Most property investment advice in Australia follows the same tired playbook. Buy in a good area. Look for capital growth. Trust the market. The result is investors stuck with properties delivering 3-4% yields, negative cash flow, and retirement plans pushed back another decade. Harmony Group took a different path. After delivering 200+ specialist accommodation projects worth $210+ million across 30+ Australian councils, we learned that the difference between a property that accelerates your retirement and one that delays it comes down to data, not hope.

Why Co-Living Investment Works in Australia

Australia has a housing crisis that traditional property investment cannot solve. 2.4 million Australians need housing in the next decade. Traditional housing cannot keep pace with demand. Young professionals cannot afford $600 per week for a whole house. Regional workers need flexible, furnished solutions. FIFO workers want a base between rotations. Single-person households are the fastest-growing demographic.

Co-living properties address this gap by providing purpose-built accommodation that delivers 10-12% yields compared to 4-5% from traditional rentals. Occupancy rates consistently hit 98% or higher versus the industry average of 92-94%. Tenants are working professionals with stable income and minimal wear on properties. Rental income resumes within 24-48 hours of vacancy rather than weeks. Properties are cash flow positive from day one instead of requiring 5-10 years of negative gearing.

However, not all co-living properties work. The difference between a co-living investment that generates strong returns and one that becomes a legal nightmare comes down to three things: location selection, proper certification, and specialist property management.

The 118-Point Harmony Method Explained

Most property advisors pick properties based on gut feel or whatever their developer client needs to sell that month. Harmony does the opposite. Every property we recommend passes through 118 specific data filters before we put our name on it. This methodology is built on three pillars: Market Analysis, Area Selection, and Property Specification.

Market Analysis: 42 Data Points

The first pillar answers whether a city is even worth investing in for co-living. We analyse employment and economic health through 12 data points including total employment numbers and growth rate, employment diversity index to avoid single-industry towns, unemployment rate versus national average, major employer stability and growth, new business formation rate, commercial property vacancy rates, median household income trends, wage growth trajectory, youth employment rates for ages 18-35, professional services sector growth, healthcare sector employment, and education sector employment.

Demographics and population analysis covers 10 data points: population growth rate both historical and projected, net migration from interstate and overseas, age demographics with focus on 25-45 year olds, household composition trends, student population numbers, temporary visa worker numbers, FIFO worker population, regional placement workers, single-person household growth, and professional renter demographics.

Rental market fundamentals include 10 data points: median rental prices for houses versus rooms, rental vacancy rates current and 5-year trend, days on market for rental properties, rental yield averages by property type, rent-to-income ratios, rental affordability stress measures, rental increase rates annually, room rental market size, co-living and shared accommodation demand, and temporary accommodation costs.

Infrastructure and development analysis covers 10 data points: major infrastructure projects covering transport, hospitals and education, public transport accessibility and expansion, road network development, NBN and connectivity quality, new commercial developments, shopping and amenities development, healthcare facility expansion, educational institution growth, government investment commitments, and private sector investment pipeline. Data sources include SQM Research, CoreLogic, ABS, and local council data.

Area Selection: 38 Data Points

The second pillar determines which specific suburb or pocket will deliver the best risk-adjusted returns. Location intelligence covers 12 data points: distance to CBD and major employment centres, public transport frequency and routes, walk score and car dependency, access to major hospitals, access to universities and TAFEs, proximity to shopping centres, proximity to gyms, cafes and lifestyle amenities, parking availability and costs, traffic congestion patterns, future transport infrastructure plans, ride-share and taxi availability, and bike infrastructure.

Supply and demand dynamics include 8 data points: existing co-living supply in 3km radius, pipeline supply both approved and proposed, boarding house registrations, student accommodation capacity, traditional rental stock levels, new dwelling approvals for competing products, rental listing volumes, and time to lease comparables.

Council and regulatory environment analysis covers 8 data points: co-living zoning permissions, council attitude to co-living developments, DA approval timeframes and success rates, 1B certification requirements and costs, local planning scheme provisions, heritage overlay restrictions, parking requirements, and developer contribution costs.

