Street Secrets

“I just give everyone as much information as possible. It’s up to them how they decide if they want to move forward.” — Grant Atherton Newcastle and Lake Macquarie continue to attract buyers looking for a different lifestyle from Sydney, but finding the right property takes more than knowing which suburbs are popular. In this episode of Street Secrets, Chris Bates sits down with Grant Atherton fro...

“The finer details in helping somebody understand what they really want can't come from somebody that doesn't understand the location that they're buying in intimately.” – Hamada Alameddine Sydney’s Inner West offers plenty of options for buyers looking for more space and value without moving too far from the city, but knowing where to look makes all the difference. In this episode, Chris Bates si...

“You really need to have a really good chat and get into their head in terms of what they’re really looking to achieve.” What does it actually take to buy well on the Gold Coast? Chris Bates sits down with Tony Fitzgerald, a former valuer and experienced buyers agent, to unpack the fundamentals shaping one of Australia’s most in-demand property markets — and the risks buyers can easily miss. Tony...

“There’s so many elements that we should be considering as buyers, which a lot of buyers just don’t know about.” – Fiona Landreth Buying property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches can look straightforward from the outside, but there’s far more to getting it right than finding a home you love. In this episode of Street Secrets, Chris Bates sits down with Fiona Landreth of Landreth Buyers Advocate to exp...

“If you can really wait until you get to do it once, you generally want to do it really well.” - Julian Muldoon Doctors can have a unique advantage when it comes to property, with strong incomes, borrowing capacity and relatively predictable career paths. But with that capacity comes a different challenge: knowing when to buy the family home, invest, establish a private practice or acquire commerc...

“Adelaide post-COVID has had incremental growth of approximately 8% year on year for the last four or five years. Never seen it before.” Adelaide has undergone a remarkable transformation, with years of strong growth pushing the median house price above $1 million and forcing buyers and investors to rethink where and how they buy. But as buyer activity starts to cool and properties take longer to...

“Yield is a great thing and it certainly assists with cash flow, but it should never be your sole focus.” Commercial property can offer strong cash flow and compelling opportunities, but Robert Martin says investors need to look well beyond the headline yield. With nearly 12 years in the buyers agent space, Robert joins Chris to unpack how he assesses commercial opportunities across Australia, inc...

“Melbourne is cheap. Really cheap. It’s not going to stay there forever.” — Greville Pabst After years of underperformance compared with other Australian capitals, is Melbourne starting to present an opportunity? In this episode of Street Secrets, Chris sits down with property adviser and valuer Greville Pabst to unpack Melbourne’s market fundamentals and take a closer look at the tightly held poc...

“There’s no point buying something that’s cheap that nobody wants, because you’re going to inherit that problem when you go to sell it.” – Michael Sier The Mornington Peninsula has gone through one of the biggest property market shifts of the past decade. After the COVID boom, rising interest rates, land tax changes and weaker investor and holiday-home demand have reshaped the buyer pool. Michael...

“You could be three streets away, but it’s just the pocket and the area of that suburb that’s attracting a higher price or a lower price.” – Shane Hiscock A booming market can make buying feel simple: find a suburb that's performing, find a property you like and make an offer. But Shane Hiscock believes the real work starts after you've chosen the suburb. With more than a decade of experience acro...

“You learn more in a downturn than you do in an upswing.” – Lachlan Delahunty In this week’s episode, Chris Bates speaks with Lachlan Delahunty, property valuer turned buyer’s agent and founder of Follio, about what the post-budget market means for investors and why discipline now matters more than speculation. Lachlan shares lessons from past downturns, including post-GFC Melbourne and WA’s slowd...

“There's no one-size-fits-all. It's about understanding what's important to the buyer today—and what their life will look like five to ten years from now.” — Brady Yoshia Sydney's Upper North Shore has long been one of Australia's most desirable places to live, but behind its leafy streets and prestigious schools are dozens of unique micro-markets that require far more local knowledge than most bu...

“It's not just about buying a property or a house—it's about helping people create the lifestyle they want.” — Celina Gregory The NSW South Coast and Southern Highlands have long attracted buyers looking for more space, a slower pace, and a better quality of life. But purchasing in these lifestyle markets comes with its own set of challenges—and local knowledge can make all the difference. In this...

