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545 | Burnt-Out Vans, Mouldy Eaves & Broken Trust: A Cautionary Buyer’s Agent Tale

When long-time listener and four-property investor Jayson reached out to Bryce on LinkedIn, we knew this was a conversation worth having on the couch. 

Why? 

Because he’s been through something many won’t talk about publicly:  

What happens when you put your trust—and your money—in a so-called “top tier” buyer’s agent 

And things go bad. 🙁  

In this candid, courageous chat, Jayson walks us through:

✅ The real story behind his borderless investing experience
✅ What went wrong with not one—but THREE—properties
✅ The moment that shattered his confidence in the professionals he hired
✅ And how he rebuilt that trust and bought interstate (successfully!) on his own terms. 


We also unpack:  

📌 What to look out for before signing on with a buyer’s agent
📌 The clauses in a contract that could cost you thousands
📌 Why yield alone should never be your north star
📌 And how to spot red flags that might not show up on a spreadsheet. 

Folks, this one’s a cautionary story with a positive ending.  

It’s for anyone considering hiring a professional—and a reminder that communication, transparency, and trust must be non-negotiables when building a property portfolio. 


Free Stuff  

    • Just 3 WEEKS Left to Help Us Restore Sight! 👁️
      To celebrate Bryce’s 50th birthday, we’ve teamed up with the John Fawcett Foundation to give the life-changing gift of sight to those in need in Indonesia through cataract surgeries. Thanks to our generous community, we’ve already raised $4,184.93 – but we’ve got 3 more weeks left to hit our $10,000 goal by 27th May. Whether you’re a long-time listener of The Property Couch or simply believe in giving back — every dollar counts.Here’s what your donation can do:
      👁️ $100 = Restores sight to 1 person
      👁️👁️ $200 = 2 people
      🖐️ $500 = 5 people
      ✋✋ $1,000 = 10 people
      Donate now and help us to transform lives!
       
    • Time’s Running Out to Pre-Order & Save!
      Our brand-new book — How to Retire on $3,000 a Week — is almost here! With just weeks to go before launch, now’s the perfect time to lock in up to 10% off and be one of the first to get your hands on it. Pre-order today from these retailers: 

  • (RRP is $32.99 — so whichever option you pick, you’re ahead!). Or join the waitlist for exclusive behind-the-scenes updates, bonuses, and sneak peeks you won’t find anywhere else!
  • MyKNOWLEDGE Has Landed! 🚀
    This episode isn’t just packed with evergreen lessons— it also marks the official launch of MyKNOWLEDGE, our brand-new digital learning hub designed to fast-track your property, finance, and MoneySMARTS. As a special thank you to our podcast community, we’re offering 50% off MyKNOWLEDGE — but only until 31 May! Simply create or log in to your Moorr account, and you’ll see MyKNOWLEDGE on the sidebar.
    👉 Redeem your discount here
    💬 Or use code: ACT50 at checkout 

Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – Burnt-Out Vans, Mouldy Eaves & Broken Trust: A Cautionary Buyer’s Agent Tale 
  • 1:32 – Footy Banter: Is Bryce questioning his support for Freo? 😮  
  • 7:48 – Federal Election Results  
  • 13:23 – Join the waitlist for our latest book: “How to Retire on $3K a Week”  
  • 15:13 – Bryce’s 50th: Just 3 WEEKS left to help us restore sight  
  • 16:37 – MyKNOWLEDGE has just launched! Get 50% off for a limited time only 
  • 21:22 – Mindset Minute:  The painful cost of overthinking  
  • 25:12 – Welcome, Jayson!  
  • 25:58 – Why he turned to a buyer’s agent—and what he was chasing 
  • 26:54 – Money Story: Invoices, QuickBooks, and watching mum & dad invest 
  • 33:47 – From tradie to investor: DIY confidence & an aggressive approach 
  • 37:14 – Jayson’s Safety Net  
  • 39:08 – “Accidental investors” and building their property portfolio  
  • 44:28 – Why did they decide to engage a “top-tier” buyer’s agent?  
  • 45:51 – Property #1: Mould, misdirection & a burnt-out caravan next door 😬 
  • 51:05 – Cooling-off confusion: The clause that could’ve cost thousands 
  • 57:20 – Property #2: Shaky walkthroughs, low yield & misleading comparables 
  • 1:00:49 – Property #3: The final straw that broke the camel’s back 
  • 1:05:46 – After the two burns, why did they go back for a third swing?  
  • 1:08:19 – The refund request 
  • 1:13:53 – A surprising response from the CEO 
  • 1:16:11 – The Walkaway Test: The overlooked fourth component 
  • 1:21:22 – How Jayson rebuilt confidence!  
  • 1:23:02 – The red flags & real lessons learnt 
  • 1:26:39 – Jayson’s North Star: Freedom, flexibility & financial springboard 
  • 1:28:20 – The true power of lived experience 