Risk factors include 10 data points: crime statistics, natural disaster exposure covering flood, fire and earthquake, environmental contamination issues, flight path noise exposure, industrial proximity, future adverse development risk, school quality ratings as a resale factor, demographic stability, market cycle position, and competitor cluster risk. Data sources include SQM Research, council planning departments, ABS crime data, and Domain/REA Group listings.

Property Specification: 38 Data Points

The third pillar determines whether a specific property design will deliver 10-12% yields with 98% occupancy. Design and configuration covers 10 data points: number of bedrooms with optimal being 4-6, bedroom size with minimum 14 square metres, ensuite bathroom per room which is mandatory, individual kitchenette specification, private outdoor courtyard access, common area size and functionality, storage provision per resident, parking spaces with minimum 1 per 2 rooms, laundry facilities at commercial-grade, and overall property size and footprint.

Compliance and certification includes 8 data points: 1B certification confirmed, fire safety systems specification, disability access compliance, exit requirements met, building code compliance level, energy efficiency rating, water efficiency measures, and safety equipment standards.

Build quality and specifications cover 10 data points: builder track record and experience, construction timeline feasibility, material quality standards, appliance brand and quality, flooring and finishes durability, plumbing and electrical quality, climate control for heating and cooling, insulation and energy efficiency, noise reduction measures, and warranty coverage.

Income optimisation includes 10 data points: market rent per room with verified comparables, furniture package quality and cost, utility inclusion pricing model, WiFi and services costs, property manager capability and rates, marketing and tenant placement speed, average tenancy length expectations, target tenant profile match, rental guarantee availability, and income stability risk factors. Data sources include builder track records, property manager assessments, comparable property analysis, and council certification records.

The SQM Research Partnership

Harmony partners with SQM Research, Australia’s premier independent property research firm. This partnership provides real-time market intelligence including weekly vacancy rate updates for every capital city and major regional centre, rental listing analysis covering volume, pricing and days on market, property price movements by suburb and property type, auction clearance rates and trends, and new listing supply data.

SQM Research also provides predictive analytics including population growth forecasting, employment trend analysis, migration pattern tracking, infrastructure impact modelling, and market cycle positioning. Unlike real estate agents or developers with properties to sell, SQM Research sells data rather than properties, meaning their only incentive is accuracy. Every property Harmony recommends includes an SQM Research market report providing the same data billion-dollar institutions use to make property decisions.

Case Study: How 118 Data Points Saved an Investor $300,000

In 2024, Harmony analysed two Melbourne properties that looked identical on paper. Both were priced at $950,000. Both were in a growth corridor 40km from the CBD. Both had the same configuration of 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. Both had the same projected rent of $1,750 per week. Most advisors would have picked either one.

The 118-point analysis revealed critical differences. Property A had 8 buses per hour to the CBD with a 30-minute journey. Property B had 3 buses per hour with a 55-minute journey. Property A had 12 major employers within 10km demonstrating strong employment diversity. Property B had only 3 major employers being a hospital, university and council. Property A was in a council with 87% co-living approval success rate and 4-month timeline. Property B was in a council with 52% success rate and 8-month or longer timeline. The property manager for Property A’s area confirmed high demand with a 40-person waitlist. The property manager for Property B’s area warned of oversupply with a 4-month average vacancy period. Property A’s builder had completed 50+ co-living properties with zero legal issues. Property B’s builder had completed 5 co-living properties with 2 having certification issues.

Twelve months later, Property A was 98% occupied averaging $1,820 per week and valued at $1.05 million. Property B was 72% occupied averaging $1,260 per week and valued at $920,000. The total difference exceeded $300,000 when accounting for $29,120 per year income gap, $130,000 capital value difference, and $150,000 or more in lost wealth-building capacity. This is why 118 data points matter. They represent the difference between retirement at 55 and retirement at 65.

The 200+ Project Track Record

Across 200+ delivered projects, Harmony has achieved an average yield of 10.8% with a range from 9.2% to 13.4%. Average occupancy rate sits at 96.3%. Average tenant tenure is 14 months. Properties failing to achieve projected income represent just 7% of the portfolio. Properties with legal or certification issues represent 0%.

