Notes from the research desk
Long-form pieces on the methodology behind our verdicts, the specialist framework, and what evidence-led property research looks like in practice. We keep the public archive reviewed as the data pipeline and product surface change.
Methodology · 7 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Most property research asks you to trust a conclusion. We show the inputs, the source freshness, and the scoring rules so a buyer can see why a suburb made the shortlist.
Research desk · 9 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Most buyers ask one question, 'is this a good suburb?', and get one answer. Real research splits that into seven different reads from seven different angles. Here's the framework.
Methodology · 8 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Every property publication says they're 'evidence-based'. Most aren't. Here's what we mean when we say editorial transparency, and the five lines we don't cross.
Buyer + financing · 9 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Auctions look chaotic from the back row. Underbidding, vendor bids, dummy bids, sudden withdrawals: most of it is structured, regulated, and predictable once you know what each move signals. A buyer's read of the room.
Research desk · 11 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Most 'best suburbs' lists run on opinion + a handful of cherry-picked numbers. We use 49 cited metrics, every one with a primary-source dependency. Here's what each one is, why it's in the scorecard, and what 'thin market' looks like in practice.
Tax · 12 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Stamp duty (transfer duty) is the largest single transaction cost in Australian property, and every state runs it differently. This is the canonical 2026 reference: thresholds, brackets, FHB concessions, foreign-buyer surcharges, and the statute citations behind every figure.
Buyer + financing · 9 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
Most buyers budget for the deposit + stamp duty + a vague 'legal fee'. The actual buying-cost stack on a $1M purchase is closer to $50-65K, 5-6.5% of the headline price. Here's the line-by-line breakdown most buyers don't see until settlement week.
Market · 10 min read · reviewed 2026-05-09
AU residential prices have risen ~6.4% CAGR over 30 years against ~3.2% CAGR wage growth. The gap isn't a single mechanism. It's the compounding effect of credit liberalisation, supply constraints, immigration-driven demand, tax-advantaged investor settings, and global low-rates arbitrage. Each lever is separately defensible; combined, they explain the long divergence.