The Elephant In The Room Property Podcast | Inside Australian Real Estate

Australia’s latest budget and tax changes have forced investors to rethink some of the strategies that have shaped wealth creation for decades. So what actually works now?In this episode, Ben Nash joins Veronica Morgan and Chris Bates to unpack what the changes mean for property investors, negative gearing, capital gains tax, superannuation and investment structures. They also examine whether rentvesting still stacks up, when buying your own home can hold back broader wealth creation, and why property leverage remains powerful despite a tougher cash-flow environment.The conversation goes beyond tax strategy. Ben explains how he stress-tests investment decisions against real-life changes such as children, parental leave and rising costs, why behavioural barriers can stop people acting on good advice, and the risks of relying on financial “hacks” from social media.With the rules becoming more complex and the cost of getting investment decisions wrong potentially significant, this is a practical look at how Australians can rethink their wealth-building strategy in a post-Budget environment.Episode Highlights00:00 – Meet Financial Adviser Ben Nash03:23 – Why Rentvesting Can Beat Buying Your Home First09:44 – Why Good Advice Gets People To Act12:30 – Why Property Still Matters For Wealth Building21:36 – Does Rentvesting Still Work After The Rule Changes?26:45 – How Investors Are Feeling After The Budget29:49 – Building Financial Buffers For AI Disruption34:59 – The Frustration With Constant Tax Policy Changes36:02 – Are Tax Changes Holding Back Ambition?39:28 – Why Smart People Still Fail To Take Action42:04 – The Costly Mistakes Investors Make With Structures46:01 – Can You Afford Advice Or Should You DIY?48:52 – Final Thoughts: What Should Investors Do Now?About the GuestBen Nash is a financial adviser and the founder of a financial advice business that works with professionals navigating major financial decisions around property, investing and wealth creation. He has spent more than a decade working with clients in their 30s and 40s and has built more than 10,000 financial plans on a fixed-fee model, without product commissions.Ben brings a different perspective to property because his advice is not tied to whether a client buys a property, invests in shares or chooses to do nothing. His focus is on the numbers, strategy and long-term financial outcome.In this episode, Ben shares how he is advising clients in the wake of recent Budget and tax changes, including the evolving role of negative gearing, rentvesting, property structures, superannuation and shares. He also explores the behavioural barriers that stop people acting on good financial decisions, the risks of DIY strategies and why comprehensive financial planning is becoming increasingly important.Connect with BenLinkedIn | Benjamin J. NashWebsite | Pivot WealthInstagram | Ben Nash ResourcesVisit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.auIf you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at:The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast - [email protected] for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.auLooking for a Mortgage Broker? alcove.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected] Enjoyed the podcast? Don't miss out on what's yet to come! Hit that subscription button, spread the word, and join us for more insightful discussions in real estate. Your journey starts now!Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3r0nnJrLUu3t1GpO7X3j6EIf you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!See you on the inside,Veronica & Chris

The property market may be turning, but the headline numbers don’t tell the whole story. Gerard Burg joins Veronica and Chris to unpack what’s really happening beneath the national figures, from Brisbane’s rapid shift from growth to decline to the growing gap between premium and more affordable markets.They explore what rising listings actually reveal about buyer and seller behaviour, why affordability has become such a powerful constraint, and whether recent policy changes are driving the downturn or simply arriving after the warning signs were already there. Gerard also explains what Cotality’s suburb-level data reveals about how different parts of the market are responding.The conversation then moves beyond property prices to the bigger economic picture: stubborn inflation, a tight but unusually sticky labour market, construction constraints and Australia’s worsening rental shortage. With rental listings still well below their 2020 peak, the discussion raises a bigger question about what happens to long-term rental supply if investor participation continues to weaken.And finally, Gerard shares the property purchase that reminded him that even economists aren’t immune to emotion when buying a home.Episode Highlights00:00 – Why Property Markets Are Moving in Different Directions09:35 – Listings Rise as Buyers Pull Back12:14 – Are Rates or the Budget Driving the Downturn?15:35 – Investors and First Home Buyers Are Pulling Back19:04 – Why Inflation and Jobs Aren’t Behaving Normally25:13 – Energy Costs, Inflation and the Housing Squeeze30:12 – Affordability Is Reshaping the Property Market35:22 – What the Data Says About Market Fear38:06 – What Past Property Downturns Can Tell Us41:08 – The Signals That Could Mark a Market Turn45:43 – Even Economists Make Emotional Property Decisions49:01 – Wrap-Up and Listener QuestionsAbout the GuestGerard Burg is a national research leader at Cotality, bringing more than two decades of experience as a macroeconomist at NAB to the analysis of Australia’s property market.His background gives him a perspective that connects property with the broader economy, including interest rates, affordability, labour markets, inflation, migration and consumer behaviour. At Cotality, Gerard has access to detailed property data that allows the team to examine market movements well beyond national and capital-city averages, including trends at suburb and price-segment level.In this episode, Gerard draws on that data to explain how the current downturn is unfolding, why different parts of the market are behaving very differently, what rising listings and weak buyer activity reveal about market sentiment, and how affordability and investor behaviour could shape both property prices and rental supply.Connect with GerardLinkedIn | Gerard BurgLinkedIn | Cotality Australia ResourcesVisit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.auIf you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at:The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast - [email protected] for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.auLooking for a Mortgage Broker? alcove.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected] Enjoyed the podcast? Don't miss out on what's yet to come! Hit that subscription button, spread the word, and join us for more insightful discussions in real estate. Your journey starts now!Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3r0nnJrLUu3t1GpO7X3j6EIf you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!See you on the inside,Veronica & Chris