The 7% that miss projections typically result from market oversupply where the investor entered a saturated market against our recommendation, property manager underperformance which was resolved by changing manager, economic downturn in a specific area which is rare but does happen, or owner interference such as rejecting qualified tenants. The 93% success rate comes from the 118-point filter systematically removing risky properties before investors commit.

Hard-Won Lessons from 200+ Projects

Location beats everything. Properties in the right location with average design achieve 94% occupancy. Properties in the wrong location with perfect design achieve only 76% occupancy. This is why the 118 points frontload location analysis with 42 points on market and 38 points on area selection.

Certification is non-negotiable. Uncertified properties carry legal liability, face financing difficulty, and are impossible to sell. 1B certified properties command premium rents, attract stable tenants, and maintain strong resale values. Every Harmony property has 1B certification before construction starts.

Property management makes or breaks returns. Generic property managers on co-living achieve 85% occupancy with 6-week tenant turnover. Specialist co-living managers achieve 98% occupancy with same-day tenant turnover. Harmony only uses property managers with 10+ years co-living experience and proven sub-2% vacancy rates.

Build time matters more than most investors realise. 6-month builds in Melbourne and Adelaide keep finance stress manageable and market conditions stable. 18-month builds create interest rate risk, market changes, and finance pressure. Harmony focuses on Melbourne at 6 months and Adelaide at 6 months, avoiding longer build markets unless yields justify the risk.

The 1B Certification Crisis in Australian Co-Living

Australia has a co-living problem most investors do not know about. Thousands of properties are illegally operating as co-living without proper certification. In most Australian states, housing more than 3 unrelated people requires Class 1B certification, formerly known as boarding house or rooming house classification.

What 1B Certification Requires

1B certification requires fire safety systems including smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and multiple exits. It requires disability access compliance with wider doorways and bathroom modifications. It requires structural modifications including reinforced flooring and multiple egress points. It requires council approval and ongoing compliance. It requires regular safety inspections.

Penalties for Operating Without Certification

Legal penalties in Queensland include fines up to $166,900 per infringement, up to 2 years imprisonment, immediate eviction orders resulting in total loss of rental income, and personal liability for the owner. Financial penalties include inability to get finance from major banks making the property unmarketable, inability to get insurance coverage, inability to sell to sophisticated investors, and destroyed property value.

In 2023, a Queensland property owner faced $375,000 in fines representing 3 infringements at $125,000 each for operating an uncertified co-living property. The property was worth $850,000. After legal fees, the owner lost everything. This is not optional. This is not a grey area. This is criminal liability.

Many co-living properties marketed in Australia are glorified share houses with no certification. Builders and advisors pushing these properties are either ignorant of requirements which is negligent, aware but hiding it which is fraudulent, or banking on everyone else doing it until someone gets caught. Every Harmony property has 1B certification with no exceptions.

Why Specialist Property Management Determines Your Returns

Most investors focus on the property. Smart investors focus on the manager. The same property with a generic property manager achieves 85% occupancy and 6-week turnover. The same property with a specialist co-living manager achieves 98% occupancy and same-day turnover. The income difference is $8,000 to $12,000 per year on the same property.

What Specialist Co-Living Managers Do Differently

Generic managers post an ad when a room becomes vacant and wait for applications. Specialist managers maintain a waitlist of 20-50 people at all times and place tenants within 24-48 hours. The result is near-zero vacancy periods.

Generic managers give the room to the first qualified applicant. Specialist managers match tenants based on lifestyle, schedule and personality. The result is longer average tenure, fewer disputes, and better references.

Generic managers clean after a tenant leaves then market the room, taking 5-7 days. Specialist managers have the new tenant move in the day after the previous tenant leaves. The result is 360+ days income per year versus 340-350 days.

Generic managers repair things when they break. Specialist managers provide proactive maintenance, 24/7 support, and community building. The result is 14-month average tenure versus 8-month.

Harmony’s Property Manager Requirements

Harmony’s non-negotiable criteria for property managers include 10+ years managing co-living or shared accommodation, currently managing 200+ rooms minimum, vacancy rate under 3% with Harmony’s average being 1.3%, must sign off on property design before construction, and rental guarantee offered with 80% floor and 50/50 split above.

