Hello and welcome to The Room Xchange podcast. I’m Ludwina Dautovic and today I’m talking to Peter Schravemade. Peter is an international educator and speaker in the area of Property, Construction and Development Marketing. He’s on the board of Proptech Association of Australia (of which I’m a member). He’s also a managing partner of Reach Australia, a venture  capital and private equity firm accelerating the top growth companies into the global real estate industry.

In episode #22, Ludwina Dautovic and Peter Shravemade talk about the archaic rental application process in Australia and the difficulties of applying for a rental property when living interstate. 

00:58.14 - Peter Schravemade's background in the property industry

02:25.70 - Current state of the rental market

03:59.34 - Challenges in addressing housing affordability and shortage

04:27.91 - The need for an overarching solution

05:02.73 - Discussion about the broken rental market

06:32.46 - Peter's personal experience helping his daughter find a rental property

08:04.84 - Property inspections and application process

09:02.49 - Stringent financial scrutiny for rental applications

10:13.10 - Various application processes and their complexities

11:43.80 - Property inspections and overcrowding issues

12:36.90 - Mistake in lease duration and missed opportunity

13:27.73 - Frustration and anger over the costly experience

14:42.63 - Expenses incurred and the unfeasible nature of the process

15:10.88 - Conclusion and reflection on the rental process

16:06.60 - The Challenges of the Rental Application Process

16:47.68 - Difficulty in Finding Short-Term Rentals

17:01.58 - Overwhelming Experience of Renting and Lack of Six-Month Rental, lack of Transparency in Lease Requirements and Strain on Property Managers and Market Readiness

18:06.17 - Need for Clear Expectations in Lease Duration, Challenges of Renting from Interstate, International Students and Language Barriers

19:05.97 - Difficulty for International Students in Understanding Regulations

20:00.50 - Frustration with Inability to Secure Rental Accommodation

21:11.74 - Challenges Faced by Self-Manage Landlords

21:55.11 - The Need for Change in the Rental Process

22:27.20 - Excessive Financial Investigation of Tenants

23:59.23 - Concerns About Privacy and Data Security

24:35.11 - Requesting Deletion of Personal Data from Providers

25:13.50 - Importance of Cybersecurity and Data Protection

26:13.34 - Alternative Housing Options for University Students

26:24.73 - Understanding the Property Managers' Perspective

27:02.81 - Overregulation and Complex Application Process

28:22.19 - Centralised Application System and Potential Issues

29:23.38 - Lack of Landlord Influence in the Rental Process

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Welcome to The Room Xchange Podcast. I’m Ludwina Dautovic and today I have the pleasure of speaking with David Webb, Head of Industry for Homely.

With 14 years’ experience across sales, property management, as a business owner and as an agency supplier, David brings a breadth of knowledge to his work while also seeking to anticipate the demands of an ever-changing real estate industry.

A message from our host and CEO - Ludwina Dautovic

It's wonderful to hear about innovative and disruptive platforms generating value for the real estate industry. Homely's street reviews are capturing the best of our neighbourhoods by giving residents the opportunity to tell the stories of their streets.

"Every street has a story. We give residents the opportunity to share those stories so potential new residents can know the vibe of the street." - David Webb

In this episode on Homely we discuss:

• The family business and how it led to Homely
• The founders story of how they bought their dream home in the wrong street
• Trip advisor sparked the idea. If we can get reviews for holidays, restaurants and more, why not for our streets?
• They were featured on The Today Show in the USA and the A Current Affair the next day.
• It started as Street Review and turned into it's own portal, called Homely
• They partnered with leading real estate agencies
• In 2018 it hit #2 is listing volumes
• In 2022 they did what has become known as the largest industry capital raise
• You can ask questions on the platform and leave a review of a street
• The technology legitimises the reviewer to ensure the review doesn't come from spam or inappropriate in language. If so, it gets flagged to their customer care team.
• They've noticed the reviews change over time as the suburb has evolved providing great insights into our suburbs.
• We discussed if we'll ever see reviews for landlords and real estate agents such as Airbnb
• Ludwina proposed the idea that the real estate industry recognise a house sharing arrangement from The Room Xchange as a legitimate form of a rental history and reference. Stay tuned on this one. I'm hoping it may lead somewhere:)

