We've got some exciting news to share! Milk Chocolate has been selected for the Reach Australia & New Zealand 2024 Accelerator program. We're thrilled to be in the mix with some fantastic companies. This recognition marks a significant milestone for Milk Chocolate as it continues to lead the industry with its innovative approach to planning, purchasing, construction, and property management services.

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Over the last few years, we’ve been working on something that’s set to be a total gamechanger – for our clients, our business and the wider property industry.

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Since Milk Chocolate launched many years ago, the purchasing vertical has grown considerably.

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It’s no secret that we tend to favour older homes. Not only do they bear many of the beautiful aesthetic features from the period in which they were built, but we believe they’re almost always a solid investment.

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Did you know men own 29.9% of properties overall, and women own less – about 26.6%. The statistics are quite sobering, especially given the incredible amount of equity produced by property and the already existent gender pay gap. Like many others, we believe the gap needs to close and that women deserve an equal share of the property market.

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Over the past couple of years, Milk Chocolate has undergone some pretty rapid growth. That progression relates strongly to our success in acquiring plenty of new clients and increasing our revenue across all of our verticals, but it also extends to the expansion of our team.

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It’s been quite a year for Milk Chocolate – one of exciting developments, fresh hires across the country and a brand-spanking new place for us to call home.

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You might already be familiar with us and what we do, but if not, we thought we’d put together a neat summary of what we’re all about and why we stand out.

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Big data is everywhere. It’s in our business transactions, smart devices (also known as the Internet of Things), industrial equipment, videos, and social media. It also comes in many forms: from structured, numerical data in traditional databases to unstructured text documents, emails, videos, audio files, stock tickers, and financial transactions.

Looking for a new home is no mean feat. From trawling through seemingly endless online listings to negotiating and bidding to finally moving in, there’s a heck of a lot that needs to be done – a process made all the more stressful when you’re doing it from overseas.

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The Aussie property market has undergone quite a few shifts in recent years thanks to the pandemic, global affairs and economic changes, among many other influences. However, despite the dynamic nature of the market, it remains a very robust asset class in the economy.

We might be just a little biased, but we reckon there are countless benefits to putting your money into Australian property. Let’s explore some of the reasons it’s worth investing in.

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With considerable growth over the past few years, we knew we needed a real gun to spearhead our purchasing vertical.

Brad Purcell is our National Head of Acquisitions, who leads the vertical. We chat to him about his varied and expansive career path, the journey to property purchasing and how Brad approaches each buying decision.

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When buying a new home for your family, the typical process looks a little something like this: browse online, inspect in-person, fall in love with a particular home, disregard the others, and put your money down to purchase your dream dwelling. In most cases, the entire operation is undertaken entirely on the ground.

But what if you’re relocating from interstate or even overseas? Read more to find out.

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Since we launched Milk Chocolate, we’ve utilised numerous social and content networks to communicate with our clients, convey goings-on in the business, share our knowledge and ideas and, more recently, attract new business.

The value of social media is nothing new, but its advantages can’t be underestimated. Over the years of using social media for our business, we’ve gleaned a thing or two about the value it brings – not just for us, but for our clients, investors and employees.

In this article, we explore the power of social media and content creation.

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Before the pandemic hit, travel was key for us. In fact, the company more or less counted on it.

Our founders flew to all the expat hotspots – Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, and other parts of the Middle East and Southeast Asia – to attend expat expos and networking events, and book meetings with prospective clients.

Now, though, most of our business development is done from our office in Sydney.

Learn how we’ve managed to pivot our growth strategy, despite being grounded in Australia for nearly two years.

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Like any business, our clients are the backbone of our success. But their loyalty is by no means a given. So, how do we approach customer service and client management to ensure we give them 110 percent each and every time, and to maintain their trust? If you’re curious about the Milk Chocolate difference when it comes to working with new, old and prospective clients, here’s everything you need to know.

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Are the Olympic Games in Brisbane expected to have an impact on the state’s housing market? In this article, our Snr Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Kevin Hoang explores what happened in Sydney and his forecast for Brisbane.

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When we’re on the hunt for a property, be it an investment or family home, there are many things we look for – some standard and some specific to the Milk Chocolate purchasing ethos.

Curious about how a property qualifies for our exacting standards? Here’s a little peek behind the curtain.