Current partner track record includes 477 rooms under management, 6 vacant at any time representing 1.26% vacancy, some properties with 55+ person waitlists, average time to place new tenant of 36 hours, and average tenant tenure of 14 months. Property management is 50% of investment success. Harmony would rather reject a great property with a mediocre manager than approve it.

The Untitled Land Strategy

Most property investors are buying the wrong way. The traditional approach involves finding titled land that is already subdivided and ready to build, paying a 20-30% premium for titled land, arranging finance within 30-60 days which is rushed and stressful, hoping builder availability matches your timeline, and stressing about delays eating into borrowing capacity.

Harmony’s untitled land strategy involves sourcing untitled land parcels before subdivision is complete, securing land at 20-30% discount to titled price, having 3-6 months before land titles to arrange finance properly, getting first access to premium sites before the retail market sees them, and coordinating builder and finance timing perfectly.

Real Example Comparison

A traditional titled land purchase involves land cost of $350,000 for titled land ready to build, building cost of $550,000, total of $900,000, finance required within 60 days of signing, and first builder payment 30 days after finance approval.

Harmony’s untitled land strategy involves land cost of $280,000 for untitled land with 4-month timeline to title, building cost of $550,000, total of $830,000 representing $70,000 savings, finance required within 3-4 months of signing providing time to shop, refinance and optimise, and first builder payment when land titles at 4 months out.

The advantages include lower entry cost saving $50-100K on land cost with lower deposit and borrowing requirements. Time to optimise finance allows shopping multiple lenders properly, refinancing existing properties if beneficial, cleaning up credit if needed, and structuring loans optimally. Better property selection provides first access to best locations, ability to pick premium sites before they are marketed, and ability to negotiate from a position of strength. Reduced finance stress means no 30-day approval rush, multiple applications if needed, time for variations or appeals, and serviceability can improve during the timeline. Build timing coordination allows aligning builder availability with your finance, no gaps or delays costing holding fees, and smooth progression from land to build.

Most advisors do not use this strategy for three reasons: access requires relationships with developers pre-subdivision, patience is required as it takes longer with less instant gratification, and sophistication is needed as it is harder to explain and requires trust. 87% of Harmony projects use the untitled land strategy and most investors save $50-100K compared to titled land purchases while reducing stress and improving outcomes.

Current Market Analysis: Where Harmony Recommends Investing

Melbourne: Approved with Multiple Pockets

Melbourne passes all key criteria. Employment diversity spans 12+ major sectors. Infrastructure pipeline exceeds $150 billion through the 2030s. Build times are 6 months. Over 30 councils and areas are approved. Strong rental demand shows vacancy under 2%. Co-living regulatory clarity exists. Multiple property managers have proven track records.

Adelaide: Approved in Growth Phase

Adelaide shows strong fundamentals. Interstate migration surge continues from Victoria and NSW to SA. Government incentives and investment are active. Build times are 6 months. Emerging co-living acceptance is growing. Lower entry costs range from $800K to $950K. Yields of 10-12% are achievable. Infrastructure development is accelerating.

Perth: Approved for High Yield

Perth offers the highest yield potential. FIFO worker demand remains strong due to mining sector stability. Yield potential ranges from 11-13%, the highest of approved markets. Strong employment growth continues. Interstate migration is positive. Undersupply versus demand creates opportunity. Build times of 10-12 months represent a risk factor to monitor. Specialist property managers are available.

Brisbane: Currently Rejected Due to Oversupply Risk

Brisbane fails multiple criteria. Competition is too high as everyone is selling co-living there. Land premiums are too high at $500K or more for suitable sites. Total entry cost ranges from $1.2 to $1.5 million versus $800K to $1.1 million elsewhere. Yields are only 8-9% which is insufficient for the model to work when 10-12% is needed. Pipeline supply exceeds demand growth. Better opportunities exist elsewhere. If analysis changes, Harmony will update investors.

