Newsletter - Inner Circle December 2025

Market news.

Housing prices continue to climb across the country, but the pace of growth is easing slightly as Sydney and Melbourne lag the mid-sized capital cities.

Across Melbourne, auction clearances are still averaging between 65% and 70%, a reasonably solid result. 

First home buyers are turning up in big numbers at open inspections and already we can see the government’s first home buyer scheme impacting the market. 

According to Cotality, Melbourne property showed a total median return of 7.8% for the year with the average Melbourne house price surpassing $1 million for the first time. 

Victorian Government requires agents to publish reserve price seven days before auction or fixed date sale.

This law is aimed at stopping illegal underquoting where bidders watch as a property they’re interested soars above their price expectations. 

While publishing reserve prices may reduce misleading positioning of, it will not stop properties achieving higher prices than the advertised figure.

The law opens up the possibility of sellers getting locked into the wrong price reserve, especially if a number of buyers express interest in the week before an auction, a common phenomenon.

Buyers should remember that a published reserve is a floor, not an estimate of what price the property will sell for. The reserve is the lowest price the owner is willing to accept.

Victoria now has the strongest underquoting laws in the country with sellers required to provide minimum and maximum price guides. 

In The Media.

Two houses from this year’s season of The Block remain unsold, providing a salutary warning that styling alone won’t sell rural retreats: location, land value and privacy matter more than TV gloss.

Buying, renovating and selling the ideal bush retreat has become something of an obsession for some Aussie speculators. If you want the definitive guide, 
read more of this analysis from Miriam Sandkuhler here: bit.ly/48Sttpf

Why you really need a buyer’s agent in your corner.

Anna and Lane were looking to purchase a new family home as they enter the next chapter of their lives together. 

They decided to engage Property Mavens to ensure they were going to make the right choice.

With this promising to be their ‘forever home’, they were seeking reassurance they were buying the right property with a strong capital growth outlook and were not over-paying at an emotional auction.

We identified this delightful home in prestigious Hawthorn in the $1.5 - $1.6 million range and then set to work to undertake a thorough evaluation before auction day. 

Thanks to a rigorous bidding strategy, Maven Michael Kimbel managed to secure this home for $1,545,000 under the hammer. 

This is what Anna and Lane said about Michael:
“10/10 Tell your current agent it's over. Tell your them you’re seeing someone else.
It’s not you, it’s not them… it’s Michael. Michael's professionalism, expertise, and attitude are what sets him apart. He knows the market, the buyers, the sellers - and most importantly - YOU.

“At the end of the day, when you're thinking with your heart, you need someone to think with their head, and to put it simply... you don't want to be going up against Michael, you want him on your team.”

Vendor Advocacy delivers for ANTHONY

The time had come for Anthony to sell his investment property. 

Anthony reached out to Property Mavens to help manage the sale, engaging our Vendor Advocacy service to help him. 

Property Mavens helped select the best placed local real estate agent, advised on the marketing strategy, advised on managing the end of a tenancy and offered advice on styling the property before the marketing campaign kicked off. 

Thanks to our joint strategy, the property received multiple offers and sold for $35,000 above the reserve price two weeks after hitting the market.

“10/10 Michael was extremely efficient with the sales process. Helping guide me along the way to make the right decisions, leading to the successful sale of my property.”
 

Go forth and prosper !

Kind Regards
Miriam Sandkuhler
CEO, Accredited Property Investment Advisor

Buyer and Vendor Advocate, Author of Property Prosperity

e: miriam@propertymavens.com.au
p: 03) 9988 2266 

The Jewell
Suite 209/566 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3004
www.propertymavens.com.au

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