And… 

  • 1:30:57 – Life By Design: The best way to teach your kids about taxes  
  • 1:32:18 – WMPN:  The most common landlord insurance claims…  

 

TPC Gold | How Property Spruikers Pressure You into Buying

This snippet is from one of our previous episodes: WARNING: The Unconscious Mental Triggers Property Spruikers Use To Trick You. 

Today we dive into a topic many Aussies don’t realise they’re being exposed to until it’s too late: the tactics used by property spruikers to pressure you into making a decision. 

Bryce and Ben break down the psychology behind these marketing strategies and explain how you can spot the signs before getting caught in the hype.  

From red sticker sold signs in display booths to “limited time only” offers and infomercial-style urgency, property spruikers know exactly how to create a sense of scarcity and FOMO. 

In this short and sharp bonus snippet, you’ll learn:
✨ The classic sales tactics property spruikers use to create urgency 
⚠️ Why the scarcity pitch is often manufactured—not real 
📊 How established properties differ from off-the-plan in terms of genuine scarcity 
🔍 What to ask before you sign anything 
📄 Why doing your own due diligence is your strongest defence 

Cut through the noise and start making confident, informed decisions when it comes to property investing! 

Want Personalised Property Advice Without the Hype?

The team at our sister company, Empower Wealth aim to help you make better property decisions—with no pressure, no flashy promises, and no “limited time only” gimmicks.  

👉 Build Your Own Property Portfolio Plan  

No two people or plan are the same! When you engage one of our qualified property investment advisors, we’ll sit down together to design a plan that fits your very own personal lifestyle and retirement goals. 

__________________

If You Enjoyed TPC Gold | How Property Spruikers Pressure You into Buying, You Might Also Like:


Transcript

Ben Kingsley
Scarcity is a big seller.  

Bryce Holdaway
When there is less of something people will inherently want it more.  

Ben Kingsley
Correct.  

Bryce Holdaway
Well the thing is, knowledge is empowering but only if you act on it Ben, isn’t it? So some of these things are, but for us it’s you know a free book or whatever we’re trying to use scarcity. We’ve got a webinar – to attend those webinars they’re free right. 

Ben Kingsley
Infomercials: the first 50 only get this offer with the bonus. All of those things are all part of trying to enact you to take action right now.  

Bryce Holdaway
So how does that work in property, folks? Well, you’ve all walked into a display booth and you’ve seen all the red stickers on the ones that are “gone”, Ben.  

Ben Kingsley
Sold. 

Bryce Holdaway
Sold, therefore there’s only a few left and then they released new stages of land and all those sorts of things. So it well and truly happens. But so if we circle back to my experience with timeshare, I was told that. Because the offer that was provided was compelling and I was impressed.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, they are amazing those programs. 

Bryce Holdaway
And they said: If you don’t sign up today, you can never be exposed to this offer ever again. And I played a little bit, and I went, so does that mean if I talk to another person, like in two months’ time or two years’ time. He goes: No, your name will be in the system. You won’t be able to get this offer again. So that was actually pretty good scarcity. And I could see how that would get someone in.  

Ben Kingsley
Yeah, well, and yet we know that two months later, two years later… trust me, if you’re putting money on the table, they will take your money. There is no doubt about it that it won’t be a limited time offer. It never is. And they stack the value as part of that story as well. So they normally put high values on certain things and say, if you sign up today, you’re getting $19,000 worth of value for only $2,997 or whatever that looks like. So when you’re seeing those types of stack-the-value opportunities, you’ve also just got to say to yourself: but the thing that I’m buying, the thing that I absolutely want today and what I want to get from this and what I learn from it is that, does that represent value for me? Because if that represents value for you and you’ve checked and done all your research, then that should still be something you would consider. Because if you don’t, they were just ancillary. If the product stacks up on its own, then that’s something I would go after. So I’d be very, very mindful of the way in which scarcity is always used and just be mindful, okay, they’re gonna use it on me. So again, if I still feel like there’s a good opportunity here, I’ll explore it more, but I’m not gonna sign anything on the day. I’m gonna digest it and basically look at it. 

