News

Help. That’s not a plea. It’s a statement. We are here. There are so many things we’re learning as a result of the pandemic but perhaps one of the most important is the value of community and the importance of truthful, factual information. At Morton, we’re certainly feeling the sense of the community that exists within our team, but we’re also very conscious of the role we can play supporting our community of clients. We are here to help… ‘Our home is our castle’ is an often-used expression but the last 18 months have proved it more than ever before, although over the last... Read More»

Righto. As we’re all faced with an incredible amount of uncertainty about what the coming days, weeks and months might hold I thought it worthwhile to share with you the messages I passed on to everyone in the Morton team earlier this week. This is what we know… We know we’re calmer. Compared to last year it seems the response to the latest lockdown has been much more measured. It certainly isn’t easy, but this time around it feels like we are all much more prepared to take it in our stride.  It’s no longer ‘unprecedented’ to face an economic lockdown so it hasn’t... Read More»

I saw an interview last week with Ash Barty’s Mindset Coach. I think it’s gone viral so you may have seen it too. In it, Ben Crowe talked about ‘perspective’ in a way that I feel is incredibly relevant for many people and businesses right now and certainly those active in the residential property market. Here’s why… In the interview, Ben Crowe talked about how individuals focus on two things: expectation of outcomes and expectations of others. He highlighted that neither of those things do we have the power to control. Ben explained that focussing on something you can’t control but trying to control it... Read More»

We’re hearing that momentum in the market is easing but at the same time, we’re still seeing reports about unprecedented demand. How can that be true? Conventional economic wisdom surely assumes strong demand will continue to drive a strong market. What’s really happening? I think what’s happening is that the many potential buyers are starting to run out of puff. They’re still in the race but not pushing quite so hard to get to the finish line. According to CoreLogic’s latest data, growth in Sydney property values rose by 2.6% in June. I see that as a great number. Values ARE still... Read More»

Right. This week I’m not going to give you my opinion. In this blog, I always tell the truth as I see it and I like to present my thoughts on market movement and challenges. But this week I’m just going to give you the facts. How exactly can you go about engaging with the property market safely in a lockdown? Across leasing, listings, and sales, this is what we’re doing. First and foremost, what we’re doing is following guidelines as set by the NSW Government. Our team are following stay-at-home orders, but Morton has the technology and systems in place to... Read More»

If ever there has been a week that proves the more things change the more they seem to stay the same it would have to be this week. We’re back facing the prospect of a COVID lockdown, we’ve seen a Federal political leadership spill and the masses are hoping the Blues will pull-off a win in the State of Origin. It’s depressingly familiar. It makes me wonder if we have the power to change things? There are so many factors that impact our lives over which we have no control. The last twelve months have demonstrated that reality more than ever before,... Read More»

It is a debate that’s as inevitable as the changes in market dynamics which seem to always prompt the discussion. Any conversation on public policy around residential property is as technical as it is emotional and for those of us who work in the industry, it obviously has wider implications. Here are my thoughts. Look. It’s tough. Home ownership has been an aspirational goal for generations of Australians. It is therefore very relevant to acknowledge the current market makes that goal potentially out of reach for generations of Australians. How to respond is tricky. But it is definitely a debate worth having. The market... Read More»

Last week I wrote about how our team of agents support the efforts of property buyers as they navigate the challenges of a very strong market. This week I thought I would discuss the work of our team supporting vendors because despite what you might think, listing in a hot market does come with challenges. So, what is the secret to success? As I have said many times before one of the most challenging things to manage when talking to potential vendors in a buoyant market is their expectations. Just as potential buyers are inclined to automatically add 10% to the estimated selling... Read More»

In the lead up to the longest night of the year, Sydney is coming out of hibernation for an action-packed festival celebrating food and drink, art, entertainment, and culture. Read More»

Did you ever have a staring contest with friends or siblings? The challenge was not to be the one who blinked first!  It could be excruciating and incredibly frustrating as you tried desperately to resist the natural desire to react to the inevitable. Well, you know what? I think that’s what we are seeing in the residential property market right now. The weird thing about a staring contest is that the opposition is not actually the person sitting on the seat in front of you. It’s you. The competition is how long you can hold out against your own natural instinct. And so... Read More»