"When will we start seeing house-sharing reference as having the same value as a tenancy reference?" Ludwina Dautovic

This podcast was brought to you by: www.theroomxchange.com

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About Josh Farr, Founder of Campus Consultancy
Josh Farr is an entrepreneur and leadership expert who founded Campus Consultancy in 2017. He has been working to connect and develop the most influential leaders across universities, as well as with graduate programs and high schools. In this episode, we discuss the plight of international students as a result of the disruption of the education system during COVID-19, and the issues surrounding student accommodation.

Josh shares his mission to help students better understand themselves, manage their own stress and lives, and succeed in their careers. Josh also shares stories of students who have accomplished great things through his work. We talk about the impact that the lack of support from Australia has had on international students and how they felt unwelcome when told to go home as the pandemic first hit. 

International students bring a lot to universities, cities, and towns, and that they should not be seen as “cash cows”. Rather, they should be seen as integral parts of the global community, and that their hospitality and professional skills should be acknowledged. 

We also discuss how international students should be supported in their endeavours, and have a role to play in crafting a new narrative about international students and their overall wellbeing. 

We might be going into a winter economically right now, but you can get through the winter if you cut the wood, you stay inside and you stay warm - Josh Farr

Key moments in this podcast
0:00:00 - Conversation with Josh Farr: Supporting Student Leaders and Renters in Australia

0:02:17 - Impact of COVID-19 on international students in Australia

0:05:12 - Mentoring international students and the light of Hospitality Workers in Regional Victoria

0:07:02 - The value of international students in the workforce

0:08:22 - The power of humility

0:09:53 - International student housing crisis in Australia

0:11:46 - Financial stress experienced by international students

0:13:38 - Exploring the impact of the housing crisis on young Australians

0:15:45 - Navigating the broken rental market

0:19:51 - Maximising financial resources during an economic winter for students and homeowners

0:21:26 - Exploring the benefits of house-sharing via The Room Xchange

0:23:11 - Supporting international students during challenging times

0:24:46 - Exploring ethical solutions to rising rental costs

As a child of immigrants, I know first hand the challenges one faces when leaving their home country to move to a foreign land - Ludwina Dautovic

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About Karl Fitzgerald - Economist and Director of Grounded

Welcome to The Room Xchange Podcast. I’m Ludwina Dautovic and today I have the pleasure of speaking with Karl Fitzgerald about Community Land Trusts.
Karl Fitzgerald is an economist specialising in land economics and works as the Director of Grounded - the Community Land Trust advocacy body. He led Prosper Australia's research for 18 years. He is also Treasurer of the Malmsbury Village Fayre, a volunteer with the local farmers market and loves making rhubarb amaro.

A message from our host - Ludwina Dautovic

This conversation took me by surprise. I first met Karl Fitzgerald at a recent Prosper event. I'd never heard of Prosper before or the idea that land could be leased to build upon. Call me naive, but with the entire conversation in the media being about home ownership in Australia, it's a little hard to imagine there is another way.

Karl and I go in depth about the process of Community Land Trusts. I used my lack of knowledge on the subject as a presupposition that the listeners might not have too much knowledge on it either.

I hope you enjoy this episode. I welcome your thoughts and opinions on our social media. All links are below.

