Hey, my name is Andrew Duncan.
On my blog, you will find real estate tips, advice and market commentary, along with articles about climate change, plant-based food, personal finance and travel. I love working with nice people, solving problems and living in Wellington, NZ.
A few of my friends and clients have asked me whether it’s a good time to buy and/or sell considering what is going on in the world. Here are my thoughts based on what we know so far… Note: Last updated 24th March 2020. Lockdown announced! This will effectively push a giant ‘pause’ button on nearly all real estate transactions and all the advice below…
Find out what you need to know about a property before you take the plunge and make an unconditional offer. In this episode, I chat with Lindsey Smith, Senior Legal Executive from Rainey Collins to talk about the due diligence process and making unconditional offers. Imagine you have just found a home you want to buy, but you need to do your homework first…
It’s that time of year when we sit down, take stock and decide on our goals for the year. When it comes to real estate, you might be looking to buy your first home, buy an investment property, or renovate your current home. We are here to talk you through how to achieve your property goals for the year ahead. Click on the link below…
Here are 10 key property truths that I have learned throughout my career in real estate. These tips will help you make better decisions when buying and selling real estate. 1. Every property would sell tomorrow if price didn’t matter There is no such thing as an un-saleable property. Every single dwelling in NZ would sell tomorrow at some price. The house is never the…
Please note: I am not a qualified financial adviser and the opinions offered here are purely my own. It is critical that you seek professional advice from a solicitor before embarking on any property purchase. Read: Don’t buy a home without speaking to these 5 people first What a scary time it has become for first home buyers, especially if you started looking 12-24 months ago…
After more than a decade in real estate. I have seen the value that a really good salesperson can add to the process. I have seen houses sell for prices that blew me away – because the salesperson running the marketing campaign knew how to position the property. They knew how to attract the right buyers and how to create competition. At the same time,…
There is now a real estate file delivery system available that every single real estate salesperson should be using to allow prospective buyers access to reports and other related info. This system is called propertyfiles and from our experience, it’s a game-changer. I’ve worked in real estate sales since 2007. Since the day I started, one of the most time-consuming tasks has been getting property info…
Lately, the ‘stop being so tough on property investors‘ rhetoric has gotten a little bit much for me to bear. Fellow property investors – it’s time we started being honest with ourselves. Taking care of your financial future is a good thing and you should be commended for it. You won’t be a burden to the state if you take care of your own finances. At…
This article explains why you need to think long and hard before you choose an agent and before you sign their listing agreement. What is a listing agreement or ‘agency agreement’? It is the contract you sign when you hire a real estate salesperson to market your home. Find out more on the REA website. The standard duration is 90 days and therein lies the problem….
I recently asked my newsletter recipients the following 3 questions: How do you feel the real estate industry needs to change? What would give you more confidence when dealing with real estate salespeople? What part of the real estate process do you find the most confusing? The feedback blew me away. I am touched by the amount of time many of you took to write…
