Australian Property Show

Buying your own commercial premises could be more achievable than you think. But getting the property purchase wrong can be an expensive lesson.

In this episode of The Australian Property Show, Tom Haigh sits down with Ben Henri from Atmosphere Capital, a commercial finance broker who recently purchased an office for his own business through his self-managed super fund (SMSF).

Ben shares what it was like moving from advising clients on commercial finance to navigating the process himself, including the decisions he and his wife, Teresa, made along the way.

We unpack why they chose to buy, how they assessed different properties, and why finding the right commercial space often comes down to understanding the trade-offs rather than waiting for the perfect property.

You'll also hear why getting your SMSF established before looking seriously at properties matters, how the fit-out can be funded separately from the property purchase, and why the right finance structure can make a significant difference to what you can afford.

If you're a business owner currently renting your premises, or you're considering buying commercial property through your SMSF, this conversation will help you understand what to consider before you commit.

THE BIG TAKEAWAY

Don't spend months searching for a property before understanding your borrowing capacity, ownership structure and purchase costs. Get the right advice early, understand your options and make informed decisions before you sign a contract.

Connect with Ben Henri - Atmosphere Capital

If you're serious about building wealth through property, this episode will help you think more strategically about the opportunities available to business owners. Because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a complimentary clarity call⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with host of The Australian Property Show - Tom Haigh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We'll help analyse your current position, identify your biggest untapped opportunities, and get you moving towards the life you want.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠General Advice Warning! 

The information (including taxation) contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not consider your individual financial circumstances or needs. You should not act on the information provided without first obtaining professional advice specific to your circumstances. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individual; they are not reflective or indicative of Groundswell Property's position and are not to be attributed to Online Financial Planning Australia Pty Ltd. The host is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. This podcast cannot be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of Groundswell Property.

What can property investors, business owners and wealth builders learn from the Newcastle Knights?

A lot.

Twelve months ago, the Knights finished with the wooden spoon. Now they are Grand Finalists.

But the most interesting part of that transformation isn't the football.

It's the belief.

In this short episode of The Australian Property Show, Tom Haigh explores what the Knights' rise can teach us about success in business, property and life.

Because external expectations can become powerful ceilings.

We can start believing that we're only capable of achieving what people around us think is realistic.

The Knights' transformation is a reminder that sometimes the biggest change happens when you start believing in what you're capable of becoming — and then do the work to prove it.

Tom also reflects on Groundswell Property's own 10-year journey and a lesson he's carried with him from Bill Nelson:

"Be the person you thought you were capable of becoming."

In this episode:

• What the Newcastle Knights' transformation can teach us about achieving more than expected

• Why belief needs to come before results, but cannot replace the work

• The role coaches, mentors and the people around us can play in changing what's possible

• How external expectations can quietly become the ceiling on our own potential

• Why having a strong purpose changes the way you approach difficult goals

• The connection between the Knights' rise, building a business and creating long-term wealth

• Why the biggest missed opportunity may be underestimating what you're actually capable of

Sometimes the gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't as big as you think.

You just need to believe it's possible long enough to give yourself the chance to prove it.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a complimentary clarity call⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with host of The Australian Property Show - Tom Haigh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We'll help analyse your current position, identify your biggest untapped opportunities, and get you moving towards the life you want.

What happens when property investors stop buying?

Investor sentiment has shifted, tax settings have changed, and more property investors are questioning whether residential property still makes sense as an investment.

But what happens to the broader property market when investors pull back?

In this episode, Tom Haigh is joined by Mike Mortlock, Co-Founder and Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors, and host of Geared for Growth, to unpack what the latest investor sentiment data is telling us about the Australian property market.

They explore what changing investor behaviour could mean for rental supply, rents, first-home buyers and property prices, as well as the strategies investors may need to consider in a market where cash flow matters more and tax benefits are changing.