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Big data is everywhere, but what exactly is it? And how can we use it to our advantage?

Read more about big data and how we’re using it in our latest article.

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Finding the right property, in the right state, in the right region, in the right suburb, on the right street is no mean feat: a single property purchase can be impacted by numerous influences. In this piece, we chat with Dr. Kevin Hoang about his role at Milk Chocolate and finding the right property.

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Q1 2021 has ended with new record highs across all capital cities. According to Corelogic, the national home value index increased a further 2.8%, placing values 5.6% above the previous market peak in October 2017. The combined value of Australian dwellings hit $7.9 trillion dollars over the month, which is 3 x the total capitalisation of the stock market. This cements residential property as an important asset class.

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Even if you haven’t asked us directly, you’ve probably wondered why we chose to name our company after a type of confectionery. Well, it has nothing to do with our appreciation for sweets. While it may seem a little strange on the surface, Milk Chocolate is a reflection of our business’s core philosophy and both my and Richie’s personalities.

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Over the past few decades, the Aussie property market has appreciated an average of 7% per year. One or two volatile years won’t matter much in the long run; it’s all about long-term capital growth.

Our in-house Data Scientist and Economist Kevin Hoang explains why.

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Fintech, meditech, edtech, madtech… as digital becomes king, a raft of tech fields are emerging across almost every single industry.

As one of the companies leading the proptech charge here in Australia, we thought we’d delve a little further into this burgeoning field.

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We don’t take property purchases lightly. From family homes and investments to renovations and management, every undertaking at Milk Chocolate is carefully scrutinised to ensure it meets the client’s exacting needs.

We explore the incredible team effort that goes into our Game Plans, how they work, and why we see them as such a crucial part of our business.

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This year is set to be a big one for Milk Chocolate. Following a universally turbulent 2020, we’re gearing up for some pretty major developments – not least our series A round, which is scheduled for December 2021.

Throughout our experience of raising money for Milk Chocolate, we’ve discovered a few things about funding and the incredible value it offers. As we excitedly move towards our series A, here are some of the key lessons we’ve learned.

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Four years ago, Mark Korenik flew from Russia to Australia to kickstart his career in property. Fast-forward to now and he’s our very own property economist and Qualified Property Investment Advisor. Among a bunch of other things, Mark’s in charge of overseeing our clients’ portfolios and developing our Game Plans – tailored property investment strategies that we provide to each of our clients.

Much like Milk Chocolate is not your typical property company, Georgia Anderson Sparkes is not your typical project manager. With a background that combines traditional design with property and development, Georgia is a bit of a rare breed.

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We purchased the home in Yarraville, in Melbourne’s inner west, earlier this year on behalf of our Aussie expat clients in Singapore. Their goal is to return to Australia in the next 12-24 months, with this purchase acting as their eventual home upon their return.

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As we were putting together this client’s Game Plan™, Tasmania emerged as the most suitable state to purchase in. They were looking to repatriate to Australia – specifically, in the Tassie capital of Hobart

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Once you’ve found your dream home or the ideal investment property, it’s not as straightforward as making your best offer and receiving the keys. There’s also a process that needs to happen pre-offer that’s fairly lengthy and involved.

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Attending an open for inspection is usually the first stage of sussing out a potential purchase – and sometimes, one of the most crucial. Our NSW Buyer’s Agent, Sam Williams has put together four things he assesses when inspecting.

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Our clients came to Milk Chocolate as they were specifically looking for a knock down rebuild project for their new family home.

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The ex-govie is a common housing type across Canberra and one of the most sought-after among young Canberrans looking to establish a future family home.

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We pride ourselves on our ability to steer our clients towards making very smart investments – be it via an investment property (or multiple properties) or even a family home purchase.

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One of our expat clients recently purchased a beautiful renovated Queenslander in Brisbane’s inner north. Within mere days of settlement, the home was on the rental market and open to prospective tenants.

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We’ve purchased a lot in regional Australia over the course of running Milk Chocolate – particularly in the last few years as more and more people flock to country cities and towns. Regional Victoria has been especially popular – namely Ballarat, a burgeoning satellite city and one of the fastest-growing regional locations in the state.

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With considerable growth over the past few years, we knew we needed a real gun to spearhead our purchasing vertical.

