculation, creating a level of resilience rarely seen in other capital cities. The discussion highlights how rising construction costs, labour shortages, and supply constraints are making established homes increasingly attractive, with many properties now impossible to replace at their current market value. The episode also explores the potential impact of proposed changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax, and rental legislation, and why Perth may be better positioned than most markets to absorb any policy shocks. Farrell argues that despite ongoing uncertainty, the fundamentals supporting Perth remain firmly intact, with affordability, population growth, and lifestyle appeal continuing to drive demand. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

The budget fallout has begun. With one of Australia's largest buyer's agencies collapsing and consumer confidence disappearing, are there still opportunities in the market? On this week's Property Buzz, hosts Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman break down the growing chaos hitting Australia's property market, from collapsing auction clearance rates and rising investor panic to the turmoil now ripping through the buyer's agency sector. In Sydney, the auction market has fallen to COVID-19-era lows, with more homes now passing in than selling as buyer confidence weakens and uncertainty continues to build. But will increasing yields now reverse this trend? The duo also explore the collapse of buyer's agency Dashdot, highlighting how rising client acquisition costs, weaker sentiment, and tightening lending conditions are placing enormous pressure on property businesses across the country. Additionally, hanging over the entire market are the proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, reforms that could slash borrowing capacity, tighten rental supply and dramatically reshape how Australians invest in property. The pressure is building quickly, and while emotional investors react to fear and headlines, strategic investors will be best positioned when the market stabilises.

Most investors are obsessing over interest rates, but the real force quietly reshaping property values is replacement cost. As building costs surge and new supply dries up, the gap between new and existing property is widening fast. On The Smart Property Investment Show, host Liam Garman sits down with Josh Crealy, founder and director of LEVR Group, to break down why the next 12 months could reshape supply, pricing, and investor strategy across Australia. Crealy explains how rising construction costs, labour pressures, and interest rates are making new developments increasingly unviable, forcing many projects to stall before they even reach the market. He argues the shift is creating a growing opportunity in established stock, where properties are now trading well below the cost of building new ones, especially in key inner-city markets like Melbourne. The episode also explores why unit stock is becoming a standout asset class, with strong rental demand, tightening vacancies and yields that are increasingly competitive with commercial property. Crealy's own journey from agent to developer to buyer's agent highlights a clear strategy shift, focusing on simplicity, affordability, and long-term fundamentals over complex development plays. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and by following Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. If you would like to get in touch with our team, email editor@smartpropertyinvestment.com.au for more insights, or hear your voice on the show by recording a question below.

Most people delay investing because they can't afford their dream home, but one investor used renting to build a $1.5 million property portfolio and generate $500,000 in equity in under a decade. Here is how he did it. On The Property Nerds podcast, host Arjun Paliwal sits down with British expat James to break down how rentvesting, strategic buying, and leveraging equity helped transform a temporary move to Australia into a fast-growing property portfolio. The episode explores how investing outside expensive capital cities unlocked opportunities that many buyers ignore, with one regional purchase generating hundreds of thousands in equity growth. It also highlights how diversification across multiple markets helped reduce risk and accelerate portfolio expansion without relying purely on savings. A major focus is the power of professional guidance, with James crediting data-driven advice and strong networks for helping navigate unfamiliar markets and make confident decisions.