They also look beyond the headlines at the bigger issue facing Australian housing: population growth continues, construction remains under pressure, and the underlying supply shortage hasn't gone away.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why property investors are pulling back and what that could mean for the rental market

• Whether helping first-home buyers actually addresses Australia's underlying housing shortage

• How changing tax settings could affect the economics of new property investments

• Why cash flow is becoming increasingly important for property investors

• Where Mike is seeing potential opportunities in established property, value-add strategies and price-to-value discrepancies

• Why a property downturn can create different opportunities for people trading up their family home

• What investors should be paying attention to instead of trying to predict the next policy change or market cycle

If you're trying to work out what the changing property landscape actually means for your own strategy, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

Everyone is talking about what could go wrong with Australian property.

Falling prices. Policy changes. Higher costs. Weaker confidence. More uncertainty.

But what if a softer market isn't just something to survive?

What if it's an opportunity to create value that simply isn't available when everyone is fighting to buy?

In this episode of The Australian Property Show, Tom Haigh breaks down five practical strategies for making money in a down property market.

These aren't theoretical strategies. They're approaches Tom has used himself and strategies the Groundswell team is currently helping clients explore.

We look at how to:

• Create dual-income properties and dramatically increase rental income
• Renovate dated property to manufacture value rather than wait for market growth
• Identify adaptive reuse opportunities where a property's current use isn't its highest and best use
• Find under-rented commercial assets where increasing the income can unlock significant value
• Trade up into better residential property while taking advantage of relative price discounts

The bigger lesson is that you don't need to predict the bottom of the market to make a good property decision.

You need to understand the fundamentals, identify where the market is mispricing an opportunity, and have the vision and discipline to act.

If you're currently sitting on the sidelines because the headlines are telling you property is in trouble, this episode will give you a different way to look at the market.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

There is no shortage of negativity right now.

The economy is stuffed. Property is unaffordable. Interest rates are too high. The market is going to crash. Young people have got no chance. Business is too hard.

Some of those concerns may be legitimate. But after three years of interviewing business owners, investors and people who have actually built wealth, I've noticed something interesting.

The people who make things happen don't seem to spend much time talking about why they can't.

In this episode, I go back through the conversations I've had on The Australian Property Show and pull out five behaviours that keep showing up in people who build successful businesses, invest well and keep moving forward when the outcome isn't certain.

We'll look at why belief can matter before the evidence arrives, why you should count your attempts rather than just your results, why certainty can actually be a warning sign, why preparation can easily become a substitute for action, and how successful people learn to deal with setbacks without making them personal.

This isn't about pretending everything is positive or ignoring genuine risks.

It's about making better decisions in the real world, where uncertainty is unavoidable and there will always be someone telling you why you shouldn't do something.

If you're building wealth through property, running a business or simply trying to make better decisions with the opportunities in front of you, this episode is a timely reminder to focus less on what you can't control and more on what you can actually do.

Key takeaways:

• Why the people who succeed aren’t necessarily the smartest, wealthiest or best connected — and what they do differently when the outcome is uncertain.
• The uncomfortable relationship between belief and evidence
• Why the number of attempts you make may matter far more than the number of times you get it right.
• Why certainty can actually be a warning sign
• The difference between being busy and actually moving forward
• Why successful people experience rejection and setbacks differently
• What three years and dozens of conversations with people who have actually built businesses, bought property and created wealth revealed about the behaviours that sit underneath their success.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

What happens when the property portfolio you've spent 15 or 20 years building is worth millions, but still doesn’t give you the freedom you expected?

This is a problem we see regularly with successful property investors.

Early in your investing journey, capital growth is often the priority. You have income, borrowing capacity and time on your side, so accepting a lower rental yield can make sense.

But eventually, the question needs to change.

Instead of asking “How much more property can I buy?”, you need to start asking “How do I make the wealth I’ve already created work harder for me?”

In this episode, Tom explores the transition from growth to income and why getting the timing wrong can be costly.

You’ll learn why chasing passive income too early can hold back wealth creation, why residential property may not always be the best fit once income becomes the priority, and how commercial and industrial property can provide a different income profile through longer leases, rental increases and tenant-paid outgoings.

Most importantly, Tom explains why growth and income aren’t competing strategies. They can be two different stages of the same investment journey.

Because the ultimate goal isn’t to own more property.

It’s to build enough wealth that your assets can eventually buy back your time.