"Society is so busy playing the monopoly board game that they can't see how they are being played by monopolists IRL" - Karl Fitzgerald

In this episode we discuss:

• Rhubarb Amaro
• How his brother's cot death led to the founding of the Sudden Infant Death Research Foundation which today is known as Red Nose Australia.
• He discovered Georgism and got involved with Prosper Australia and helped build the company back up.  
• Prosper Australia has been around since 1890 and was born out of an American economist called Henry George.
• How Grounded is setting up Community Land Trusts to enable people to have access to affordable housing
• Karl Fitzgerald produced a documentary called 'Real Estate 4 Ransom'
• A CLT means that you only pay for the building of the house, not the land it's on so it massively reduces the cost of housing
• Why are we experiencing a rental crisis?
• When did affordable housing become a privilege and not a right?
• We should be giving tax incentives to nurses and childcare workers as opposed to land developers
• 13.5m unused spare bedrooms in 10m homes across Australia - existing housing stock
• We need to shift the conversation around how we can fix housing
• There are also 1.1m vacant homes around Australia. To replace that stock would cost $650m
• Charge higher rates for vacant homes - vacancy tax
• Vacant land banks that are being held by investors
• in 2022 Australian land prices increased by $994 billion!
• Corporate renters will be the new housing trend

"If we share the benefits of location, location.... th

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Lucy O'Flaherty, CEO Columbia Aged Care
Welcome to The Room Xchange Podcast. I’m Ludwina Dautovic and today I have the pleasure of speaking with Luck O’Flaherty, CEO of Columbia Aged Care. Lucy and I are going to unpack the process of caring for our elderly in Australia.

In this episode we discuss:

• Caring for our elderly in Australia and the choices you have
• Dementia and loneliness are two main issues we need to be aware of with our elderly
• My Aged Care is a great resource to find out the right information for your elderly care
• Be clear about your goals for your care, what you need and when you'll need it
• Have an advanced care directive in place which can be set up online
• Make sure your family clearly understands your needs and desires when aging
• Get your financial plans in order
• Have a power of attorney 
• Make the right preparations so when the time comes your family doesn't have to be concerned about what you want

"We need to find the right ways when caring for our elderly parents in Australia"

Options for living arrangements when caring for your elderly in Australia
In the early stages when you're just needing some company at home and a little bit of help around the place, The Room Xchange is an ideal option. Most unused spare bedrooms are in the homes of elderly people. The spare bedrooms is an untapped resource for both the family of the elderly person and those who are looking for affordable and accessible housing. When it’s only company and some light housekeeping that’s needed, having someone to share your home could be the ideal answer you need. We also have a Matching Service and House Share Agreement process that we can take you through should you need a more personalised approach.

Retirement Villages or Assisted Living are a good next step. These are places where you can still live fairly independently but have the onsite care and help should you need it.

Aged Care Facilities are for when you are closer to the end of your life and require medical care and ongoing support.

"You need to be clear about your goals and decide them early"

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In episode 16, Ludwina Dautovic interviews Mitchell McLean. Mitch is passionate about all things DIY, having spent the past 19 years with Bunnings supporting customers with bringing their projects to life. Mitch is currently part of the Bunnings workshop team, an online community for sharing DIY advice and inspiration.

About Mitchell McLean

Mitchell McLean has been renting for 20 years and has had quite a rental journey. It’s provided him with variety and flexibility. Bunnings workshops is all about assisting customers with DIY projects online. Renters are coming in daily to improve their property.  They have just hit 30k members and a high percentage of them are renters.

"Whether you're a tenant or owner, turning your house into a home is imperative. Creating positive surroundings with your personal style should be seen foremost as an investment into your own well-being."

***Connect with The Room Xchange on social media  - Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin  | Get started | Stay updated

How you can make your rental feel like your home with out losing your bond

1. Touch base with your landlord and have a chat. They're usually happy to negotiate changes in the home.
2. The kinds of things you can change are basically anything that doesn’t damage your property and it’s easily removable. Make sure that you put the property back in the same state that you found it.
3. You can hang pictures and curtains. Just be mindful how you hang them. You can now get hanging strips from Bunnings which will hold up to 4kg which will save you putting a hole in the wall.

Bathroom vanity story

Mitch and his partner were living in a rental that had a very old bathroom vanity. They replaced it and it improved the quality of their home and their experience living in it. The landlord was also very happy as it improved the value of his house.

“ We need to look at it like we’re investing in our happiness, not in someone else’s property.”

