methods you use to hunt for your property

Discussion in 'Property Information Resources & Tools' started by King, 8th Jul, 2015.

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  1. King

    King Active Member

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    hey all. was planning to which one is a better platform between realestate and domain but thought ill ask what methods do you use to hunt for your property. ie contacting agents, online market place, word of mouth and etc.

    feel free to share your thoughts on realestate vs domain as well
     
  2. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    I use the real estate websites... But there must be other ways.

    I looked at private seller websites but they dont seem to get updated or there in areas i dont want.

    Gumtree is another good site has private sellers.
    If i really really want to buy in an area im thinking of having flyers or something made and giving them out to residents hoping to sell.
     
  3. Big Will

    Big Will Well-Known Member

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    I use notifications from RE.com but use the app from domain as I prefer their map view.

    I visit gumtree as well but generally they are unrealistic expectations on their property but if you find an older one you might be in luck.

    Building relationship with the agents in the area is also good as they can tell you about upcoming places that you might be interested in. Just on Saturday a REA shouted me breakfast and told me about a property that is going for auction that is very similar to mine and what pre offers they got! He knows I am not looking at buying that property and that I wouldn't tell anyone what the two offers were :) but I think one was excellent the other was good.
     
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  4. citystar

    citystar Well-Known Member

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    1) RE.com.au is my first point of call.
    2) A good working relationship with real estate sales consultants means they will call and advise of deals as they receive the initial sales paperwork from the vendor.
     
  5. AaronR

    AaronR Well-Known Member

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    What do people do when they're their location search is broad?

    Me for instance; I'm currently on the hunt in Brisbane and have list of around 20 suburbs I'm willing to buy in, if the right house comes along. Using the 2 main sites doesn't really work so I just review the entirety of Brisbane twice daily.
     
  6. Michael_X

    Michael_X Mortgage Broker Business Member

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    1. REA.com.au on refresh whenever I have time for a browse. Prefer this to alerts as I tend to see the listings quicker

    2. Investar, used this more in my early days to learn an area

    3. Network with agents, frequent Brisbane every fortnight and just chat to agents. Surprised at how many deals I have seen when you are in the right place at the right time

    Cheers,
    Michael
     
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  7. joel

    joel Well-Known Member

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    Domain's app allows you to draw a circle on a map and it only shows properties in that boundary. It's great! It's a shame everyone uses RE.com instead
     
  8. C-mac

    C-mac Well-Known Member

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    Domain is the better app for searches in my opinion but the sucky thing about domain of clear is that it is only really 'currency' in NSW/VIC. REA has the groundswell nationally for all other markets.
     
  9. Kael

    Kael Well-Known Member

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    I'll admit, I never use Domain, only ever use RE.com.au. I do so because I prefer the feel of RE.com.au over Domain but I haven't used the Domain app. Might have to give it a try, by sounds of it!
     
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  10. 380

    380 Well-Known Member

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    Re.com.au
    Domain
    Gumtree
    (I know a guy that sells his property thru Gumtree in Sydney) crazy but works!

    Also network of REA.
     
  11. King

    King Active Member

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    ive been using domain and never RE. what is the difference between the 2? is it often that a property is listed at one and not the other?
     
  12. Chilliblue

    Chilliblue Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes a property may be listed with one and not the other.

    I have to agree with Michael X about networking. The best deals sometimes never make it to an open market. If you are not a BA, then you need to have developed the relationship and maintain in so you are first on their minds.
     
  13. Tekoz

    Tekoz Well-Known Member

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    20 suburbs lists ? man that's way too many :)
     
  14. AaronR

    AaronR Well-Known Member

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    Too many because it's hard to search or too many because there aren't 20 "good" suburbs in Brisbane?
     
  15. Big Will

    Big Will Well-Known Member

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    I don't think it is hard to search but to keep on top of 20 suburbs is a big job.

    I have notifications on 5 suburbs and I get tired sometimes of seeing the emails.
     
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  16. OC1

    OC1 Well-Known Member

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    4. Read between the lines when @See Change posts and blindly buy what he does.
     
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  17. Pistonbroke

    Pistonbroke Well-Known Member

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    What is re.com.au?
     
  18. gaiusb

    gaiusb Member

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    That would be www.realestate.com.au

    http://www.ozhouseprice.com/

    Citec Valuation and Property Searches. If I find a property I like and want a proper idea of valuations I use this. I search the suburb, narrow it down to the last few years, values between X and Y etc. I put it in an excel spreadsheet and start with looking at properties of the same size and comparing their sale prices, then look up those properties on ozhouseprice or sold realestate.com.au sales to look at photos and compare with the property I'm interested in. It's like the cheap version of RP Data.
     
  19. bobbyj

    bobbyj Well-Known Member

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    I'm a fan of www.realestate.com.au
    It's easy to use and I'm familiar with it's iphone app. You can save properties to view later.
    I set it so I can see the latest listings.

    I use APM Price finder to see what each property is valued at (it's a rough measure for site unseen) but gives it a price range based on comparable sales.

    Used to use onthehouse.com.au but price finder does the job.

    Council websites. I look at relevant council webpages to look for development plans.
    Liverpool for example has it's 'future' planning books on their website. You can see from 2008 they had planned for west, south and north, north west around the CBD being ear-marked for medium to high quality developments. It's all coming together as the Sydney boom is running its way through.

    Speak to your team: Speak to everyone. Mortgage broker, lenders, solicitors, RE agents. Doesn't hurt to take a few tips. You need to do your own due diligence regardless. Once you buy one property in an area and let them know you're an investor, they're more likely to want to sell you more properties that fit your bill. They'll get in touch with you with offers, sometimes before they get advertised. Beneficial in a seller's market.

    Magazines. Speaks for itself. Once a region is listed as a hotspot in API for example, it's usually a bit late but I think there's still merit in keeping an eye out. Liverpool again (it's a favourite of mine) was listed in magazines years ago to become the 'Airport city'. Houses have gone up something like 27% in the past year. Some units have moved 30-40% in the past 2 years. Markets within markets.
     
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  20. Ed5000

    Ed5000 Member

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    house.ksou.cn - just to get a feel for what is selling in the areas I am interested and what $xxx will get you in a certain suburb.

    :)
     
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