X

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 

 

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.

 

084 | Why you Shouldn’t Invest in Property?

Yes, we know it can sound a bit contradictory. This is a property podcast with two of Australia’s top property experts and we even did an episode on why invest in property! So why would we talk about not investing in property?

Well, the fact is, investing in property is not the perfect type of investment for everyone. There are certain times in an investor’s journey where it is simply a bad time to start investing. There are also times when investors need to first reflect on their mindset before they start. Property investing is a high-value investment, and you’ve heard us repeatedly saying that it is for the long-term. It’s like following a recipe. If you don’t have all the essential ingredients in place, it’s best if you don’t cook the dish. So if you don’t have everything in line, it may be better for you to stay away from it for the time being.

So in today’s episode, Bryce and Ben will be sharing a few reasons on why you shouldn’t invest in property. The first is when you decide to invest purely for tax purposes.

 

Free resources mentioned in this podcast:

  • CoreLogic Pain and Gain report – Read here
  • Money SMART Report – Download here
  • Webinar with Bryce Holdaway and Jane Slack-Smith on Renovating an Ugly Duckling – Register here
  • FREE Tickets to the Sydney Property Buyer Expo (Coupon code: PBE16BRYHOL) – Get them here

 

If you like this podcast: “Why you Shouldn’t Invest in Property?”, don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to drop us your thoughts here: http://tpcaustralia.wpengine.com/topics/

68 | Common Complaints We Hear from Property Investors

It has been some time since our last episode on investing and mindset framework so this time, Bryce and Ben will be unpacking common complaints they hear from property investors. Here are the top 9!

  1. Wrong asset
  2. No buffer in place
  3. Mentoring was actually salesmanship
  4. Not maximising tax depreciation with a Quantity Surveyor
  5. Solo sport
  6. Self property management (Check out Episode 31)
  7. Poor cash flow management (Check out Episode 3)
  8. Not starting early enough
  9. Selling

 

Apart from that, they will also be sharing some insider information on ‘offers’ they’ve received from property spruikers out there, Labor’s debate on negative gearing, and the changes on foreign buyer stamp duty. Also, if you are interested in the BMT Tax Depreciation Application Form mentioned in this episode, just fill in the form here and we’ll send it to you right away.

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

 

PS: We’ll also be holding a Live Q&A Event on Wednesday, 29th of June at 8:30pm. Check out our Facebook page for more information!

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to rate us on our iTunes channel (The Property Couch Podcast) and our Facebook page. Any questions or ideas? Feel free to drop us your thoughts here: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/

 

Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Free Resources

What to be notified when there are
new updates & free resources?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

×

MONEY SMARTS SYSTEM

Plus We Will Also Notify You When We Release New Episodes

We Only Send You Awesome Stuff

×

SUGGEST A GUEST!

We Only Send You Awesome Stuff

×