Bryce Holdaway
In established property there is a bit of scarcity that you do need to pay attention to like once the auction hammer goes down, make sure that you’re on the right side of that. If you’re buying established properties, they’re usually not homogeneous. There’s not sort of Apartment 9 or Apartment 22. There is legitimate scarcity that comes from having to act and move quickly. 

Ben Kingsley
And that’s why it’s such a good performing asset price because it’s unique, it’s one of them. There’s not 20 or 30 of them being built. That’s the property in that street, in that location, at that price point. And you’ve to go after it. 

Bryce Holdaway
Which is the asset, but I was even talking just a little bit about action you know, sometimes if you’ve identified an asset, you do need to move quickly. And you do need to jump. Sometimes we find anecdotally with clients, they are a little bit… what’s the right word here?  

Ben Kingsley
They’ve got to lose something before they gain something sometimes, and we’re saying please don’t be that type of person. If the expert’s telling you that this is good and all that, you don’t want to lose the good one. Because sometimes a good one can just turn up 48 hours after you’ve decided that this is what you want to do. Sometimes it can turn up four weeks later. So that’s the challenge.  

Bryce Holdaway
And the thing is these mental triggers are most powerful when they’re in clusters. So if scarcity on its own has none of the other triggers, like that before the auction goes down or you’ve got to move quickly because it’s an established property and it’s going to go… In the absence of the other ones, well then there’s not necessarily a bigger game being played other than to try and serve you. So folks, the mental triggers when it comes to marketing. Number one, reciprocity. Two, have an event paced. Number three, include anticipation. Number four, have social proof. Number five, have actual proof. Number six, community. Number seven, have some form of interaction conversation as Ben said, storytelling. And number eight as Ben double checks my counting is scarcity. Now why did we go through that, folks? Because Athena and Jason wrote in to say they went through this process. Alex wrote in to you Ben; we get scores and scores of people so we are trying to defend and advocate for folks to make sure that you don’t go to a slippery spot and slip.  

Ben Kingsley
So can I just give some tips? Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Keep asking more questions. Ask how you’re getting paid. Talk about your qualifications. Talk about the business success. You know, of the overall performances of everything that they’ve done and what they’ve done and how humble are they in giving that announcement because same with us in our business, we’re not perfect. You know, there’s properties that we would say second time over, over the thousand properties we’ve bought. Maybe, maybe not. It’s a line ball decision. So that’s the truth right, in terms of so are they telling you the truth? If they’re offering things like satisfaction guarantees, full refunds… 

Bryce Holdaway
Mazda 2s… 

Ben Kingsley
Don’t sign anything on the day that they’re doing the pitch to you. Digest it, get some information behind it, go and do some of your own independent investigations. Certainly for house and land packages that’s a classic one, where if you actually do a bit of research on those new estates you could probably find other opportunities to buy the same property in that area for about $25,000 or $30,000 less than what’s being offered. So you’ll find that, and we’ve had plenty of feedback from our listeners over time saying exactly that. This person was selling me product off-the-plan. I did some of my own investigations. I rang around, and within two days, I got an offer on the table that was less than the fee that they were gonna charge me. So it’s little things like that that you can then sort of make sure you understand. So just some little tips and takeaways as we close it out.  

Bryce Holdaway
Very good Ben. So there you go folks, we want to make sure that you make better decisions. So make sure you are aware of those things. 

 

538 | Property Spruikers 2.0: The Latest Tactics Designed to Trap You

“History doesn’t repeat itself—people repeat history.”  

Folks, today’s episode is on an issue that’s very close to our hearts and remains just as crucial today as when we started the podcast ten years ago… 

The alarming rise of the new-age Property Spruikers. 

We’re talking about the same tricks but in a new disguise designed to serve one purpose: their own interests at the expense of aspiring Australians. 😮   

Today we’re exposing the updated playbook of today’s spruikers, highlighting the deceptive strategies you need to be wary of.


Here’s what we cover…

⚠️ Rapid mortgage payoff schemes, like the “debt-free in 7 years” illusion 

⚠️ Overloading investors with multiple off-the-plan properties 

⚠️ Reckless “risk-free” promotion of supercharging your Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSF)  

⚠️ Emotional manipulation through high-pressure webinars and seminars

⚠️ Huge advertising budgets of $100K–$220K a week driving aggressive marketing campaigns

⚠️ PLUS, we reveal real case studies of spruikers who’ve been caught, unpacking the tactics these operators use, and the sad consequences for investors who fall prey to them

This is our updated, essential consumer awareness episode, aimed to give ALL investors (and to-be investors) the knowledge and tools to avoid being burnt by “$10 haircuts.”  

