The APT blog
What the market doesn't tell you
The stuff nobody tells you until it's too late, explained with pictures and real numbers. Every post links to its source. We call out practices, never people.
The system
Why would anyone pay someone just to help them buy a home?
In Australia the system is set up around the seller. How that compares with the US and the UK, and what it means for you.
Rent or buy
The mortgage is not the cost of owning
“I might as well pay a mortgage instead of rent.” That line leaves out most of what owning costs. Here are the numbers.
Inspections
What a listing video can't show you
It's filmed at the best hour and edited to sell. These are the things that never make the cut.
Off the plan
Bought new, worth less?
How buying off the plan can cost you money before you've even moved in.
Inspections
Fresh paint, old problems
A quick makeover can make a tired home look new in the photos. What it can cover up, and how to spot it.
Migrants
On a temporary visa? The property rules changed
The rules changed in 2025 and again in the 2026 Budget. This timeline shows what applies now.
What no one tells you
Short and sourced: the rules buyers aren't told, and the practices that break them.
The price guide can be bait
Underquoting is illegal, yet it persists.
The seller can bid at their own auction
Vendor bids are legal if announced, and the rules differ by state.
There is no going back at auction
Auction sales have no cooling-off period, and some deals made before or after an auction lose it too.
Cooling-off changes at every border
In WA and Tasmania there's no cooling-off by law at all.
The free building report is not for you
Reports attached to listings are prepared for the client who paid, and they are visual and limited.
Even your own inspection is limited
Inspections are visual only, inaccessible areas carry a high risk of hidden defects, and some exclude mould.
New does not mean sound
In a 2023 NSW survey, 53% of apartment buildings had serious common-property defects.
Form 2 does not tell you about flooding
Queensland's seller disclosure statement leaves out flood history, structural soundness and pests.
In Queensland, an auction has no price guide by law
Agents cannot give you a price guide for a Queensland auction, and the seller can bid up to the reserve.
Want the whole picture?
The free course teaches what a buyer's agent knows, step by step, with the rules of your state.
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