WHY DO I NEED EMPIRE'S HELP? I ALREADY KNOW HOW TO BUY PROPERTY.

Buying property as an investment rather than to live in requires a different strategy and different skills. Building a portfolio that generates an income to fun your lifestyle and your retirement takes an even greater level of understanding. Just a few of the things you have to know are: 

• Exactly which properties to buy in which areas
• Where to get finance, the right deal at the right price
• What the long term forecast for the area is
• What price to pay, what a realistic valuation is, not the agent's or bank's figure
• How to negotiate a better price
• What the average occupancy rate is in the area
• What tenants will be prepared to pay
• What would encourage them to pay more
• Knowing where to find the tenants
• What renovations to do and how much to spend
• How this property charges your overall portfolio

Plenty of people are happy to invest in their own time to maintain and manage their property investments, and some do it very well. But Empire is not for them, we're for people who want it all taken care of for them and know that if you want an expert job, pay an expert. 

WHY WOULD I GET A BETTER DEAL ON A PROPERTY WITH EMPIRE THAN FINDING IT MYSELF?

A surprising fact is a large number of properties sold never come on the open market. Empire has the connections to tap this hidden resource, so we can give you exclusive access to opportunities. We also turn down 80% of properties we see no matter what the price they are asking because not all properties are likely to generate the best long term growth. And because we're in the market 24/7, it's unlikely we'll miss any opportunity that comes along. We are also experts in negotiation and auction strategies.

ISN'T EMPIRE'S SUCCESS ALL BASED ON PROPERTY MARKETS RISING? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT FALLS?

From time to time the property market will fall, but this will affect you adversely only if you are a short term speculator and Empire doesn't recommend a short term view. When you account for the falls (and rises) in prices, over the last 100 years, Australian property values have averaged 7-10% growth per annum (depending where you are). Our Formulas show that so long as the average rate of property growth exceeds 3-4%pa, your Empire Portfolio will create net wealth for you.

WHY NOT JUST INVEST IN PROPERTY TRUSTS? THAT'S SHARES AND PROPERTY COMBINED.

Creating an Empire Personal Property Portfolio is a better option because you determine the underlying assets and the flow of income. While trusts can be effective, you no longer have this control. You are also competing with large, institutional investors. Property trusts, like shares, can suffer large fluctuations in value, whereas if you invest directly in bricks and mortar, your money is literally as safe as houses.

SURELY WITH PROPERTY THERE'S NO LIQUIDITY? I CAN SELL MY SHARES, BUT SELLING PROPERTY IS EXPENSIVE AND TAKES TIME.

This is where Empire's portfolio approach comes into play. You do have liquidity because you can draw on the equity in your portfolio, without the need to sell a property.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF EMPIRE, BUT I'M A CAUTIOUS INVESTOR. DOES THAT MEAN IT'S NOT FOR ME?

Not at all. Empire uses gearing strategies (the proportion of money you borrow to buy the property) to match the risk profile of each investor. If you are risk averse, you would have a low level of gearing or even no gearing at all. All of this can be agreed with your licensed financial planner and/or accountant.

DOES EVERY EMPIRE CLIENT INVEST THE SAME WAY?

No. The basic principles remain the same but we develop a custom strategy for your needs based on your individual circumstances, goals and outlook.

HOW DOES EMPIRE AFFECT MY SUPER?

It complements it and adds to it. Your Empire Personal Property Portfolio can be designed to dovetail with whatever Super arrangements you already have in place.

HOW DOES EMPIRE MAKE MONEY?

Empire operates on a fixed fee-for-service basis and agree a fee in advance for each property we buy or renovation we manage for you.

WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND?

If you have any reservations about buying a property we've selected for you, you are not obliged to go through to purchase. To help you in your purchasing decision we recommend that we pay for an independent valuation, building inspection and strata search to ensure you know exactly what you are buying.