Brad Purcell is our National Head of Acquisitions, who leads the vertical. We chat to him about his varied and expansive career path, the journey to property purchasing and how Brad approaches each buying decision.

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Adelaide’s south is quickly becoming a popular destination for all kinds of buyers – particularly young owner-occupiers. Given the signs of gentrification the region is showing coupled with its excellent access to Adelaide’s CBD, it’s easy to see why.

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Aside from its capacity for subdivision, what really appealed to us with this purchase was the fact that it included an original character home that typifies the region – providing lots of upsizing potential.

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The 2022 Australian federal election will be held on 21 May 2022 to elect members of the 47th Parliament of Australia. As the election nears our Senior Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Kevin Hoang unpacks each side’s housing policies.

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When buying a new home for your family, the typical process looks a little something like this: browse online, inspect in-person, fall in love with a particular home, disregard the others, and put your money down to purchase your dream dwelling. In most cases, the entire operation is undertaken entirely on the ground.

But what if you’re relocating from interstate or even overseas? Read more to find out.

Read Time: 3 minutes

When we’re on the hunt for a property, be it an investment or family home, there are many things we look for – some standard and some specific to the Milk Chocolate purchasing ethos.

Curious about how a property qualifies for our exacting standards? Here’s a little peek behind the curtain.

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The regional Victorian city of Geelong is well-known for its gorgeous weatherboard homes, particularly in older and more established suburbs.

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A new year often brings a fresh slew of design trends, from styles that take inspiration from bygone eras to those that are decidedly more forward-thinking—This year is no different.

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With such an array to choose from, it’s understandably difficult choosing the right builder to spearhead your construction project. Fortunately, there are several filters you can apply to your search to narrow down your options.

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At Milk Chocolate, a huge proportion of the properties we purchase are in need of a facelift – be it a light cosmetic renovation or a structural one. There are certain things we seek out in these kinds of properties that make them worth buying.

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Melbourne’s inner west is packed to the brim with beautiful character dwellings, and this property is no exception.

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We love spearheading new builds, as they give us the opportunity to design and create a real masterpiece that’s practically free from limitations.

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Given the fact that we tend to prioritise buying character homes (they are, after all, one of the key pillars of what we deem a ‘Milk Chocolate property’)

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A recent project undertaken by our construction team really proves the power of smart renovation. Located in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, we purchased the home as an investment for our clients with the goal to increase its value and boost its rental yield.

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A penthouse with a stunning view is all well and good, but if the apartment’s design isn’t well-considered, that prime positioning becomes pretty underutilised. That was our task for this construction project: to undertake a total revamp, opening up the floor plan, modernising the space, making it compatible with working from home, and maximising the apartment’s sublime Sydney CBD vistas.

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We’ve seen lots of activity happening in the national capital recently, including a really exciting construction project in the Canberra suburb of Curtin. When we purchased the home, it was in its original – and, admittedly, very dated – condition.

Much like Milk Chocolate is not your typical property company, Georgia Anderson Sparkes is not your typical project manager. With a background that combines traditional design with property and development, Georgia is a bit of a rare breed.

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What questions should you ask a reference given to you by a builder?

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Rendering is a great way to modernise your home or investment property. In this blog, we tell you about the on-trend colour schemes and what to look out for when appointing a renderer. 

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In this blog, we detail six smart ways to modernise the internal areas of your investment property to increase capital growth and rental yield.

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The good thing about TV is that there’s so many renovating programs that we all love to watch. And we all sit there and think, ‘that really is my dream job’ or ‘I’ve always wanted to do that’.

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The past 12 months have been full of speculation regarding the property market: how supply will affect prices, whether interest rates will continue to rise and what the future holds for the Aussie property market.

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Are you curious about what’s going on with the Aussie property market right now and whether it’s still a good time to buy? Our National Head of Acquisitions, Brad Purcell, has put together an analysis of the current state of the national market.

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Sydney demonstrated an increase in median values for the first time in effectively 12 months in February 2023 with median values increasing 0.3%. At that time other capital city data reflected a slowing in value decline. The RBA also released recent data assessing the position of household mortgages, which we detail in this article.

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Holding off on purchasing property because you think prices will continue sliding? You might want to think again.

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"Is now the right time to buy?" We think it is and read on to see why.

