We hear it all the time—population growth drives property prices. But is that actually true, or just one of the many myths that get thrown around in real estate? In this episode, we sit down with Simon Pressley from Propertyology to break down what really moves property markets. Is it supply and demand? Is it economic conditions? Or are we just looking at all the wrong things?

Simon spent years studying Australian property history, and he’s got some strong opinions—like why people completely misunderstand the impact of population growth and why economic diversity is actually the real game-changer. We also get into the rise of AI in property research. Can data and algorithms actually predict the next boom, or is it just another overhyped tool that doesn’t account for the real drivers of price growth?

If you want to cut through the noise and get a clearer picture of what actually makes property markets move, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

01:39 - What are some of the big property myths we should debunk?

04:17 - Understanding the real drivers of property markets

08:57 - Is population growth needed for long-term sustainable price growth?

11:10 - The case for regional investing—why some areas outperform capital cities

17:05 - Choosing the right investment property: location, scarcity, and affordability

18:58 - Buy-and-hold vs. selling at the right time—when does it make sense to exit?

27:56 - Have Simon ever advised clients to exit a market due to economic downturns

31:55 - Is Darwin really the next big thing, or is the hype misleading?

33:49 - What drove Hobart’s property boom, and is it still a good investment?

38:08 - The trade-off between diversification and capital growth in property investing

43:47 - Key criteria that make a region unsuitable for investment

46:15 - Lessons learned from getting a property prediction wrong

50:41 - Simon's take on the rise of new buyer’s agents flooding the market

54:41 - AI in property investing—helpful tool or just another gimmick?

58:56 -  Could large-scale investor activity artificially inflate prices in certain markets?

1:05:18 - Simon Pressley’s property dumbo

About Our Guest:

Simon Pressley is the Managing Director and Head of Research at Propertyology, a Hall of Fame inductee of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, and a nationally recognised property market analyst. Known for challenging conventional wisdom, he has a proven track record of accurately forecasting market trends, including being the only expert to predict Australia’s post-COVID property boom. With extensive experience in property investment, finance, and buyer’s advocacy, Simon has helped everyday Australians invest across 23 cities and towns. A sought-after media commentator and keynote speaker, he brings deep insights into the complexities of real estate markets nationwide.

Connect with Simon Pressley:
Website https://www.propertyology.com.au/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-pressley-9b936a95/

Resources:
Visit our website https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au
If you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at: The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au
Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? https://www.gooddeeds.com.au
Work with Veronica: https://www.veronicamorgan.com.au
Looking for a Mortgage Broker? https://www.alcove.au
Work with Chris: chrisbates@alcove.au

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-podcast
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ge1626dgnmK0RyKPcXjP0?si=26cde394fa854765

We hear it all the time&mdash;population growth drives property prices. But is that actually true, or just one of the many myths that get thrown around in real estate? In this episode, we sit down with Simon Pressley from Propertyology to break down what really moves property markets. Is it supply and demand? Is it economic conditions? Or are we just looking at all the wrong things?
Simon spent years studying Australian property history, and he&rsquo;s got some strong opinions&mdash;like why people completely misunderstand the impact of population growth and why economic diversity is actually the real game-changer. We also get into the rise of AI in property research. Can data and algorithms actually predict the next boom, or is it just another overhyped tool that doesn&rsquo;t account for the real drivers of price growth?
If you want to cut through the noise and get a clearer picture of what actually makes property markets move, this episode is for you.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 - Introduction
01:39 - What are some of the big property myths we should debunk?
04:17 - Understanding the real drivers of property markets
08:57 - Is population growth needed for long-term sustainable price growth?
11:10 - The case for regional investing&mdash;why some areas outperform capital cities
17:05 - Choosing the right investment property: location, scarcity, and affordability
18:58 - Buy-and-hold vs. selling at the right time&mdash;when does it make sense to exit?
27:56 - Have Simon ever advised clients to exit a market due to economic downturns
31:55 - Is Darwin really the next big thing, or is the hype misleading?
33:49 - What drove Hobart&rsquo;s property boom, and is it still a good investment?
38:08 - The trade-off between diversification and capital growth in property investing
43:47 - Key criteria that make a region unsuitable for investment
46:15 - Lessons learned from getting a property prediction wrong
50:41 - Simon's take on the rise of new buyer&rsquo;s agents flooding the market
54:41 - AI in property investing&mdash;helpful tool or just another gimmick?
58:56 -&nbsp; Could large-scale investor activity artificially inflate prices in certain markets?
1:05:18 - Simon Pressley&rsquo;s property dumbo
About Our Guest:
Simon Pressley is the Managing Director and Head of Research at Propertyology, a Hall of Fame inductee of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, and a nationally recognised property market analyst. Known for challenging conventional wisdom, he has a proven track record of accurately forecasting market trends, including being the only expert to predict Australia&rsquo;s post-COVID property boom. With extensive experience in property investment, finance, and buyer&rsquo;s advocacy, Simon has helped everyday Australians invest across 23 cities and towns. A sought-after media commentator and keynote speaker, he brings deep insights into the complexities of real estate markets nationwide.
Connect with Simon Pressley:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Website <a href="https://www.propertyology.com.au/">https://www.propertyology.com.au/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-pressley-9b936a95/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-pressley-9b936a95/</a></li>
</ul>
Resources:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Visit our website <a href="https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au">https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">If you have any questions or would like to be featured on our show, contact us at: The Elephant in the Room Property Podcast <a href="mailto:questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au">questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Looking for a Sydney Buyers Agent? <a href="http://www.gooddeeds.com.au/">https://www.gooddeeds.com.au</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Work with Veronica: <a href="http://www.veronicamorgan.com.au">https://www.veronicamorgan.com.au</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Looking for a Mortgage Broker? <a href="https://www.alcove.au">https://www.alcove.au</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Work with Chris: <a href="mailto:chrisbates@alcove.au">chrisbates@alcove.au</a></li>
</ul>
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!
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Subscribe on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcast">https://www.youtube.com/@theelephantintheroom-podcast</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719">https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-elephant-in-the-room-property-podcast/id1384822719</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Subscribe on Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ge1626dgnmK0RyKPcXjP0?si=26cde394fa854765">https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ge1626dgnmK0RyKPcXjP0?si=26cde394fa854765</a></li>
</ul>

Who's really in control when you buy a property?

The Elephant In The Room is where the things that no one wants to talk about, actually get talked about.  

Veronica Morgan, real estate agent, buyers agent and co-host of Foxtel’s Location Location Location Australia & Chris Bates, financial planner, mortgage broker and wealth coach have joined forces to find out what’s really going on in the world of real estate.

Veronica and Chris talk to property owners and buyers every day in their respective lines of business. They’ve observed a wide spectrum of confidence in people’s decision making ability when buying and selling property, often to the detriment of the individuals concerned. They are both fascinated by consumer behaviour and together they’re going to uncover who’s really making the decisions when you buy a property.

In each episode they get into the psyche of buyers, agents, auctioneers and other industry experts to learn the truth about how buyers are influenced and why they do the things they do. In every episode you’ll learn from the mistakes of a “property dumbo” as well as Chris & Veronica’s “elephant rider bootcamp” training session.

The plan? This property podcast has been created to help us all make better property decisions!

We talk about the things no one wants to talk about in the Property Market

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