Regional Victoria Case Study: Why Ballarat Failed

Ballarat appeared promising due to major hospital development creating an employment driver. However, analysis revealed 400+ co-living rooms had been approved while the hospital employs only approximately 200 additional staff. This creates 400 rooms for 200 workers representing 50% oversupply. Yields will compress to 6-8% within 2 years. Despite appearing promising on the surface, the detailed analysis led to rejection.

Sydney: Under Review with High Barriers

Sydney presents challenges for most investors. Entry costs exceed $1.3 million making deposit requirements too high for most. Council regulations are inconsistent. Strong competition from developers exists. Yields of 8-10% are decent but not optimal. Sydney only suits high-net-worth investors. Status is monitoring but not actively recommending.

Who Co-Living Investment Is Right For

The Mortgage Prisoner

This investor is typically aged 35-50 with household income of $80K to $150K. Current situation involves a $400K to $700K mortgage with payments of $2,500 to $4,000 per month. The problem is decades until mortgage is paid off with retirement feeling distant. The goal is to pay off the mortgage 10-15 years faster.

Co-living works for this persona because positive cash flow of $15,000 to $25,000 per year after all costs goes directly to extra mortgage payments. This compounds rapidly as payments increase from $700 per week to $1,500 per week. Typical journey sees Year 1 buying first co-living property with $15K per year extra income. Years 2-3 involve accelerating mortgage payments by $300 per week. Years 4-5 see purchase of second property with $35K per year combined. Years 6-8 achieve mortgage payoff 15 years early. Success metric is time to mortgage freedom.

The Pre-Retiree

This investor is typically aged 45-60 with household income of $100K to $200K. Current situation is comfortable but superannuation is not enough for desired retirement lifestyle. The goal is to generate $50K to $100K per year in retirement income.

Co-living works for this persona because each property generates approximately $20K to $30K per year net after-tax. Two to three properties equal $50K to $80K annual income. Portfolio can be built in 5-7 years. Income starts immediately rather than waiting for capital growth. Typical journey sees Year 1 buying first property with $22K per year net. Year 3 sees second property with $45K per year combined. Year 5 sees third property with $68K per year combined. Years 7-10 involve debts paid down with income increasing. Year 10 achieves retirement with $80K to $120K per year income after loans paid off. Success metric is annual passive income target.

The Portfolio Builder

This investor is typically aged 30-50 with household income of $150K to $300K or more. Current situation involves already having 1-3 investment properties that are underperforming. The problem is negatively geared properties that are waiting for capital growth. The goal is to convert to a positive cash flow portfolio.

Co-living works for this persona because it replaces underperforming assets with high-yield properties. Positive cash flow funds lifestyle or additional investments. Portfolio generates income rather than just equity on paper. Creates legacy wealth for children. Typical journey sees Year 1 selling 1-2 underperforming properties and buying 2 co-living properties. Years 2-3 achieve cash flow positive portfolio at $40K to $60K per year. Years 4-6 add 2-3 more co-living properties. Years 7-10 see portfolio of 4-5 properties generating $120K to $180K per year. Year 10 and beyond offers choice to retire or continue building wealth. Success metric is portfolio income replacement of salary.

What 10-12% Yields Actually Mean for Your Life

Consider a scenario with a 45-year-old property owner with a $500K mortgage. The traditional path with no investment involves a $500K mortgage at 6% interest with $3,000 per month payments. The mortgage is paid off at age 70 representing 25 years. Retirement age is 70 or older as the mortgage needs to be cleared first.

The traditional investment property path with 4% yield involves buying an $850K property with $170K deposit from home equity. Rent of $600 per week equals $31,200 per year gross. After expenses approximately $22,000 per year net. After tax at 37% approximately $13,860 per year after-tax benefit. Negative cash flow years 1-5 then positive year 6 onwards. Using income to pay extra $250 per week on mortgage. Mortgage paid off at age 64 representing 19 years. Retirement age 64-67.

The Harmony co-living path with 11% yield involves buying a $900K property with $180K deposit from home equity. Rent of $1,700 per week equals $88,400 per year gross. After expenses approximately $64,000 per year net. Positive cash flow from day one of approximately $15,000 per year after all costs. Using income to pay extra $1,200 per week on mortgage. Mortgage paid off at age 52 representing 7 years. Retirement age 52-55.