Do you really need 10 properties to build wealth? Or has the property industry convinced investors that bigger portfolios automatically mean better outcomes?In this episode, Jordan de Jong, founder of Gameplans, joins Veronica and Chris to unpack the realities of property portfolio planning, borrowing capacity and the growing grey area between property strategy and financial advice.We explore why buying more properties can actually work against investors, how outdated strategies can send people down the wrong path, and why the quality of the asset may matter far more than the number of properties you own. Jordan also reveals what his data shows about portfolio sizes, why investors shouldn’t feel behind, and how much property you may actually need to achieve your goals.The conversation also tackles the uncomfortable issues facing the buyer’s agency industry: advisers operating outside their expertise, the use of modelling tools, SMSFs and trusts, commercial property, and whether large-scale buying can actually push prices higher in concentrated markets.If you’re building a property portfolio, working with a buyers agent, or questioning whether more property is really the answer, this episode challenges some of the industry’s most persistent assumptions.Episode Highlights01:21 – Meet Jordan de Jong: The Story Behind Gameplans04:09 – The Borrowing Capacity Trap Investors Miss06:26 – Why Quality Matters More Than Property Count09:06 – What Gameplans Actually Helps Investors Do10:22 – Why Property Modelling Can Create False Confidence23:21 – Can Buyers Agents Push Property Prices Higher?27:36 – Why Property Alone Isn’t the Whole Financial Plan29:12 – Why Investors Need a Team Around Their Property Strategy30:38 – Why Financial Advisers Often Avoid Property34:53 – The Risks of Pivoting Into Commercial Property 37:11 – What Investor Activity Is Really Doing Post-Budget40:08 – The Property Portfolio Size Reality Check46:00 – Overleveraging: When More Properties Become a Problem49:05 – Jordan’s Own Property Investing Mistake50:48 – Wrap Up + Listener QuestionsAbout the GuestJordan de Jong is the founder of Gameplans, a portfolio planning software platform used by property professionals across Australia and New Zealand. His involvement in property investing began early, buying his first home at 18 and later building his own investment portfolio.After becoming a qualified property investment adviser, Jordan founded Gameplans during the 2020 lockdowns after becoming frustrated by the lack of practical, long-term planning available to property investors. The platform allows professionals and investors to model property portfolios, cash flow, borrowing capacity and long-term financial outcomes.In this episode, Jordan draws on his experience working with hundreds of property professionals to examine how investors approach portfolio building, where modelling can create false confidence, and the challenges of keeping property advice within appropriate boundaries.He also shares Gameplans' data on portfolio sizes and explains why he believes investors should focus less on the number of properties they own and more on whether their assets actually help them achieve their goals.Connect with JordanLinkedIn | Jordan de JongInstagram | Jordan de JongLinktree | Jordan de Jong ResourcesVisit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.auIf you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at:The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast - [email protected] for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.auLooking for a Mortgage Broker? alcove.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected] Enjoyed the podcast? Don't miss out on what's yet to come! Hit that subscription button, spread the word, and join us for more insightful discussions in real estate. Your journey starts now!Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3r0nnJrLUu3t1GpO7X3j6EIf you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!See you on the inside,Veronica & Chris