"People don't know what they don't know." — Michelle Tucker Buying property on the Central Coast isn't simply about finding a home near the beach. It's about understanding the hidden differences between suburbs, streets, and even individual blocks—details that can dramatically affect both your lifestyle and long-term wealth. This week, Chris Bates is joined by Michelle Tucker, Director of Spring B...

"Every suburb is different, every price point is different. Perth is full of micro-markets, and that's never been more important to understand." – Peter Gavalas Perth has been Australia's standout property market for several years, but the landscape is beginning to change. Following the Federal Budget, investor activity has slowed, confidence has shifted, and different parts of Perth are moving in...

"You can be in a great suburb in Darwin… but there's a good street and there's also a bad street. You really need to know the area." – Belinda Tennant Darwin has quietly become one of Australia's strongest-performing property markets, attracting investors with high rental yields, tight vacancy rates and renewed optimism. But as Belinda Tennant explains, buying in Darwin isn't as simple as choosing...

“You can buy near the train station in Caboolture—but you want to be a little bit careful, because it can be a bit rough and ready.” Brisbane’s northern corridor has delivered some of Australia’s strongest growth over the past decade, but navigating the region today requires more than simply following affordability or infrastructure headlines. This week, Chris sits down with Karen Young from Prope...

"Stick to quality. A quality asset will always appreciate, or at least hold its ground when the market softens." – Scott McGeever Few people have witnessed Brisbane's property evolution as closely as Scott McGeever. After starting as a valuer and becoming Brisbane's first buyer's agent in 1999, Scott has spent more than two decades helping buyers navigate changing markets, shifting trends, and maj...

“People say buyers' advocates help you buy the right house. They help you not buy the wrong house.” – Michael Ramsay Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula have transformed from lifestyle destinations into some of Australia's most talked-about property markets. But beneath the headlines, local knowledge still matters more than ever. Chris Bates is joined by Michael Ramsay, one of Australia's longest-...

“The key word is lifestyle. That’s been really, really valuable to buyers post-COVID.” – Ying Chan Melbourne’s Outer East has quietly become one of the city’s most desirable regions for families, owner-occupiers and long-term investors. With strong schools, established communities, larger blocks and access to some of Victoria’s best lifestyle amenities, demand continues to evolve beyond the tradit...

“Scarcity drives value… and most people don’t understand what real scarcity looks like.” – Chris Curtis Inner city Sydney is one of the most competitive and misunderstood property markets in Australia. In this episode, Chris Curtis breaks down what actually drives value—and where buyers get it wrong. With over 20 years as a buyer’s agent (and a background as a barrister and Macquarie Bank executiv...

“Commercial outperforms — you get three times the cash flow and the same capital growth.” – Steve Palise Commercial property is gaining serious momentum—but most investors still don’t understand how it really works. In this episode, Steve Palise breaks down why commercial assets are outperforming on paper, and where investors go wrong chasing yield without understanding risk. Steve shares his jour...

“There’s no point looking at properties until you’ve nailed the strategy.” – Henny Rahardja Buying on Sydney’s North Shore isn’t just competitive—it’s constrained, nuanced, and easy to get wrong. Limited supply, tightly held suburbs, strict council controls, and lifestyle-driven demand mean buyers are often competing hard… without fully understanding what they’re buying into. In this episode, Chri...

“We can buy a perfect, pretty home that fits the budget… but it doesn’t necessarily mean that home is going to grow in value.” – Lisa Parker Melbourne’s South has long been one of the city’s most desirable corridors—but where should buyers focus now? Chris sits down with Lisa Parker of Parker Buyer Advocates, who brings 25 years of experience across owner-occupier and investment markets. From Bays...

“Some areas are undiscovered and unexplored… but you need to know what makes them tick.” – Amy Lunardi Melbourne’s Inner North is one of the city’s most in-demand regions — but beneath the headlines sits a far more nuanced market. In this episode, Chris Bates is joined by Amy Lunardi, founder of Amy Lunardi Property and co-host of the Australian Property Podcast, to break down how buyers should th...