Rewarding Property Decisions with Jarrod McCabe of Wakelin Property Advisory

AI property valuations: useful tool or false sense of certainty?

AI can now deliver median prices, sale histories and demographics in seconds. But when it comes to assessing the value of a specific property, the technology has real limitations – and buyers who treat AI-generated valuations as fact risk making decisions based on flawed data.

In this episode, Jarrod examines how AI valuation tools work, where they fall short, and what a physical inspection reveals that no algorithm can replicate.

• Why incorrect data and non-market transactions distort AI valuations
• The nuances AI can't yet assess – from floor plan flow to renovation quality
• How position within a block and structural integrity only reveal themselves in person
• A case study where a free valuation tool got it wrong by $100,000

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

Why the biggest investment mistakes have nothing to do with the property

The most costly mistakes in property investment rarely happen at auction. They happen weeks or months earlier, when the wrong objective takes hold and shapes every decision that follows – from the stock you look at to the price you're willing to pay.

In this episode, Jarrod unpacks the common traps that lead investors toward the wrong property, and explains why capital growth should always come first.

• Why chasing depreciation benefits pushes buyers toward assets that go backwards
• The tension between yield and growth – and why they often work at cross purposes
• How emotion and well-meaning advice from family and friends can compromise your selection
• The risk of trying to make one property serve as both investment and future lifestyle

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

Rates, conflict, cost of living: How to buy property when nothing feels certain

High interest rates, cost of living pressures and global instability have kept Melbourne's property market subdued – but a flat market is not the same as an easy one. Stock thins out, competition concentrates in unexpected pockets, and the gap between genuine value and simply cheap widens.

 

So how do you buy well in these conditions?

In this episode, Jarrod walks through the key considerations for purchasing property in an uncertain market – and shares a case study that proves why discipline and preparation still win out.

 

• Why asset selection matters more than ever when bargains are tempting
• The difference between a property that's good value and one that's cheap for a reason
• How to assess value when sales evidence is thin and sentiment varies by sector
• A two-bedroom apartment quoted at $750–825K that ultimately sold above $900K

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

Group Sale: Selling an apartment block to a developer

As older apartment buildings across Melbourne's middle ring continue to age, we're seeing more cases where the underlying land value has started to exceed the value of the building itself. That's creating opportunities – but also complexity – for owners considering a group sale to a developer.

It's a very different process from selling a single property, with far more moving parts and far more potential for things to go wrong.

In this episode, Jarrod walks through the key considerations owners need to work through before embarking on the process.

• How to determine whether the land value genuinely justifies a developer sale
• Why owner motivations – from investors to long-term occupiers – shape the entire process
• The unanimity requirement in Victoria and how one holdout can stop everything
• Setting a minimum price and getting independent advice to hold the group together

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

Melbourne Activity Centres: a SWOT analysis for the property market

The Victorian Government wants to build 300,000 new homes by 2051 around 60 train and tram activity centres across Melbourne. It's a bold plan to tackle housing affordability by focusing development in established locations rather than pushing Melbourne's boundaries further outward.

But will it work – and what does it mean for property investors?

In this episode, Jarrod applies a SWOT analysis to the Activity Centres program to cut through the politics and assess what it really means on the ground.

• Why leveraging existing infrastructure makes sense – and where the logic breaks down
• The land scarcity problem and why density alone isn't the answer
• How the wrong product mix could leave new housing stock sitting empty
• The real threat to existing owners' equity and neighbourhood character

Learn more about Melbourne's activity centres in The Wakelin Melbourne Property Report 2026.

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

 

Wakelin Property Report: Jarrod drills into the six questions shaping 2026 investment decisions

The first instalment of the 2026 Wakelin Melbourne Property Report showed where we are: investor activity is back, interstate capital has moved first, and a February rate rise has put that renewed confidence on notice.​

Part two is about how to think from here.

In this episode, Jarrod steps away from the month‑to‑month noise and works through six tensions that will shape Melbourne’s housing investment market in 2026:

• Confidence vs memory of the last rate cycle – what it takes for buyers to believe a recovery is real
• Headline stability vs rule‑change risk – how much uncertainty around future settings investors are willing to live with to access value
• Renting longer vs buying earlier – how the rent‑versus‑buy equation is shifting at today’s price and rate levels
• Houses vs older low‑rise apartments – where the value actually sits when land does the heavy lifting
• What the Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel and activity centres quietly change over the next few years.
• Portals and print vs AI and socials – how discovery is changing who sees opportunities first.

