For many buyers, the agent’s quote range is the first filter they use when searching for a property. But in today’s market, relying on that figure as your sole source of truth can lead to missed opportunities or wasted inspection costs.

Residential property is a unique asset class driven as much by human emotion as it is by financial logic. Understanding the difference between ‘market manipulation’ and ‘market unpredictability’ is key to maintaining your sanity – and your budget – during a campaign.

In this week's episode, Jarrod shares recent case studies from the Melbourne market to illustrate why the final sale price often defies the initial data.

• Market Fickleness vs. Underquoting: Dissecting a recent result in the Inner North where fear of missing out (FOMO) skewed the data.
• The unintended consequences of accuracy: Why accurate quotes often lead to failed campaigns in the current climate.
• The ‘Family Premium’ Case Study: How a specific buyer need in the Eastern Suburbs completely distorted the market value of a standard unit.
• Empowering the Buyer: Practical advice on using independent tools and professional advice to set your own limit, regardless of the agent's guide.

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening.

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense. Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

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Victoria’s rental landscape is shifting with a new suite of reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act, effective from 25 November 2025.

These updates aim to raise standards and address poor practices, urging investors to focus on proactive compliance to avoid fines, disputes, or challenges in a competitive leasing market.​

In this week's episode, Jarrod is joined by Wakelin Property Advisor Jordan Telfer to break down the key mandates and share practical strategies for staying competitive as renter protections intensify.​

• The 2021 baseline for rentals and common retrofits like efficient heating systems
• Key energy upgrade rules for hot water, cooling, insulation, and draughtproofing, plus exemptions for challenging properties
• The end of no-reason evictions, highlighting renter screening and manager partnerships
• The rental bidding ban and strategies for setting competitive initial rents without overbidding
• Longer 90-day notice periods for increases and vacating, with case-by-case planning for sales timing
• Pre-advertising minimum standards and defending rent increases through comparables and documentation

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening.

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense. Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Email

Melbourne's spring property market is heating up, with first-home buyers returning thanks to federal incentives slashing deposits to 5%.

While inner-suburb houses stay out of reach for many, apartments are gaining traction as an accessible entry point – but only if you focus on the right ones for long-term growth.

In this week's episode, Jarrod explains why notional land value – your proportional share of the site's underlying land – separates thriving apartments from stagnant ones, drawing from Wakelin's buyer advisory experience.

As development intensifies and supply tightens, understanding this unlocks apartments that capital growth:

• The power of notional land in driving appreciation, versus the pitfalls of high-rises with diluted shares
• Step-by-step guide to calculating your land entitlement and its proportion of the purchase price
• Top apartment types: Boutique older blocks like Art Deco and 1950s-70s builds on under-capitalised sites
• Melbourne's value hotspots in eastern and south-eastern suburbs like Boroondara and Stonnington
• Developer trends targeting these blocks for redevelopment, and hurdles like owner consensus
• A case study of four apartments sold as a site for 125% uplift, from $1M units to $9M total

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening.

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense. Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Email