A property spruiker sells property while presenting as an advisor. The distinction matters because the investor carries the risk for decades, while the spruiker is paid once, on the day the contract is signed. Most of the warning signs can be checked in a single conversation, provided you know which questions to ask.
As a board member of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia I see the consequences of sales-led advice regularly: investors holding properties bought at a premium, in locations chosen because stock was available rather than because demand was strong. The checks below are the ones I would make before paying anyone, or signing anything, for investment property.
How spruikers are paid, and why it matters
A spruiker is usually paid by the developer or seller on each property sold, often without the buyer being told how much. The service is presented as free, and the investor is rarely asked to engage anyone. Because the payment depends on a particular sale, the conversation starts with the stock available and works backwards to a reason for the buyer to want it.
Fees built into a purchase price are common and lawful, and they are not the problem on their own. The problem is the combination of undisclosed payment with advice that begins from what someone has to sell rather than from the investor's goals, finances and strategy.
Ask who pays them, and get it in writing
The most useful question is the simplest: who pays you, how much and when? An advisor acting for the investor should be able to answer clearly and put it in writing before any work begins. If the answer is vague, if the service is described as free, or if the fee depends on which property you buy, treat that as a warning. Ask as well whether they receive anything from the builder, developer, marketer, lender or property manager involved in any property they recommend.
A professional acting for you will tell you, in writing and before you commit, every payment they will receive in connection with your purchase. Anyone unwilling to do that has answered the question for you.
Check licences, qualifications and memberships
Property investment advice is not specifically regulated in Australia in the way financial advice is, which is why it attracts sales-led operators. That makes the checks below more important.
- Licence. Anyone selling property on behalf of another person generally needs a real estate licence in that state or territory. Search the name on the state licensing register.
- Qualification. The QPIA qualification is the recognised industry qualification for property investment advisors. Ask whether they hold it.
- Membership. Members of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia agree to a code of conduct and a complaints process. Membership can be checked directly with PIPA.
A qualification does not guarantee good advice, but its absence, combined with a sales-based income, is a clear signal to look elsewhere.
Recognise the pressure tactics
Spruikers rely on urgency because time allows scrutiny. The common tactics are consistent:
- limited releases, exclusive stock or prices that end on a deadline;
- free seminars, trips or investor bonuses tied to a purchase;
- rental guarantees used to make an uncertain rent look secure;
- projected growth figures presented as though they were likely outcomes;
- a deposit or upfront fee requested before you have taken independent advice; and
- encouragement to set up a self-managed super fund to buy the property.
Each of these moves the decision away from evidence and toward emotion. A genuine opportunity survives a fortnight of independent checking. Spruiking from across the ditch describes how the same tactics are now being used to market New Zealand property to Australian investors.
Get independent evidence before you sign
Before committing to any property sourced through a marketer, obtain evidence that does not come from the seller. Compare the price with recent local sales and the suburb's median and upper quartile. Check the rental estimate against current leases rather than an appraisal supplied with the brochure. Look at the site on current aerial imagery. Where the purchase is off the plan, consider an independent valuation. The Sizzle case study shows how quickly these checks can expose an offer priced well above its market.
Have a solicitor or conveyancer review the contract, a mortgage broker confirm the finance and an accountant advise on structure and tax. Choose these professionals yourself rather than relying on those nominated by the person selling the property.
Where to raise a concern
If you believe you have been misled, contact your state or territory fair trading or consumer affairs office, which licenses real estate agents and handles complaints about property sales. ASIC's Moneysmart website publishes guidance on property investment schemes and on spruikers promoting self-managed super funds. Where the person is a PIPA member, PIPA's complaints process is also available.
What an independent advisor looks like
The alternative to a spruiker is someone engaged by you, who discloses in writing every payment they receive in connection with your purchase, and who considers property only once a strategy has been agreed. ASPIRE Accredited Advisors are engaged by the investor, hold no commercial relationships with vendors, builders or developers under the ASPIRE code of conduct, and disclose any fee in writing on the expression of interest before an offer is placed. They follow a structured process in which most of the work happens before any property is considered. The difference between the two roles is set out further in selling agent, buyer's agent or property investment advisor.
Get a second opinion before you commit
If you have been offered an investment property, an ASPIRE Accredited Advisor can review it against your goals and the evidence, and give you a plain assessment of whether it suits you.
General information only, current at the 28th of October 2026. It does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not legal advice. Property investment involves risk. Licensing requirements differ between states and territories; check with the relevant regulator, and seek advice from a solicitor or conveyancer before signing any contract.