General information only, not financial, legal or tax advice. Property NXT Pte Ltd is CEA licensed in Singapore (L3011041B). Get independent advice before you invest.
In this guide
Living overseas?
FIRB, how banks treat overseas income, stamp duty surcharges and non-resident tax.
Read the expat guide1. The basics
Property investment means buying real estate to earn income, grow in value over time, or both. It can be residential (apartments, townhouses, houses) or commercial (office units, retail space, warehouses). Each has a different risk, reward and management load.
2. Your options
There's no one-size-fits-all. Here's how the main options compare.
Houses carry more land, which drives long-term growth, and leave room to renovate later. Units are lower maintenance and suit younger tenants, with a smaller land component.
Retail, office and industrial usually pay higher yields on longer leases, and tenants often cover outgoings. The trade-off is longer vacancies and a bigger entry price.
Buying through a self-managed super fund, with strict conditions and borrowing rules. Worth exploring with a licensed adviser rather than working it out yourself.
3. Picking well
There's no perfect formula, but strong investments tend to share the same traits:
What similar properties nearby have recently sold for.
Future income discounted back to today. More common in commercial deals.
Knowing the basics gives you negotiating power, and helps you spot when you're being asked to overpay.
4. Three steps ahead
It's tempting to view each purchase on its own. Experienced investors build a portfolio where the assets work together.
of our clients buy a second time
are actively building a portfolio with us
5. The sequence
It should feel doable, not overwhelming.
Passive income, capital growth or diversification away from shares and cash. Your answer shapes the property type, location and hold period.
Deposit, upfront costs, real borrowing power and a buffer of three to six months. Earning overseas? Lenders assess you differently, so find out early.
Individual, trust or SMSF. Each has different tax, risk and lending rules. Restructuring later is expensive and sometimes impossible.
The purchase price is only part of it. This is what catches new investors out.
See the cost checklistVacancy rates, achieved rents, local jobs and population, planned infrastructure and where the area sits in the cycle.
Our six marketsLook past the marketing. We point beginners, especially overseas buyers, to new or recently built stock in suburbs with proven rental demand.
A mortgage broker, an advisor for selection and negotiation, a conveyancer and a property manager. We connect you with people we use ourselves.
There's no perfect time. Your first property doesn't need to be impressive. It needs to be right for your goals.
Rates and thresholds change. Confirm figures for your state before you commit.
Investing from overseas? FIRB, lending haircuts, stamp duty surcharges and non-resident tax are covered in our expat guide.
Read the expat guide6. Do the maths
Say you buy a $500,000 unit in Adelaide with expected rent of $480 a week.
($24,960 ÷ $500,000) × 100. Gross yield is before costs. Net yield takes off rates, insurance, management and vacancy. Rent figure checked October 2026.
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7. Learn the cheap way
Learning from other people's mistakes is a lot cheaper than making them yourself.
Borrowing to your ceiling with no buffer.
Treating an investment like a home you'd live in.
Chasing growth while the monthly shortfall drains you.
Not checking zoning, strata records or the developer.
Budgeting as if it's tenanted 52 weeks a year.
8. Real clients
Case studies are real Property NXT client outcomes, shared with permission and simplified for illustration. Figures are before tax, fees and holding costs unless stated. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results, and property values can fall as well as rise. Every client's situation is different. This is general information only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
9. Where we fit
What to do first, and whether your situation changes the answer. That's what SPARK is for: a one-off engagement that maps your borrowing capacity, structure, options and target market before you look at a single property.
Luke Pervan
25 yrs in real estate
Cilla Burgmann
Client experience
Shemaine Wai
Singapore office
We work for you, not the developer. We're not sales agents.
No other charges to you.
Money back guarantee. Full refund if you genuinely can't secure finance.
10. FAQs
Still unsure? A discovery call is the quickest way to an answer for your situation.
Ask us directlyIt depends on the market and property type, but a deposit of 10 to 20% plus stamp duty and fees is the usual starting point for resident buyers. If you're buying from overseas, most Australian lenders require more, typically 20 to 30%. Your actual borrowing capacity is worth confirming properly before you set a target price.
Yes. Australian citizens and permanent residents living abroad can invest in residential property in Australia. FIRB approval may apply depending on your residency status and the type of property, and your overseas income is assessed differently by Australian lenders. It's very manageable with the right sequencing. Australia property investment for expats: the full guide
Both have merits. New builds offer stronger depreciation benefits, lower maintenance risk, and are easier to buy sight-unseen. Established stock can offer better locations or renovation upside. For foreign buyers the choice is largely made for you: FIRB generally limits purchases to new dwellings, off-the-plan apartments and vacant land with a build requirement.
Not always. It depends on your goals, tax position, and how many properties you intend to hold. It's worth getting advice before your first purchase rather than after, because restructuring later can be costly.
Ideally seven to ten years or more. That horizon lets you ride out market cycles, accumulate rental returns, and benefit from compounding growth. Short holds rarely work well once transaction costs are accounted for.
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