The comparison shows traditional path working until 70, traditional investment working until 64-67, and co-living path retiring 12-18 years earlier. What 18 extra years of freedom means: 18 years to travel while still healthy, 18 years with grandchildren, 18 years pursuing passions rather than paying bills, 18 years of life not spent in an office.

The 2-5 Property Portfolio Strategy

Most investors think they need 10-20 properties to retire. That is the old model. The new model is a high-yield portfolio strategy. Years 1-2 involve the first property purchase at $900K co-living property with $88,000 per year gross income and approximately $15,000 per year positive after-tax cash flow. Income is used to pay down primary residence.

Years 3-4 involve the second property purchase at $950K co-living property as prices have increased, with $92,000 per year gross income. Portfolio income reaches $180,000 per year combined. After-tax cash flow approximately $35,000 per year positive. Primary residence mortgage is dramatically reduced.

Years 5-7 optionally involve a third property purchase at $1M co-living property with $96,000 per year gross income. Portfolio income reaches $276,000 per year combined. After-tax cash flow approximately $60,000 per year positive. Primary residence potentially paid off entirely.

Years 8-10 represent the optimisation phase. Portfolio is stabilised. Option 1 is to hold all properties and use income for lifestyle. Option 2 is to sell 1-2 properties and pay off others completely. Option 3 is to purchase 4th-5th property for legacy and family wealth.

Retirement Income Calculation for 3-Property Portfolio

With all loans paid off, gross annual income is calculated as Property 1 at $88,000 plus Property 2 at $92,000 plus Property 3 at $96,000 totalling $276,000 per year. Annual expenses include property management at 10% being $27,600, maintenance at 5% being $13,800, insurance combined at $5,400, and council rates combined at $7,500, totalling $54,300 in expenses. Net annual income is $221,700. Monthly income is $18,475. At 15% tax rate in retirement tax bracket, after-tax monthly income is approximately $15,700.

This is retirement income from 3 properties acquired over 7-10 years. Compare to traditional advice of buying 10-20 negatively geared properties, hoping capital growth bails you out, and selling them all at 65 to fund retirement. The Harmony way is to buy fewer properties, generate actual income, and retire earlier.

Risk Factors: What Could Go Wrong

Interest rate spikes represent a risk where rates increase 2-3% above current levels. Impact is cash flow reduced or negative. Mitigation includes higher income buffer than traditional property, rate lock options, and offset accounts. Probability is medium as rates cycle but are unlikely to sustain extreme highs.

Market oversupply is a risk where too many co-living properties enter a specific area. Impact is vacancy increases and rents compress. Mitigation through 118-point analysis includes pipeline supply tracking and geographic diversification. Probability is low in Harmony-selected markets as saturated areas are actively avoided.

Regulatory changes are a risk where government restricts co-living or changes requirements. Impact is increased costs, operational challenges, or income limits. Mitigation includes 1B certification providing strong foundation and properties can convert to traditional rental. Probability is low as affordable housing crisis makes co-living more likely to be encouraged.

Property manager underperformance is a risk where the manager fails to maintain occupancy or quality. Impact is vacancy increases, tenant issues, and income drops. Mitigation includes only using proven managers with track record, rental guarantees in place, and ability to change managers. Probability is low as Harmony only works with managers having 10+ years experience and under 3% vacancy.

Builder issues are a risk including construction delays, quality problems, or builder bankruptcy. Impact is timeline extends, costs increase, and stress results. Mitigation includes only using builders with 10+ co-living projects, construction insurance, and builder contracts protecting buyers. Probability is low for vetted builders and medium for delays as they are a property development reality.

Personal circumstances changing is a risk including job loss, relationship breakdown, or health issues. Impact is inability to service debt and forced sale. Mitigation includes emergency fund, income protection insurance, and conservative borrowing. Probability is variable depending on individual circumstances.

Property value decline is a risk from market correction or local economic downturn. Impact is equity reduced and refinancing becomes difficult. Mitigation includes focus on income not just equity and location selection in growth corridors. Probability is medium as property cycles occur but long-term trend is upward.