Key takeaways:

• The property strategy that works at 35 may not be the right strategy at 55. Your investment strategy needs to evolve as your circumstances and objectives change.
• Don’t chase income too early. If you still have strong income, borrowing capacity and plenty of time, prioritising capital growth can be the smarter move.
• A $2 million portfolio doesn’t necessarily mean financial freedom. If the portfolio is producing only modest net income, the wealth on paper may have little impact on your ability to reduce your reliance on work.
• Gross rental yield can be misleading. Vacancy, maintenance, insurance, rates, management and other costs can significantly reduce the income that actually reaches the investor.
• Commercial and industrial property can become more compelling when income becomes the priority. Longer leases, built-in rental increases and tenant-paid outgoings can create a very different income profile.
• Don’t let an old investment strategy dictate your next move. A property may have already delivered excellent capital growth and done exactly what you bought it to do. That doesn’t mean it must remain in the portfolio forever.
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Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

They bought an indoor skate park and turned it into their office. That is not even the most interesting thing about Guy and Maddie Bunder.

Guy runs MADE, an architectural building company in Newcastle. Maddie runs AUTHOR, a brand and marketing agency she has kept deliberately small. Between them they have renovated, developed and delivered a run of Newcastle property most investors never attempt, while raising two small girls and, in Maddie's words, still not having any of it figured out.

Guy trained as a plumber because his father was one and told him not to. Maddie asked for two days a week in Newcastle before COVID made that normal, was told no, and started consulting until she found a proper job. Seven years later she is still consulting.

The idea running underneath all of it: reality is far more negotiable than most people are ever willing to test.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The skate park that became Sirkel, and why owning the building beat renting a desk
• National Park Street: a 1930s Merewether home, a deep red addition Maddie tried to talk him out of, and an off-market sale in 48 hours
• The private debt lesson, and why cash flow was the hardest thing Guy ever had to learn
• "You've got to care, but not too much." Why Guy built a company on the exact opposite

LINKS

AUTHOR, brand and marketing⁠

MADE, architectural building, Newcastle

Label Group, Guy & Maddie's Development Group

Sirkel, the co-working conversion

The Design Files on National Park Street

The Local Project on National Park Street

Hosted by Tom Haigh of Groundswell Property, a Newcastle buyers agency for business owners with equity and no clear plan for it.

Ready to take action?

Book a complimentary clarity call⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THE HOST

Tom Haigh is the founder of Groundswell Property, a buyers agency and property advisory based in Newcastle, working with business owners and high income earners who have equity and capacity but no clear plan for it.

If you have been quietly telling yourself that the portfolio you want isn't available to someone in your position, that is worth testing.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠General Advice Warning! 

The information (including taxation) contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not consider your individual financial circumstances or needs. You should not act on the information provided without first obtaining professional advice specific to your circumstances. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individual; they are not reflective or indicative of Groundswell Property's position and are not to be attributed to Online Financial Planning Australia Pty Ltd. The host is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. This podcast cannot be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of Groundswell Property.

Victoria has spent more than four years in a property downturn.

Investors have left. Confidence has fallen. Land taxes have changed the economics of owning property. And the headlines remain overwhelmingly negative.

But could that be exactly why some of the best opportunities are emerging?

In this episode of The Australian Property Show, Tom Haigh sits down with Mornington Peninsula property expert and buyer's agent Jarrod Quint to unpack what is really happening on the ground in Victoria.

Jarrod shares some extraordinary examples of properties trading well below their previous values and, in some cases, below replacement cost.

They explore why investor demand has collapsed, where rental yields are becoming surprisingly attractive, how buyers are finding off-market opportunities with almost no competition, and why some lifestyle properties have fallen by 30–40%.

But perhaps the biggest lesson is broader than Victoria.

Don't confuse the macro market with the market that actually matters to you.

Jarrod explains why investors should understand the national picture, but become “hyper educated” about the specific micro-market, property type and buyer demand they are considering.

If you're investing in property, considering a move to the Mornington Peninsula, or simply trying to work out where genuine value exists in today's market, this is an episode worth paying attention to.

Key takeaways:

For twenty years, almost any property purchase has worked. Buy something, hold it, and the market bailed you out.

That era is ending.