Garden ideas for your rental property

• Container planting
• Free standing gardens
• Don’t invest in things that you can’t take with you.
• Outdoor wall art from succulents
• Hang cheap art outside and seal it with a waterproofer - silicone spray

Improvements you can do inside your rental hom

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In episode 15, Ben Pretty, Co-founder of Rent Rabbit, and Ludwina Dautovic talk about reviews for renters by renters.

***To listen to all episodes go to: www.TheRoomXchangePodcast.com or subscribe on all major podcast directories.

About Ben Pretty
Ben is the co-founder of RentRabbit.com.au - Australia's No1 Property Review Platform for Renters. Ben is passionate about tackling the imbalance of Australia’s private rental market through a renter first approach. Rent Rabbit allows renters to review the properties they’ve rented; list any issues they’ve had with the property and/or with the landlord or agent.

In this conversation, Ben Pretty and Ludwina Dautovic discuss the benefits and transparency around reviews for landlords, agents and tenants and the benefits it brings to the industry.

How Rent Rabbit works
Rent Rabbit is a review platform for landlords, agents and tenants. It's a transparent approach to finding out who you're dealing with and what their history of dealing with others is like. It also gives the tenant an opportunity to understand what it's like to deal with the owner and agents of the property. If you're spending a great deal of money each year with a supplier, you it's reasonable to know what they're like to deal with.

Benefits to all parties
Being able to ask previous tenants about the street, neighbourhood, the condition of the house and how the landlord dealt with repairs is great knowledge to have. If you're spending anywhere from $20 - $30k a year with an agent or landlord, shouldn't you be able to know what they're like to deal with? There are benefits to the landlord knowing what the tenants history is like. It's also a benefit for the tenant to know what the landlords history is like.

Ratings and reviews are everywhere
We are living in a world where ratings and reviews are the first port of call for consumers when making a decision about a product or service you're purchasing, especially if it is a high ticket item. So why not for rentals?

As an example, Airbnb uses ratings and  reviews for both hosts and guests. It is becoming a standard requirement in the short term holiday space. So why shouldn't we do the same for long term rentals?

It's a fascinating discussion and very thought provoking. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple podcasts. We'll read it out in a future episode if you do.

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In episode 14, Mark McCrindle, social researcher and demographer, and Ludwina Dautovic, talk about the future of housing in Australia and how our CBDs are changing.

ABOUT MARK MCCRINDLE
Mark McCrindle is a social researcher with an international following. He is recognised as a thought leader in tracking emerging issues and researching social trends. Having developed his reputation across two decades as an award-winning social researcher, best-selling author and social commentator, Mark has appeared across all major television networks, radio and print media, and been twice invited to speak at TEDx. He has presented thousands of keynotes and workshops in all major industries including finance, technology, health, mining, energy and education for top global brands and organisations. His advisory, communications and research company, McCrindle, count among its clients more than 100 of the largest companies and leading international brands.

"One thing that we came to appreciate during the pandemic were their household members, friends and family with whom they were living and they reprioritised their life and values as a result. Moving out of it, I think that will remain core."

***Connect with The Room Xchange on social media  - Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin  | Get started | Stay updated

In this conversation, Mark McCrindle and Ludwina Dautovic discuss the future of housing in Australia. There have been multiple changes in our country as a result of Covid which has changed our housing landscape and the future of housing.

POPULATION GROWTH HAS REDUCED
Population growth is foundational to housing, and we’ve had a slowdown in population growth due to the pandemic. We've seen a slow down in immigration and arrivals from overseas. We’ve also seen a slowdown in birth rate in fact it’s been the slowest birth rate recorded. Considering the property market has been geared on population growth, this has caused issues. There’s also been an internal migration. Growth in regional areas and secondary capitals are growing faster and it’s creating a rebalancing of our population. But with the shift in population and more people working from home, these trends have changed.

