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Real Estate

  • Written by NewsServices.com

One of the most crucial assets of a first home buyer, or really any buyer, is their knowledge.

From browsing real estate listings on platforms like Soho, to getting in touch with agents and sharing contracts, we use the internet for just about every stage of the buying process.

So why not use technology for our research as well? There is so much information out there, commenting on market trends and predicting how real estate will perform. So it can be daunting to know where to start.

To help you out, we’ve consulted Soho’s team expert Trent Muffett to give us the top websites for resources every buyer needs to know. A little reading and research might get you a better deal on your dream home, so don’t miss out.

SUBURBTRENDS.COM

  • What it has: Lots of great information for buyers about suburbs across Australia.
  • What I can use it for: Take a look at specific suburbs like Surry Hills or Brighton and how they’ve grown or receded. They have data on over 6,000 suburbs including days on the market, median price points and average sale trends.
  • Cost: Free Site

MICROBURBS.COM.AU

  • What it has: Free reports with commute times, cafes, schools, neighbour demographics, noise, income and much more!
  • What I can use it for: Use this as a tool to find out the non-financial aspects of the neighbourhood. What’s the food scene like? How strong is the internet in the area? A wonderful resource!
  • Cost: Free Site

1FORM.COM/AU/INVESTORREPORTS

  • What it has: Rental pricing and tenant information.
  • What I can use it for: Tenants and investors will really benefit from using this to find out rental yields and current rental prices of comparable properties. 
  • Cost: Free Site

BMTQS.COM.AU/INVESTMENT-PROPERTYCALCULATOR

  • What it has: A Property Investment Calculator that generates the cash flow of properties in easy to read reports.
  • What I can use it for: Enter the specifics of the home you’re interested in and their calculator will show you the real costs of owning this home over time, including maintenance costs and taxes…. for free!
  • Cost: Free Site

LOCATIONSCORE.COM.AU

  • What it has: This website suggests property investment locations around Australia.
  • What I can use it for: Find out which suburbs are experiencing higher or lower levels of capital growth. We all want a home that will potentially appreciate over time, and this is a great tool that a home buyer can use to narrow down the suburbs they are interested in buying in.
  • Cost: Paid Site/ from $67 per month

SQMRESEARCH.COM.AU

  • What it has: Specific property data and research for property buyers.
  • What I can use it for: Check out auction results to get a good idea of how much properties are going for in your interested areas. This gives every home buyer a good advantage.
  • Cost: Free and paid options from $59.95

DSRDATA.COM.AU

  • What it has: Checks the supply and demand in a suburb and indicates capital growth potential.
  • What I can use it for: You can see all the familiar statistics like auction clearance rates and days on market. You can also use their Market Monitor to assess the right time to buy.
  • Cost: Free and paid options from $158

RATEMYAGENT.COM.AU

  • What it has: Independent reviews of Real Estate Agents.
  • What I can use it for: Find real estate agents that suit you best. Read their reviews and compare agents so you’re choosing the right person to help you buy or sell your home.
  • Cost: Free Site

SELLORHOLD.COM.AU

  • What it has: Helps you assess if you should sell or hold your investment property.
  • What I can use it for: Buying a home is a stressful time for the home buyer and the investor. The market constantly changes and there are so many moving parts. This program gives you “scenario reports” to decide whether you should hold onto the property or whether it’s a good time to sell.
  • Cost: Paid Site – $497 per Property

SUBURBGROWTH.COM.AU

  • What it has: A property forecasting tool that predicts a suburb’s capital growth change and much more.
  • What I can use it for: It might be easy to see what a property is worth today, but how about 3 years from now, and 10 years from now? This tool makes predictions so you can make the best financial decision for you.
  • Cost: Paid site from $19.95

CORELOGIC.COM.AU

  • What it has: Corelogic is one of the biggest data collectors in the industry, offering suburb reports and more.
  • What I can use it for: This is for serious buyers / investors and is widely used by industry professionals. They share annual reports on suburb growth for one. Use that to see if the neighbourhoods you’re interested in are performing well.
  • Cost: Paid Site / Contact CoreLogic for pricing

INFO.REALESTATEINVESTAR.COM.AU

  • What it has: Intelligent software, tools and data to help you save time and make money in the residential property market.
  • What I can use it for: For home buyers and investors, it allows you to look up a property and evaluate its worth.
  • Cost: Paid Site / Contact Real Estate Investar for pricing

And if you’re not sure how to look at the numbers, you can also read up on how to use property tools.