To view and download The Wakelin Melbourne Property Report 2026 visit wakelin.com.au

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

Wakelin Melbourne Property Report 2026: Will confidence hold or fold?

Melbourne's property market has started 2026 at a defining inflection point.

The momentum has been undeniable. Wakelin's proprietary data reveals a 87% surge in investor enquiries through 2025, with interstate buyers leading the charge.

But we now face a new test. The February rate rise has challenged that sentiment just as it was consolidating.

So, where does that leave the market in 2026?

In the Wakelin Melbourne Property Report, we look past the daily headlines to answer the six defining questions that should shape your investment decisions this year and beyond:

• Will Confidence Consolidate or Waver? The push and pull between strong fundamentals and fragile interest rate sentiment.
• How is Policy Shaping Investor Sentiment? Have the tax and regulatory shocks finally been absorbed? And what’s next on the horizon?
• Rent vs. Buy: Will the Math Shift the Market? Rental pressure meets new pathways to ownership.
• Can Apartments Finally Catch Up? Why the search for value might finally favour period units.
• Will Infrastructure Shift Demand? How new transport links like the Metro Tunnel are rewriting the map of ‘accessible’ Melbourne.
• How Are AI and Socials Reshaping Property Discovery? The emerging tools changing how the next generation finds value.

The 'Best of' Summer Series: Villa Units - Melbourne's Overlooked Investment Gem

Welcome to the Rewarding Property Decisions ‘best of’ summer series.

While we’re taking some time off over summer, we thought we’d share with you our most popular episodes in 2025.

This one caught us by surprise at first. Our number one episode for 2025 is “Villa Units: Melbourne’s Overlooked Investment Gem.”    I suppose it’s understandable that this episode was popular, as people look for affordable, quality properties to purchase in one of the world’s most liveable cities.   Enjoy.

------------------------------------------

Jarrod shines a light on Melbourne’s villa units – a property type quietly gaining traction for its unique blend of affordability, scarcity, and broad appeal.

In this episode:

• Why villa units offer strong land value and real scarcity
• How they appeal to first home buyers, investors, and downsizers alike
• Key features to look for: location, floor plan, parking, and outdoor space
• How blue-chip suburbs offer affordable villa unit opportunities
• A real case study: capital growth and lifestyle gains from a smart villa unit purchase

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

The 'Best of' Summer Series: Winter is here, but the Melbourne property market is warming up

Welcome to the Rewarding Property Decisions ‘best of’ summer series. The countdown is back again this summer, while we enjoy our break.

Coming in at number two was a hot topic for 2025 regarding the movements in the Melbourne property market – ‘Winter is here, but Melbourne’s property market is warming up’.   

 

Winter is coming, but Melbourne’s market signals are burning bright. 

In this episode, Jarrod covers:

• Why winter is a window for smart buyers and sellers
• The five signals revealing hidden demand
• How to position yourself before the spring rush
• A real-life example of success through preparation

Tune in to learn how to turn the quieter months into your property advantage.

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email

 

The 'Best of' Summer Series: Q & O - Your Melbourne Property Investor Questions Answered

Welcome to the Rewarding Property Decisions ‘best of’ summer series. The countdown is back again this summer, while we enjoy our break.

Coming in at number three is the ever-popular Q & O format.  This episode was hosted by my colleagues Jordan and Brenton. They were happy to answer some great questions from our listeners.  

 

Momentum began to build in Melbourne’s property market in 2025 – and with it, intensified focus and queries from buyers and sellers alike.

In this episode, Wakelin Advisors Jordan Telfer and Brenton Potter dive into the real issues that matter – answering seven of the most practical and pressing questions facing investors right now.

In this episode:

• Key tips for the final inspection before settlement
• Why choosing a property that’s 'typical for the area' matters
• Where you’ll find Melbourne’s best value villa units
• Prioritising marketing vs. styling when selling
• How to assess the risks of buying next to a vacant block
• Dealing with unconventional layouts – when to walk away or negotiate
• Building & pest reports: how to separate serious issues from minor defects

 

We enjoy providing you with free insights into the Melbourne property market and property investment more broadly. Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, subscribe, like, rate or follow us and tell your friends and family.

Investing in property makes sense.  Investing in the right property takes knowledge.

To learn more visit www.wakelin.com.au  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  | LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Email