LIFE CHANGES ARE MOVING THE HOUSING MARKET
The single person household is the fastest growing household category with both young people and the elderly. Delayed family forming, living at home phenomena, more investment over a longer period into education and career, have defined the life stages and therefore the d

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Angela and Sherylanne have been house sharing for 18 months and have now formed a lifelong friendship. In this episode we’re talking about their journey, how they negotiated their rent offset, how they worked through any issues and their plans to remain friends for life.

***Connect with The Room Xchange on social media  - Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin  | Get started | Stay updated

About Angela and Sherylanne
Angela is epidemiologist and a kidney specialist who works long hours. Sherylanne was building a dance school just before Covid hit. They came together just at the right time. Not only where they a great support for each other during the 18 months house sharing together, they were also able to support each other through Covid.

Benefits of having a housemate
Sherylanne helped to create a lot of stability around their home during covid. The consistency of having someone older and more mature around Angela’s son Felix, created a more solid experience for him and for Angela. She was also able to fill the gaps for Angela and be there as another adult to help raise her son.

Negotiating the rent offset
Sherylanne and Angela did a full rent offset. It changed over time as it was needed, and they constantly talked about their needs and the changes that were required to fulfil them. Their advice is, if you keep the lines of communication open, you’ll be fine. They also found our house share agreement helpful as well as our interview questionnaire.

House sharing with children in the home
It’s a natural concern as a parent to ensure the safety of your children. There are things we consider when someone is around our kids who might have any form of influence over them. Asking questions and being clear about your views as a parent is important and as a housemate you must back up the parents. Having another adult in the home can have a huge positive impact on the children especially if you are a single parent family. The additional support and adult opinion can sometimes help to divert arguments or issues that the children might challenge you on.

Lifelong friendships
The most beautiful thing they now have is a lifelong friendship. That’s what house sharing does. It creates friends for life. Sherylanne is now moving on overseas and Angela is looking for someone new. They are sad that the arrangement is coming to an end but they’ll be friends for life. There’s even talk of visiting Sherylanne overseas sometime down the track.

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“My role as a property manager, first and foremost, is to help people.” Karen Joseph

Karen Joseph, Principal at First National Real Estate in Manly, Sydney has been in the real estate industry for 19 years and talks about how she builds trust and solid relationships between her property owners, herself and her tenants.
 
About Karen Joseph

With a reputation in the industry for having a proven set of skills, Karen Joseph provides her clients with extensive experience in both property management and sales. 

As a consummate professional, she believes in being open and honest at every step of the process. She prides herself on being able to place the right tenant into the right property. This comes from doing her due diligence and caring for each house as if it were her own. It is also important that every individual ‒ both landlords and tenants ‒ is treated with respect.

What we discussed

2:56 – Good communication is vital to develop a good relationship with your agent.

My role as a property manager first and foremost is to help people.

2:56 – Good communication is vital to develop a good relationship with your agent.

6:19 – The rental market has changed and is governed a lot more now.

6:35 – The burnout rate for a property manager is about two years. 

8:22 – The perception of the role of the rental manager and the reality is very different.

9:00 –  It’s important to match the right tenant in the right rental apartment. 

11:27 – Take the time to understand the life and person behind the agent.

12:32 – Covid has changed the world so much which puts even more pressure on agents. 

We need good quality tenants to have great relationships with, so they’ll stay long-term and look after the owners' investment property.

14:00 – We can’t always get back to you right away, so you need to be patient.

16:00 – Moving can be stressful and we have e-books to help you with that.

18:26 – Realistic expectations of a tenant. 

19:32 – The owner needs to have a budget and expect repairs.

20:24 – ‘As inspected’. You accept the property as it is. Don’t expect renovations. 

24 :51 – Legislation now allows tenants to do certain things around the home like hang pictures and paintings. It’s better for them to do so as they’re likely to stay longer.

25:22 – What are the expectations of the agent when doing a routine property inspection?

1) Are you taking care of the property? 2) Is it in a reasonable state of cleanliness? 3) Is anything damaged?  

28:30 – What is considered reasonable wear and tear?

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