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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: 1. Why Australian property?

Australia is an evergreen investment destination for Singaporeans. It has AAA credit rating by the major credit rating agencies, some of the world’s most liveable cities, world class universities, English as the first language, rules and regulations to protect investors, strong population growth and is in close proximity to Singapore. The Australia properties we market are on Freehold title meaning there is no lease decay issue. For savvy investor building a legacy through property, Australia property has another advantage versus other countries and you can preserve your wealth better. Speak to our Consultant to know more!

 

Australia is investor friendly and weekend Australia property exhibitions and seminars have been common since 1990s or earlier. However, the different Australian cities are not the same for property investment especially if you are from overseas. Our Consultant will be able to advise you on knowing your situation and requirements.

Q: 2. How should I start investing in Australian property?

Before you go about looking for a property, you should first identify the reasons why you are investing and your price range. Is it purely for investment? Building an Australian property portfolio? For children’s use when they further their studies in Australia? For migration purpose? You should also have an idea of the price range you are comfortable with. Our experience Consultant will be able to guide you accordingly on knowing your needs and hand-hold you through-out the whole process.

Q: 3. How can your agency assist me in the investment process?

The focus of our agency has always been on quality Australian property. We are professionals registered with Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) and follow CEA’s rules on marketing overseas properties in Singapore. This protects your interests. You also benefit from our hands-on experience throughout the whole investment process. As owners of the company, we are here to help you over the long term. You may not enjoy similar benefits working with salesperson and agency who do not have real experience and are not focused on what they do.

We partner with established developers and local partners to bring you well researched prime properties. Frequently, we are the preferred agent due to our points of difference. We have projects in different locations and will be able to give you a few recommendations according to your needs.

In addition, through our partnership and alliance with carefully selected service providers, we are able to help you with conveyancing, financing, on-going property management, taxation and accounting, estate planning and resale service if you want to sell off your investment, i.e. a one-stop shop investor support group service. Our Consultant will be able to walk through the whole process with you.

Q: 4. What type of residential property can I buy?

Foreign investor can generally buy off-plan or brand new property such as apartment, town house or landed home in Australia for investment, subject to FIRB approval.

 Our partnerships with developers and well-connected local parties allow AAM very early access to prime off-plan properties that may not be publicly marketed in Singapore yet.

Q: 5. Am I buying at the same price as in Australia?

Yes – at AAM, we do the due diligence for you and this includes ensuring you are investing at direct developer price and the same price as in Australia. In fact, we frequently negotiate for extra benefits or special investor package for our buyers. Please check with our Consultant on buyer benefits or special investor package for specific projects.

Q: 6. Is it better to work with overseas agent or developer directly?

If you source for overseas property through the internet and work with overseas agent, you may not be working with registered agent and are not protected by Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) regulations.

 

Most developers are limited in their range of property stock available for sale and they could be focusing on certain area and location only. Besides, they may not be aware of overseas buyers’ needs and are unable to provide a holistic investment process with an independent view. The support process will be lacking, especially if they use a fly-in-fly-out approach. In addition, developer sales team is not under the purview of the Estate Agents Act and you will not be able to seek CEA’s assistance in any dispute.

 

AAM is CEA registered and based in Singapore. We support CEA’s initiatives to regulate the real estate industry and we are adamant that our partners and associates do the same too. We have quality projects from reputable developers at different locations, and they are offered at direct developer price and frequently with Special Investor Package – saving you the hard work of looking around. Last but not least, you enjoy continued investor support from us after the completion of purchase. This provides peace of mind especially if you are a new investor.

Q: 7. How do I manage my property from Singapore?

There are Professional Property Managers in Australia and they are registered and regulated. Their jobs include marketing your property for tenant, screening and putting in a tenant, ensuring that rentals are paid on time, conducting regular inspection, attending to maintenance issues, giving you a monthly statement and so on.

 

While the property managers are registered and regulated, some have better experience and knowledge working with foreign owners than others. We will be able to put you in touch with a panel of selected Property Manager who has experience working with overseas investors and understand your requirements.

Q: 8. How do I receive rental from my property?

Your rental money will be held in the Property Manager’s trust account which is protected. Your Property Manager can arrange for the rental to be transferred to you in Singapore or banked into your Australian bank account.

Q: 9. Do I have to pay tax on my rental income in Australia?

It is frequently misunderstood that Australia has high taxes, global taxation and so the amount of taxes to be paid must be high. There are different tax treatments for an Australian tax resident and Australian non tax resident. Australia has many investor friendly tax deductions that reduce taxable income. Investor buying into brand new property will be able to take advantage of maximum depreciation claim that will greatly reduce their taxable income. There is frequently no tax payable on rental income if you claim all deductibles including depreciation allowance. With careful tax planning, you can minimise any tax payable. We can put you in touch with a registered Tax Agent for professional advice.

Q: 10. Any resale restriction?

Generally residential property resale has to be made to Australian or Australian PR and this is the same as when an Australian sells his property. AAM will refer you to an Australian-registered estate agent to facilitate this process for you.

Q: 11. How do I finance my investment?

The ability to make use of leverage or other people’s money when investing in property is a huge advantage. Financing is generally available depending on borrower’s personal situation and property type. Not all properties and locations are treated the same by the banks. As part of our due diligence process we always check on the project’s mortgage-ability before marketing it. Depending on your personal situation, our recommended Mortgage Specialist will be able to recommend you a suitable lender, saving you the hard work of speaking to the banks one by one!

Q: 12. Do I need to pay you any fee investing in Australian property through your company?

You do not need to pay us any fee as we are paid for by the developer.

We understand there are many questions for a first time investor and the best way to address your questions is for you to speak with our experience Consultant – keep in mind that we are investors ourselves. Please feel free to email us or call Australian Property Hotline  at 6271 2393.

Get a Free 1-Hour Consultation.

AAM Realty International Pte Ltd

7 Temasek Boulevard #12-07 Suntec Tower One Singapore 038987
Estate Agent License No. L3009067K
Tel: +65 62712393

                         

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