Property decisions are rarely just about property
I spent thirteen years in financial planning before moving into property.
It taught me to look beyond the immediate decision and think about what that decision needs to achieve. That still shapes the way I advise my clients today.
Advice has consequences.
A Different Starting Point
When someone asks for advice, the easiest answer is not always the right one. A decision can make sense on paper and still be wrong for the person making it.
That is why, before giving advice, I want to understand what someone is trying to achieve, what matters to them, and what the decision could mean further down the road.
Good advice matters most when it is inconvenient.
What I Think About Most
There are times when the easiest outcome for me may not be the right one for the person sitting across from me.
Maybe selling now isn't the right move. Maybe the property they were excited about doesn't make sense once we look at the numbers. Or maybe there is another option they hadn't considered.
I think those are the moments when advice matters most. My job is not to make every conversation end in a transaction. It is to help someone make a decision they can still feel good about years from now.
A Story I Think About Often
A client came to me years after buying a home she had once loved.
There was nothing wrong with the property. It simply suited a very specific kind of buyer. And when her circumstances changed and she wanted to sell, we realised there weren't that many buyers looking for what she had.
We eventually found the right buyer, but the experience changed the way I think about what makes a good property purchase.
When I advise someone on a purchase today, I don't just think about whether the property works for them now. I also ask, "when the day comes to sell, who is going to buy it from them?"The right decision today is not always the right decision forever.
Five things I walk through
When clients ask for my view, I try to walk through five things with them.
- 01
What you're trying to achieve
Before looking at the property, I want to understand what you're actually trying to change or achieve.
- 02
What the numbers allow
What you own, what you owe, what you'll walk away with, and what you can comfortably afford from there.
- 03
What matters beyond the numbers
Family, lifestyle, work, location and the things that can make a sensible decision on paper wrong for you.
- 04
What happens further down the road
Not just whether it works today, but how it could affect your options five or ten years from now.
- 05
What you may not have considered
Sometimes there is another option, trade-off or way of looking at the situation that changes the decision entirely.
The goal isn't to find a perfect answer. It's to understand the trade-offs well enough to make the decision with your eyes open.
There are only conscious compromises.
Why I Work This Way
I don't think people need someone to make property decisions for them. They need someone who can help them see the decision more clearly. Sometimes that means working through the numbers. Sometimes it means questioning an assumption, pointing out a trade-off, or showing them an option they hadn't considered.
If we do that well, the right decision usually becomes much easier to see.