Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. The author is not a registered accountant or financial adviser. Every investor’s situation is different. Please consult your own investment-savvy accountant or financial adviser before making any investment decisions.

The Age-Old Truth Every Property Investor Needs to Hear

There is a saying in property investing that has stood the test of time: “You make your money when you buy, not when you sell.”

It sounds deceptively simple. Yet the vast majority of property buyers ignore this principle entirely. They focus on what a property might be worth in five or ten years, and they overlook the single most important decision they will ever make, the price they pay on day one. This is where an expert buyer’s agent in Brisbane and Moreton Bay, like the team at IPS Buyer’s Agents, proves their worth.

This is not a theoretical blog post. What follows is a real world case study of a real client, a real property, and a real result that proves this principle in action. It is also a story about why choosing the right buyer’s agent in the Moreton Bay region can be the difference between an average investment and an exceptional one.

How Exactly Did This Investor Make a $225,000 Profit in Six Months?

In August 2025, our client settled on an investment property in the Moreton Bay region. The purchase price was $1,000,000.

Before the client signed a single document, our buyer’s agent had already conducted a thorough independent appraisal of the property. The assessment was clear: the property carried a true market value of $1,100,000. In other words, the moment the keys changed hands, the client had already created $100,000 in instant equity (the difference between the market value and the lower purchase price), before a single dollar of capital growth had occurred.

This is the “buy well” principle in its purest form.

The client held the property as an investment for six months, during which time it generated $18,980 in gross rental income. In February 2026, the property was sold for $1,225,000.

The suburb Scarborough moved by 11.1% in captile growth for the full year 2025 (from Price finder suburb report).

The numbers speak for themselves.

Investment Performance Summary

Metric	Detail
Settlement Date	1 August 2025
Purchase Price	$1,000,000
Independently Assessed Market Value at Purchase	$1,100,000
Instant Equity Secured at Purchase	$100,000
Rental Income (6 months)	$18,980
Sale Price	$1,225,000 (February 2026)
Gross Capital Gain	$225,000
Total Gross Return (including rent)	$243,980

This result did not happen by accident. It happened because our buyer’s agent identified the right property, in the right location, at the right price and then negotiated hard to secure it well below its true market value.

Why Buying Well Is the Foundation of Every Great Investment

The Brisbane and Moreton Bay property markets have delivered strong performance over recent years. Brisbane house values have grown by more than 76 per cent over the five years to June 2025, and the Moreton Bay region has seen house prices double over the past decade in several key pockets, according to market data. 1 2

But even in a rising market, not all buyers win. The investors who consistently outperform the market are those who enter at the right price. When you overpay for a property, you spend years simply recovering the premium you paid. When you buy below market value, you start ahead, and every dollar of subsequent growth builds on that foundation.

Australian property research shows buyers who use a professional buyer’s agent can pay, on average, 3–5% less on their purchase price than buyers negotiating on their own, a saving that often outweighs the agent’s fee entirely. In this case study, the saving was not 3–5%. It was 10%. That is the power of a skilled, experienced buyer’s agent who knows the market intimately and negotiates without emotion.

What Makes a Great Buyer’s Agent in Brisbane and Moreton Bay?

Not all buyer’s agents are created equal. The Brisbane and Moreton Bay markets are diverse, fast moving, and highly competitive. To operate effectively in this environment, a buyer’s agent needs a specific combination of skills, local knowledge, and professional discipline.

At IPS Buyer’s Agents, our philosophy is built on a simple but powerful question: “What are you needs? What is the best strategy to get the best out come?” This strategy first approach means we go beyond just finding a property; we focus on finding the right property for your specific goals.

Our key strengths include:

•Yield + Growth Assessment: We don’t just chase median price growth. We conduct a deep analysis of rental yields and long-term capital growth potential.

•Detailed Due Diligence: We investigate every aspect of a property, including flood risk, zoning regulations, and future land supply, to protect your investment.

•Off-Market Access: Our strong network gives our clients access to pre-market and off-market properties that are not available to the general public.

Our business has helped 18 buyers in 2025 alone. Across those purchases, clients have seen an average uplift of 19.93% from the time of purchase to the present, with the total estimated increase in value across all properties sitting at approximately $2,143,000. The average purchase price was $920,444, with purchases ranging from $525,000 to $1,550,000.

Our track record reflects what is possible when the right process is applied consistently:

•96% of clients secure a property within their budget

•91% purchase in their top two preferred suburbs

•28% gain access to off-market opportunities not available to the general public

•Clients see an average growth of 23.6% within the first 12 months of ownership

These results do not come from luck. They come from a disciplined, research driven approach to identifying and securing the right property at the right price.

But the numbers only tell half the story. The other half is about the service.

“Very professional, personable service. Was up super late getting info for me as promised. Couldn’t reccommend Tim and the team enough”— Christopher G, 5-Star Google Review

If you are considering investing in property in Brisbane or the Moreton Bay region, contact us today to discuss how we can help you build a strategy that works.

