Bookmark these sites to help manage rental properties

The internet is home to a plethora of sites offering information about the property market. It can be hard to know which to trust, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best sources we’ve found.

Scrollin’, scrollin’ scrollin’! It’s been estimated that the average person spends more than five-and-half hours on their mobile and scrolls the equivalent of around 900 metres – that’s around three times the height of the Eiffel Tower – every day.

While there aren’t any stats on how long landlords and agents are spending scrolling though property sites each day, there’s a good chance it’s quite a lot of time. And it’s little wonder so much time and energy can be taken up trying to get a handle on how the property market, and in particular the rental market, is tracking as there’s no shortage of sites out there – there are about 356,000,000 results for a Google search for ‘Australian property’.

Having access to accurate information and the right tools can be invaluable whether you’re a self-managing landlord or professional property manager. We hope this list provides some cut through for you.

Best sites for money matters:

• Australian Tax Office has detailed information about the tax implications of renting property. While your tax agent should be a full bottle, it doesn’t hurt to familiarise yourself with the details.
• Information about finance, mortgages, interest rates and the like are best sourced from your financial institution (bank, credit union etc.) or mortgage broker.
• Reserve Bank of Australia provides commentary on the state of the economy and interest rate decisions it takes.

Best sites for information about landlord insurance:

• EBM RentCover’s Info Centre of course! Regularly updated, the Info Centre has news, articles and updates, provided through an insurance lens, on matters that matter to landlords and property managers.
• Our RCPLive portal for agents helps manage all of your landlords’ insurances in one place with tools to:
• Find the right cover and apply, review and cancel policies. 
• Manage your policies, keeping track of invoices, requesting paperwork and training.
• View your claims history, submit, track and cancel claims.
• Self-managing landlords can tap into our online services too, including our easy-to-use quote system, payment platform and claims portal.

Best sites for facts and figures:

• CoreLogic provides market data and insights. It also offers useful tools for the industry and owners such as calculators.
• SQM Research compiles monthly vacancy and weekly asking rents data.
• ABS is the go-to site for statistical information such as loan approvals and building data.
• HIA provides stats and info on the housing market.
• Realestate.com.au provides suburb profiles and data.
• PropTrack provides insights and statistical data on matters including sales, listings, rents and new homes.
• Domain compiles statistics and offers market insights.

Best sites for property industry commentary:

• Real Estate Institute of Australia and its state and territory branches have their finger on the pulse.
• The Real Estate Conservation is a hub for news.
• Property Investment Professionals of Australia provides news and information.

Best sites for compilation of news:

• Property Update offers commentary, and compiles data and articles from sources including EBM RentCover.
• Smart Property Investment has news for investors.
• Your Investment Property provides sources for property owners.
• Elite Agent provides agents with up-to-date news, including regular columns from our Managing Director, Sharon Fox-Slater.
• Real Estate Business has news for agents.    

Best sites for legal matters:

• Your state or territory residential tenancy authority (e.g. Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs) is the best source of tenancy information including links to legislation, changes and dispute resolution matters.

Knowing what’s happening in the property market is something savvy investors aim for and is imperative for property professionals. With so many sites available, finding trustworthy sources can be a challenge. Hopefully our list of go-to sites will make finding the information you need a little easier – and save your thumbs from all that scrolling!

*While we have taken care to ensure the information above is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances and legislation after the displayed date may impact the accuracy of this article. If you need us we are here, contact 1800 661 662 if you have any questions.