P.S. We also answer the crucial question: “If you’re already wealthy, why continue working?” and explain our motivations for starting—and continuing—The Property Couch podcast and Empower Wealth, our advisory business.  


Free Stuff  

FREE LIVE WEBINAR: How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $3K per Week (Even in a Changing Interest Rate Environment)

📅 When: 7:30pm AEDT, Tuesday, 25th March

It’s our FIRST live event of 2025, folks—and with interest rates shifting, it’s the perfect time to revisit your property strategy. Join us as we reveal 3 powerful secrets to help you start living your lifestyle by design, including:

  • 🔑 Secret #1: How to build a multi-million-dollar portfolio—without impacting your family budget.
  • 🔑 Secret #2: How to retire on $3,000 per week as a passive investor, with 5 properties or less!
  • 🔑 Secret #3: How the world’s best investors think—so you can block out negative market noise.

🎁 BONUS: Everyone who registers scores a FREE copy of our guide, “Our Top 5 Frameworks for Property Investors”—your essential resource for smarter investing!

Spots are limited! Reserve yours now 👉 (IMPORTANT: You’ll receive an email to confirm your email address once you’ve registered. Make sure to complete this step to receive your unique webinar access link and registration bonus.) 

 

(Not Free) Join PICA: Australia’s independent voice run BY investors FOR investors
Become a member of the Property Investor’s Council of Australia (PICA) for just $5! This not-for-profit organisation shares essential updates, tips and resources against property spruikers, legislative changes and more with the goal of protecting property investors.

 

Articles from Ben’s “What’s Making Property News”: Corelogic’s Bellwether markets point to signs of recovery 

 

Guests & Episodes Mentioned:  

 

Timestamps  

  • 0:00 – Property Spruikers 2.0: The Latest Tactics Designed to Trap You
  • 1:28 – Full disclosure & WHY we started the podcast 10 years ago  
  • 9:51 – Free Webinar: How to Retire on $3K a Week  
  • 10:55 – Mindset Minute: Are you holding on to these leashes or are they holding on to you?
  • 14:01 – The evolve & dissolve story: “History doesn’t repeat itself—people repeat history.”  
  • 16:48 – What is a property spruiker?  
  • 19:33 – Beware this #1 spruiker myth!  
  • 20:40 – The playbook for how spruikers operate 
  • 26:31 – $100k to $220K a week on advertising budgets?!  
  • 29:19 – Strategy #1: “Buy 6, Sell 3” 
  • 35:22 – Strategy #2: “Debt-Free Illusion”  
  • 40:05 – You’re paying for your own guarantee  
  • 41:34 – Strategy #3: “Supercharged SMSF”  
  • 45:01 – Folks, SMSFs aren’t light to set up!   
  • 47:38 – Strategy #4: The “High-Pressure Webinar/Seminar Funnel” 
  • 49:15 – The ASIC process: How they try to defend the everyday investor  
  • 53:21 – “If we’re so wealthy, then WHY are we still working?”  
  • 1:00:20 – Real Case Studies: A) The Institute  
  • 1:03:42 – B) Buy a house for a buck 
  • 1:05:45 – C) The “risk-free” SMSF investments 
  • 1:08:16 – D) New social media-savvy spruikers 😮  
  • 1:10:16 – E) The “Targeting Grieving Homeowners” Scandal 
  • 1:12:58 – Final takeaway: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 
  • 1:14:20 – “You pay for my independent valuer”  

And… 

  • 1:16:26 – Lifehack: Does your kid want a phone? Ask them to demonstrate these 8 things first!  
  • 1:21:46 – WMPN: Bellwether markets point to signs of recovery 

 

493 | $160K Dilemma: Should I Walk Away From Paper Profits?

 

Emma’s partner has a $160K dilemma: He’s been offered a refund on an Off-The-Plan apartment that’s been delayed for two years. Should he take the refund or ride it out for a potentially higher sell price? 🤔 

Kieran faces the decision of investing in smaller units versus two individual homes. Which is the better investment decision for him, and how can he align it with his goal of helping others? 🌍   

And in Simone’s Retirement Plan: How does this single mum and schoolteacher with 5 properties reach a target of $2,000 per week for retirement? How does this stack up in today’s economy? 📈 

Folks, this is a massive Q&A Day where we link age-old questions in today’s nuanced context.  

From diving into the psychology of Loss Aversion to understanding why “C” is the hardest to achieve in our “ABCD” foundational principles, you’ll want to save this episode for future reference.  

Listen now folks! 😊  

 

P.S. Stay tuned till the end to discover how to type…without typing!?  