Frequently Asked Questions: Investing with a Buyer’s Agent

1. How does a buyer’s agent find properties that are undervalued?

A skilled buyer’s agent builds deep relationships within the local property market over many years. These relationships provide access to off-market and pre-market opportunities that never appear on realestate.com.au or Domain. Beyond access, a great buyer’s agent conducts independent valuations on every property they assess, using comparable sales data, local market trends, and on-the-ground knowledge to determine what a property is genuinely worth. When a gap exists between the asking price and the true value, they move quickly and negotiate hard. This is exactly how our client secured a $1.1M property for $1M.

2. What should I look for when choosing a buyer’s agent in Brisbane or Moreton Bay?

There are several non-negotiable qualities to look for. First, your buyer’s agent must work exclusively for buyers — never for sellers or developers — to ensure there is no conflict of interest. Second, they should have a demonstrable track record of results in the specific markets where you want to buy. Third, they should be a skilled negotiator with a process for independent property valuation. Fourth, they should communicate clearly and proactively, keeping you informed at every stage of the process. Finally, ask for evidence of real client outcomes, not just testimonials. Numbers do not lie.

Not sure whether to buy on-market or off-market? Read our guide to on-market vs off-market property purchases to understand the key differences and which approach suits your goals.

3. How do I know if a property is a good investment before I buy?

This is the question that separates experienced investors from first-timers. A good investment property is not simply one that looks attractive or sits in a suburb you like. It is a property where the fundamentals stack up: strong rental demand, low vacancy rates, proximity to infrastructure and employment, a purchase price at or below true market value, and a clear path to capital growth. A buyer’s agent conducts this analysis on your behalf, removing emotion from the equation and ensuring every decision is grounded in data.

4. Is hiring a buyer’s agent worth the cost for an investment property?

At IPS Buyer’s Agents, we believe in a fair and transparent fixed-fee structure. This is different from the industry standard of charging a percentage of the purchase price. Our focus is on finding you the right property at the right price, not on maximising our commission. This means you know exactly what you’re paying from the start, with no hidden surprises. The fee you pay a buyer’s agent is not a cost — it is an investment in a better outcome. In the case study above, the buyer’s agent fee was more than covered by the $100,000 in instant equity secured at the time of purchase alone. This initial saving not only covered the buyer’s agent fee multiple times over but also reduced the client’s loan-to-value ratio, improving their overall financial position from day one.

The Moreton Bay Property Market: A Local’s Perspective

The Brisbane and Moreton Bay region continues to attract strong investor interest for good reason. Infrastructure investment, population growth, and the ongoing development of master-planned communities have created a market with genuine long-term fundamentals. Moreton Bay in particular has seen significant growth, with certain coastal and master-planned communities recording house value growth of more than 8 per cent in a single year, according to CoreLogic data. 3

As a local who has lived in the City of Moreton Bay for nearly a decade, I’ve seen this growth first-hand. From the booming family-friendly estates in North Lakes and Mango Hill to the relaxed coastal vibes of Redcliffe and the green, leafy suburbs like Samford Valley, the region offers a diverse range of investment opportunities. This deep local knowledge is critical for identifying not just which suburbs are growing, but which specific pockets and streets offer the best value.

For investors, this means the opportunity to buy well and hold for growth remains compelling. But it also means competition is fierce, and the window to secure undervalued properties is narrow. This is precisely why the role of a local, experienced buyer’s agent is so valuable.

Explore our suburb reports hub to see detailed market data on the Brisbane and Moreton Bay suburbs we actively work in.

The Bottom Line: Great Investments Are Built at the Point of Purchase

The case study in this article is not an outlier. It is an example of what becomes possible when you apply the right strategy, work with the right people, and commit to the principle of buying well.

A $1M property with a true value of $1.1M, held for six months, generating $18,980 in rent, and sold for $1,225,000. That is a total gross return of $243,980 on a six-month investment. That is the result of buying below market value on day one.

The market will always move. Prices will rise and fall. But the one variable you can control, the price you pay, is determined entirely by the quality of the decision you make at the moment of purchase.

Choose your buyer’s agent carefully. The right one will make your money before you even get the keys.

About the Author

Tim Allen is the founder of IPS Buyer’s Agents, a licensed buyer’s agent (Licence #4667876), and a proud Member of the REIQ (Membership #162094). With over 21 years in the property industry, Tim’s extensive background includes more than seven successful property purchases of his own, 13 years as a finance broker, and deep experience in investment-grade acquisitions. He specialises in helping first-home buyers and investors with risk-managed and strategy-led buying.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. The author is not a registered accountant or financial adviser. Every investor’s situation is different. Please consult your own investment-savvy accountant or financial adviser before making any investment decisions.

References

Footnotes

1.How Brisbane Got There & How It Affects Moreton Bay — CP Queensland (July 2025) ↩

2.Moreton Bay North Property Prices Have Doubled in 10 Years — Ausmar Homes (December 2025) ↩

3.Region on the Rise: Moreton Bay Property Outlook — Moreton Daily (September 2025), citing CoreLogic 2024 data ↩