Tenant damage or disputes are a risk involving major damage beyond bond coverage. Impact is unexpected repair costs and income interruption. Mitigation includes quality tenant screening, appropriate insurance, and bonds held. Probability is low with professional tenants and specialist management reducing incidents.

Who Co-Living Investment Is Not For

If you cannot afford a 2% interest rate rise, do not have a 6-12 month emergency fund, need capital within 2-3 years, or cannot handle market volatility, then investment property of any kind is probably not suitable. But if you have stable income and emergency buffer, can hold for 5-10+ years, understand property cycles, and want income not just equity, then co-living’s enhanced income justifies the comparable risk to traditional property investment.

How Harmony Gets Paid: Transparent Fee Structure

Harmony receives a single referral fee from the builder at settlement. The same fee applies across all builders on our panel meaning no incentive to prefer one builder over another. Harmony is only paid when the project successfully settles. Everything is disclosed transparently to clients. What clients pay Harmony is zero dollars.

What clients pay overall includes purchase price of property ranging from $800K to $1.1M, standard legal and conveyancing fees of $1,500 to $3,000, standard settlement costs including transfer duty as per state rates, furniture package of approximately $15K to $20K, and building and pest inspection if desired of $500 to $800.

This model works for clients because there are no buyer’s agent fees saving $8,000 to $15,000, no finder’s fees to pay, no mortgage broker commissions as the broker is paid by the lender, and access to expert guidance without direct cost. The model works for Harmony through aligned incentives as payment only occurs when the client settles successfully, same fee regardless of which builder means no bias toward highest commission, and long-term relationship as clients return for properties 2, 3, 4, and 5. The model works for builders through access to qualified investors as Harmony pre-screens for capacity, lower marketing costs as ready buyers are brought to them, and higher quality projects as the 118-point filter ensures buildable designs.

Compared to traditional buyer’s agents who charge 2-3% fee to client representing $16K to $33K on a $1M property, are paid regardless of outcome, and are incentivised to transact whether the deal is good or not, the Harmony model charges $0 to client, is paid only at successful settlement, and is incentivised for client success as reputation equals repeat business.

The Harmony Guarantee: What We Promise and What We Do Not

Every property recommended by Harmony includes 1B certification confirmed before any investor commitment, 118-point data analysis with full report provided to every investor, property manager sign-off with written confirmation from specialist manager, SQM Research market report with current data on target suburb, builder track record verification with minimum 10 co-living projects completed, council approval pathway mapped with timeline and requirements documented, rental income projections based on actual comparable listings rather than guesses, and 3-6 month finance timeline through untitled land strategy providing buffer.

What Harmony does not guarantee includes capital growth rates as no one can guarantee future values, exact rental income as market conditions fluctuate, zero vacancy as management minimises but cannot eliminate vacancy, interest rates as these are market-driven, and personal circumstances such as job loss or relationship breakdown.

What Harmony does guarantee includes every property passes 118-point filter before recommendation, every property has 1B certification confirmed, every property uses specialist co-living manager, every property designed for 10-12% yield potential based on current market, and if Harmony would not invest in it themselves they will not recommend it to clients. This would-you-buy-it test means that before recommending any property to a client, the question is asked: if we had $200K and needed to generate retirement income, would we buy this property? If the answer is no, the property does not make the portfolio. This is why 85% of opportunities reviewed are rejected. Most are fine properties but they are not Harmony-standard properties.

Book a Strategy Session

Strategy sessions run 30-45 minutes with no obligation. The session covers learning about your financial situation and goals, explaining the 118-point methodology with real examples, and giving an honest assessment including whether co-living is not suitable.

Contact details: Phone 1300 902 396. Email contact@theharmonygroup.com.au. Website theharmonygroup.com.au/book-consultation.

Harmony Group is based in Richmond, Melbourne and serves investors Australia-wide. Track record includes 200+ projects delivered, $210M+ portfolio value, and work across 30+ councils.

Disclaimer: This content is not financial advice. Speak to a qualified accountant, mortgage broker, and solicitor before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.