   

Free Stuff Mentioned

 

Timestamps

  • 0:00 – $160K Dilemma: Should I Walk Away From Paper Profits? 
  • 1:49 – Interest rates, budget release & TPC survey winners  
  • 8:01 – New Tracking Tools in Moorr! 
  • 16:34 – Mindset Minute: Just focus your eyes on the captain…” 
  • 23:38 – Q1) Get Deposit back or Wait for Growth 
  • 27:26 – Learning Experience or Loss Aversion? 😱 
  • 28:02 – How to Avoid Loss Aversion: Step-by-Step  
  • 32:55 – “A bird in hand vs two in the bush” 
  • 36:31 – Why Off-The-Plan means YOU are taking all the risk  
  • 37:12 – This refund is a red flag 🚩 
  • 43:14 – Q2) Small Complex vs 2 Individual Properties 
  • 45:00 – When passive investing stops being passive  
  • 47:37 – To help others, you need to be in THIS position 
  • 49:52 – Why houses over units? 🏘️ 
  • 53:53 – Q3) Archive Question: $2k per week in 20 years’ time 
  • 56:41 – How we calculate the $2,000 a week in retirement  
  • 57:31 – The Power of Compounding, Offset Accounts and Qs to ask 
  • 1:00:07 – Why “C” is the hardest to achieve in our ABCD foundational principles 💰 
  • 1:05:09 – Thank you to all our Question-Askers!  

And… 

  • 1:05:45 – Lifehack: How to type…without typing?! 📱 
  • 1:07:20 – WMPN:  The State of the Housing System 

446 | Property Spruikers Exposed

Get ready to be blown away by a groundbreaking episode today folks!  

In today’s essential episode, we are peeling back the layers and exposing the concealed truths lurking within the world of property spruikers. Hold on tight as we take a deep dive into this industry, shedding light on the risks that lie beneath the surface. 

Our mission is to leave no stone unturned as we navigate through the realm of property spruikers and explore their questionable tactics.

From the absence of regulation within the industry to the presence of conflicting interests, from the propagation of misleading claims to the utilisation of relentless high-pressure tactics, you don’t want to miss this episode, folks! 

This discussion is more than just eye-opening… it is a pivotal moment in your journey toward financial literacy and security.  

Don’t miss out! Tune in now or watch the episode below 🙂 

Here’s some of the gold we cover… 

  • 04:00 – Mindset Minute 
  • 10:35 – Dialling in 
  • 11:33 – What is most concerning? 
  • 14:44 – Any feedback…. STRAP IN FOLKS! 
  • 17:50 – Unveiling the tricks.. 
  • 20:40 – Where do I start? What should I buy? 
  • 22:06 – Greedy operators
  • 25:15 – What is a property spruiker? 
  • 25:50 – The murky middle??? 
  • 26:30 – Beware of deception  
  • 27:30 – The importance of reputation and trust  
  • 28:25 – Investment strategy… 
  • 29:00 – What is a sound foundation? 
  • 29:10 – What will let you down? 
  • 30:30 – Gas lift chair?  
  • 32:40 – Misleading conduct 
  • 35:30 – What methodology do they actually use? 
  • 37:18 – Red flags and warning signs 
  • 37:50 – Don’t get in the van!!! 
  • 39:40 – Why pay an entrance fee to be part of a community? 
  • 40:35 – Beware of hidden commissions  
  • 42:00 – Being open and transparent 
  • 45:30 – What are the common tactics? 
  • 50:20 – The only pressure you should feel…
  • 52:55 – How do they get paid?! 
  • 58:15 – How spruikers use angles
  • 58:50 – It’s a playground for spruikers… 
  • 1:04:50 – How to protect yourself 
  • 1:07:45 – What is the secret sauce??? 
  • 1:13:50 – Growth corridor or supply corridor?
  • 1:14:36 – Is supply the enemy of growth? 
  • 1:16:15 – What is the hack? 
  • 1:16:45 – Devil is in the detail… 
  • 1:17:45 – How are we different?? 
  • 1:19:05 – Building a moat!!! 
  • 1:24:00 – What are the tiers of advice? 
  • 1:26:10 – Some Warren Buffett gold… 
  • 1:27:25 – What is our Snickers bar? 
  • 1:28:50 – What is the #1 secret??AND…. 
  • 1:30:35 – Life Hack 
  • 1:32:10 – What’s making property news 

Want to work with Bryce & Ben’s Award-Winning Team? 

Get Moorr out of your money: Log in or create your free account via the Moorr web platform, or download the app on Apple or Android and transform the way you view and track your wealth.

 

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