Property investment services perfect bolt-on for brokers: report

Research conducted by Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA), together with Sterling Publishing’s Smart Property Investment magazine, shows that more than 30 per cent of investors seek out the advice of a property investment adviser.

“Property investment advice is an underserviced market that complements a range of services, including mortgage broking, accounting, financial planning and buyer’s advocacy,” PIPA chair Ben Kingsley said.

Property investment advice has been overlooked as a standalone industry sector, largely because property is not recognised as a financial product by ASIC and because advice pertaining to property investment remains unregulated, Mr Kingsley said.

“Investors have tended to rely on their accountants and mortgage brokers for property investment advice, and even real estate agents and financial planners, but none of these professionals are actually qualified to provide property investment advice,” he said.

“While many may have good intentions, this does not equate to genuine expertise.”

The association is actively lobbying for government regulation of property investment, but in the meantime PIPA has developed its own property investment advice qualification.

According to Mr Kingsley, the Qualified Property Investment Adviser (QPIA) accreditation offers professional practitioners the knowledge and expertise with which to provide genuine property investment advice.

For experienced property investment professionals, the association also offers recognition of prior learning and opportunities to accelerate accreditation.

“The QPIA is ideal for any practitioners who wish to develop and highlight their property investment expertise and position themselves as an ethical, trustworthy professional,” he said.

In February, $10.7 billion worth of investment loans were written across Australia.