US Plays Catchup With Oz Alt-facts

America, you’re only just discovering fake news?

What took you so long? It’s ruled real estate in Australia forever.

The sense of insecurity. The never knowing who to believe. The great suspicion that you’ve been had.

Yup. Got all that. We’re almost used to it.

If you want to know why buyers’ advocacy has taken off in Australia (and why we brought it here), that’s reason #1.

For example …

Post-truth In The Top End

The talk of mega-deals apparently being done by players who are nowhere to be seen. Shoutings from tree-tops of $40m signed and sealed and then mumblings of terms including “FIRB”.

Real? Facticional?

(Our word of the day. You’re welcome to it.)

Foreign Invasion?

Is it really time to shudder in your shoes?

Not quite. There’s talk talk talk of foreign takeovers of the top end but in truth it’s a rare event.

The real transactions are overwhelmingly local to local with, increasingly…

The Return Of The Expat

The dollar is rising and that’s bringing expats home?

It’s looking like it. We’re spending a lot of time with overseas-based buyers who are dinky-di enough to sit in Parliament. The feeling among them is that if the AUD can hit US80¢ it can go higher.

As Real Estate Advisors, Politicians Make Great…

… well, great something.

The very greatest.

Probably.

But if Scomo’s prognostications on where things are going are more than wishful thinking, the thinking part is looking like excess baggage.

Speaking of which…

Time To Kill The Chickens

It’s sooth-sayers reading the entrails of chickens time. Or it could be if you check out this chart based on the works of those who live among the stats rather than those who spend their time with actual living, breathing, buying-type beings.

Can You Legislate Ethics?

The government is giving it another shot but, as happens so often, the Clever Ones keep moving the target.

It’s happening again around new quoting laws. There are agents who are responding by dragging sales processes even further into the dark.

If you’re in negotiations—either privately or post-auction—and they’re becoming more and more … opaque, tread very carefully.

Can You Litigate Trust?

A nearly-run court case which may prompt others.

The seller who believed a price was over-promised and wanted the courts to rule to make the agents accountable.

Had it gone ahead and had the court decided in favour of the seller, that would have been more than enough to keep a whole slew of agents from falling asleep in front of the tele.

And now the idea is out there, can it be long before it happens for real?

Next?

August looks like hibernating. Sept. may bloom.

 

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