For years, Steve Palise told people not to buy the home they live in. Then he bought a $6 million home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches himself. So what changed?In this episode, Steve joins Veronica and Chris to explain the shift from a purely financial decision to one shaped by family, lifestyle, security and the freedom that comes with success.The conversation then turns to the growing rush into commercial property. With investor interest surging, Steve explains why commercial property is fundamentally more complicated than residential, from lease reviews and tenant risk to vacancy studies, planning, land content and local market dynamics.We unpack why a high yield doesn't necessarily mean a good investment, why scarcity and owner-occupier demand matter, and how different commercial assets can perform very differently depending on their location, use and tenant base.Episode Highlights03:12 — Steve Palise Changed His Mind About Buying a Home07:42 — The Opportunity Cost of Owning Your Home12:43 — Why Investors Are Rushing Into Commercial Property17:24 — Too Many Buyers, Not Enough Commercial Property22:35 — The Commercial Property Mistakes Investors Miss27:41 — Why Land and Scarcity Matter in Commercial Property32:38 — What’s the Best Price Point for Commercial Property?34:06 — When Commercial Property Risk Really Comes From37:47 — The Vacancy Lessons Steve Learned the Hard Way42:38 — The Commercial Buyers Agent Boom Has a Catch49:28 — Should You Buy a Home Before Building a Portfolio?About the GuestSteve Palise is a commercial buyers agent and property investor who has spent almost two decades investing in property, beginning with a residential portfolio before shifting into commercial property. He spent six years working as a buyers agent with Rethink Investing before establishing his own business.Steve now leads a commercial property acquisition team with six acquisition staff across the capital cities, alongside a due diligence team that includes an experienced commercial property manager and three qualified commercial valuers. His approach focuses heavily on tenant quality, vacancy rates, location, land component and the long-term fundamentals of commercial assets.Having experienced the transition from residential investing to commercial property firsthand — and more recently changing his own view on home ownership — Steve brings a practical perspective on both the financial and personal decisions behind property investment.Connect with SteveSteve Palise - Palise property | LinkedInLinkedIn | Palise Property ResourcesVisit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.auIf you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at:The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast - [email protected] for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.auLooking for a Mortgage Broker? alcove.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected] Enjoyed the podcast? Don't miss out on what's yet to come! Hit that subscription button, spread the word, and join us for more insightful discussions in real estate. Your journey starts now!Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3r0nnJrLUu3t1GpO7X3j6EIf you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!See you on the inside,Veronica & Chris

The government has framed its proposed capital gains tax changes as a way to tackle intergenerational unfairness. But what happens when the same reforms make it harder for younger Australians to build wealth, save a deposit, invest in businesses and diversify beyond property?Chris Brycki, founder and CEO of Stockspot, joins Veronica and Chris to unpack what the Treasury modelling may be missing. With Stockspot clients collectively withdrawing $37 million last year to buy property, he explains how diversified ETFs have become a deposit-building strategy — and why the new tax treatment could make that pathway less attractive.We also examine the hidden problem of taxing inflation-adjusted gains while failing to provide the same treatment for real losses, the potential impact on small-cap companies and startups, and why the changes could encourage businesses to pay out more dividends rather than reinvest in growth and innovation.From first-home buyers and entrepreneurs to downsizers and long-term investors, this conversation explores the behavioural consequences of tax policy — and whether a reform designed to improve affordability could ultimately distort investment decisions in ways the government did not intend.Episode Highlights01:40 – Chris Brycki on the CGT Changes05:16 – Should You Invest Your House Deposit?07:53 – Where the Budget Got CGT Reform Wrong10:14 – The CGT Trap: Gains Indexed, Losses Aren’t15:08 – Why the New CGT Rules Could Crush Startups21:25 – Should Capital Gains Be Taxed Like Income?27:49 – Will CGT Changes Push Companies to Pay Dividends?33:06 – How the New CGT Rules Affect ETFs37:19 – When Tax Starts Driving Investment Decisions43:08 – Could CGT Changes Push Money Back Into Property?48:52 – Is Negative Gearing Really Only for the Wealthy?51:44 – Why 1 July Valuations Could Cost You Thousands55:06 – Could CGT Changes Discourage Downsizing?58:18 – The Bigger Economic Consequences of CGT ReformAbout the GuestChris Brycki is the founder and CEO of Stockspot, described as Australia’s first and largest digital investment adviser. Stockspot manages more than $1.5 billion for around 21,000 clients, many of whom are young professionals and families investing through diversified ETFs for goals including buying a home.Chris brings a direct view of how Australians are actually using investment markets to build wealth. He has been particularly vocal about the proposed CGT changes and their potential impact on investors, entrepreneurs, housing affordability and Australia’s economy.In this episode, he draws on his experience working with investors to challenge assumptions behind the proposed reforms, including Treasury’s modelling of share-market returns, the treatment of investment losses, and the incentives the new system could create for companies, investors and aspiring homeowners.Connect with ChrisLinkedIn | Chris BryckiWebsite | StockspotLinkedIn | StockspotX | StockspotFacebook | StockspotInstagram | Stockspot ResourcesVisit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.auIf you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at:The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast - [email protected] for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.auWork with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.auLooking for a Mortgage Broker? alcove.com.auWork with Chris: [email protected] Enjoyed the podcast? Don't miss out on what's yet to come! Hit that subscription button, spread the word, and join us for more insightful discussions in real estate. Your journey starts now!Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcastSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3r0nnJrLUu3t1GpO7X3j6EIf you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!See you on the inside,Veronica & Chris