In this episode, Tom Haigh shares a story close to home — a disciplined, decorated family man whose property decision felt right at the time, and cost him a decade of zero return. It's a mistake more common than most investors realise, and it rarely announces itself until years later.

Tom breaks down why comfort and confidence are not the same thing, what the Newcastle Knights' extraordinary turnaround can teach property investors about preparation, and the five-step DRIVE framework Groundswell uses to make sure the purchase is the last decision made — not the first.

If you're a business owner or investor using property to build long-term wealth, this episode will change how you weigh up your next move.

Key takeaways:

• The market has quietly rewarded guesswork for two decades — that forgiveness is ending, and the cost of an under-researched decision is about to get much higher.
• Comfort and confidence aren't the same thing. Comfort is a feeling; confidence comes only from proper preparation.
• Even careful, successful people can make comfortable property decisions instead of precise ones — discipline in one area of life doesn't automatically transfer to property.
• A "fine at the time" purchase can sit flat for a decade — the real cost isn't just missed growth, it's the opportunity cost of everything that money could have done instead.
• The Newcastle Knights' turnaround is a useful model: role clarity, a calculated plan and attention to detail turn an average outcome into a genuinely strong one.
• Groundswell's DRIVE framework — Destination, Reality, Intelligence, Vehicle, Execution — deliberately treats the property purchase as the last decision, not the first.
• The upfront work that feels slow and unglamorous is actually the highest-leverage move an investor can make — it's the difference between a decision you're comfortable with today and one you're still proud of in ten years.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a complimentary clarity call⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with host of The Australian Property Show - Tom Haigh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We'll help analyse your current position, identify your biggest untapped opportunities, and get you moving towards the life you want.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠General Advice Warning! 

The information (including taxation) contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not consider your individual financial circumstances or needs. You should not act on the information provided without first obtaining professional advice specific to your circumstances. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individual; they are not reflective or indicative of My Money Sorted position and are not to be attributed to Online Financial Planning Australia Pty Ltd. The host is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. This podcast cannot be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of My Money Sorted.

Most business owners pour everything into their business.

But what happens if your business becomes your only wealth strategy?

In this episode, Tom sits down with long-time business owner Rob Flanagan to unpack the real story behind building wealth over decades.

They discuss growing a family business, navigating the pressure of employing staff, investing in residential and commercial property, surviving life's toughest setbacks and successfully selling part of the business after more than 30 years.

More importantly, they explore the role trusted advisers, mentors and strategic property decisions played in creating financial security and giving Rob more freedom, confidence and choice.

This isn't a conversation about chasing millions.

It's a conversation about building a life.

If you're a business owner, property investor or anyone wanting to create long-term wealth without relying on a single income source, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply immediately.

Key takeaways

• Why relying solely on your business can create unnecessary financial risk.
• How investing in property can provide security, flexibility and peace of mind beyond business income.
• The biggest lessons Rob learned from growing and eventually selling a family business.
• Why experienced advisers and mentors often deliver their greatest value during life's biggest financial decisions.
• How decades of consistent, well-considered decisions outperform chasing one perfect investment.
• The personal impact of balancing business ownership, family life and significant personal loss.
• Why true wealth is measured by having more choice, less stress and more time for the people who matter most.

Take Action Today:

If you are serious about building wealth through property, but not yet fully clear on your next move, book a complimentary clarity call with our team via the link below.

In one conversation, we can help you get clearer on your position, your options, and the path forward — because clarity creates confidence, and confidence helps people act.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a complimentary clarity call⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with host of The Australian Property Show - Tom Haigh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We'll help analyse your current position, identify your biggest untapped opportunities, and get you moving towards the life you want.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠General Advice Warning! 

The information (including taxation) contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not consider your individual financial circumstances or needs. You should not act on the information provided without first obtaining professional advice specific to your circumstances. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this podcast, including any financial, taxation, and/or legal information. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individual; they are not reflective or indicative of My Money Sorted position and are not to be attributed to Online Financial Planning Australia Pty Ltd. The host is NOT a qualified tax accountant, financial (tax) adviser, or financial adviser. This podcast cannot be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of My Money Sorted.