The trio kick off this exciting episode with a discussion about the Westpac consumer sentiment index and the recent changes that our markets have been experiencing.

Dave and Mike ponder the role that the media play versus the money market commentary, and Cate highlights the shrinking confidence about the time to buy a major household item index, a positive signal that the RBA rate increases could be (slowly) taking effect.

Today’s show is all about the distance people buy their investment properties from where they live and whether that has changed over the last few years. The popular view is that people typically buy very close to where they live because they know their own backyard. However, we’re diving into some new industry research that dispenses with the stereotypes and gets down to facts with real data.

We are fortunate to have some valuable and telling data at our fingertips due to MCG Quantity Surveying’s 1000 assets study; an annualised data release that Mike and Marty share with the property community and media. Mike shares with the listeners what it was that prompted this collation of information.

Mike challenges Dave and Cate to consider how far they each thought investors were generally prepared to travel. Cate also asks Mike to shed light on some of the ‘accidental investment’ examples, and how this data signals such a property.

Dave chats openly about the biggest risks associated with dual-purpose investing and Cate shares some of the motivations that can lead an investor to purchase ‘around the corner’.

The trio talk through the changing figures associated with this amazing measure, from pre-pandemic to pandemic, through to post-pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, the average distance that an Aussie investor’s property was from their home measured 293km.

The pandemic average distance shifted to a colossal 599km, a startling change. The trio unpacked the drivers, the changes and their thoughts on the significant jump.

The intriguing question that Mike asks is, “what on earth happened post-pandemic?”

….and the answer may surprise (we won’t ruin the surprise for our listeners!)

This incredible evidence supports some of the trends that we’ve witnessed in Australian property investing and we love that Mike and Marty’s business have some clever data that is unique to what we’d typically find through the usual data channels.

The trio sift through the radii findings listed in this table, not only analysing the pre-, pandemic and post- average distance, but also the changes within the shorter-distance data findings.

It’s a ripping episode and one that showcases our third muscateer’s appreciation for great data.

“While it appears that we’re transitioning back to a more normal reality in the post-pandemic era, there’s no doubt some needles have shifted forever. In fact, discussion about modern history will almost always be divided along pre- and post-pandemic lines.”

“So, what’s brought about this seismic shift? I believe there are several factors.”

“Obviously, a widespread acceptance of doing business remotely has had a lot to do with it. Nowadays you are just a Zoom meeting away from any buyer’s agent, conveyancer or building inspector in Australia. You no longer need to be in situ to engage a professional in another part of the country.”

“This has opened the entire nation as a market to smart investors. They can now concentrate on studying the analytics from home while employing a local professional to do the heavy lifting.”

“The regionalisation of the population during COVID also saw rents rise and vacancy rates fall in smaller population centres across the nation. If you were at the front of the wave and in the right locality, there were serious returns to be enjoyed.”

“Online platforms allow investors to engage with peers and ask market advice or do due diligence on buyer’s agents and advisors too.”

“In addition, we’ve seen widespread adoption of platforms such as the PEXA property exchange which means conveyancers and financiers simply log on from wherever they are in the world to settle contracts.”

“All of this tells me that while the evolution of investing was slowly moving towards going remote, the pandemic sped up the transition.” Mike Mortlock

…And our gold nuggets!

David Johnston’s gold nugget: This is a great example of why people need to dig a bit deeper with the data! There are lots of different layers and explanations as to why the data occurred the way it did and it’s important that people look deeper to make their own decisions.

Mike Mortlock’s gold nugget: If buyers are purely looking to invest for the best results, there are all sorts of things that can pull us down the rabbit hole when we lose objectivity. Investors need to treat property buying as a business, ignoring some of the white noise and bias that can strike.

Resources:

Click here to get your copy of the 1,000 assets report

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy these:

Ep. 14 – How to choose a location for investment: what to look for and what to avoid

Ep. 36 – Buying the wrong property and/or the wrong location

Ep. 52 – Dissecting ten years of CoreLogic data

Ep. 53 – Diversification 101: how and why to plan for diversification in your property portfolio

Ep. 93 – Property investment: the seven secret steps to buying a house