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The Australian housing market has been undergoing a widespread correction over the last 6 months after a period of rapid growth in 2020-2021.

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There’s no denying there's been a recent shift in dynamics for the property market. With Interest rate hikes and a rising cost of living... you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s not exactly the best time to buy. But our market experts believe the opposite: there are actually plenty of great purchasing opportunities around, and now might just be a great chance to nab a fantastic property.

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The growth achieved in the last 12 months amounted to 26%, which broke all previous records in recent decades. It is obvious that this level of price growth is not sustainable and in this article, our Snr Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Kevin Hoang explores where he sees the market moving in the longterm.

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In this article, we compare the performance of blue-chip suburbs in Brisbane against Sydney. Brisbane is the third-largest economy in Australia, which has a diverse economy, strong economic fundamentals, and modern infrastructure. However, the house prices in Brisbane remain significantly lower than in Sydney and Melbourne in both blue-chip and mass markets.

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The national market has achieved the highest gain since 1989, recording 20.3% higher over the past 12 months. In this article, our Snr Economist, Dr. Keving Hoang explores the last quarter and the impact the possible APRA Intervention and the unfolding Evergrande Crisis could have on Australian real estate.

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Housing markets around Australia have recorded a strong year amid various economic uncertainties. According to CoreLogic, the national Home Value Index rose 19% over the 2021 financial year, which is one of the highest annual gains in history.

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Housing markets around Australia continued the strong growth momentum in May 2021. According to CoreLogic, the national Home Value Index rose 2.2% over the month. However, the monthly rate of growth has started to decelerate in comparison to the last 6 months.

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Q1 2021 has ended with new record highs across all capital cities. According to Corelogic, the national home value index increased a further 2.8%, placing values 5.6% above the previous market peak in October 2017. The combined value of Australian dwellings hit $7.9 trillion dollars over the month, which is 3 x the total capitalisation of the stock market. This cements residential property as an important asset class.

Read Time: 2 minutes

Over the past few decades, the Aussie property market has appreciated an average of 7% per year. One or two volatile years won’t matter much in the long run; it’s all about long-term capital growth.

Our in-house Data Scientist and Economist Kevin Hoang explains why.

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If you’re thinking of taking out a home loan, you’ll need to go through pre-approval first. Together with Odin Mortgage, we’ve put together four tips to make your pre-approval application a successful one.

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If you’re contemplating purchasing your first home in New South Wales, you may have heard about the launch of the NSW Government's new scheme for first-home buyers

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The cash rate has been trending upward over the last four months. Milk Chocolates, Senior Economist, Dr Kevin Hoang helps explain when to choose fixed or variable mortgage rates.

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The recent federal budget places significant emphasis on housing - a testament to the sector's tremendous importance to the national economy, but early indications suggest it may not be enough to solve Australia's housing shortage as demand is forecast to gain strength in the long term.

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Our Senior Economist Dr. Kevin Hoang has carried out a review of the market’s reactions following the RBA’s tightening monetary policy and the implications for the housing market.

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When considering the impact of cash rate hike episodes on housing prices from a long-term perspective, we find that there is no clear correlation between the two indicators. That means there are other important fundamentals that drive the housing prices rather than the cash rate alone

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We don’t take property purchases lightly. From family homes and investments to renovations and management, every undertaking at Milk Chocolate is carefully scrutinised to ensure it meets the client’s exacting needs.

We explore the incredible team effort that goes into our Game Plans, how they work, and why we see them as such a crucial part of our business.

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As a general rule of thumb, acquisition and disposal costs, including the purchase cost, buyers agent fees, conveyancing and stamp duty on the title transfer – are not tax deductible. However, that is not the case in the ACT.

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"How much tax will I pay on my Australian rental income?" "Do I still need to pay stamp duty if I'm an expat?" "If I sell my Australian property whilst living abroad am I required to pay Capital Gains Tax?" For Australian expats, tax implications can be confusing, in this blog, we answer these common questions.

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Australian lenders are constantly moving the goal posts. What Australian expats need to know when financing the purchase of an investment property in Australia.  

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Guest article by Craig Joslin, Founder of the Australian Expat Investor - Tax considerations when investing in Australian property as an expat. 

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Here we talk about the best way to structure your home loan, whether it be for an Investment property or your principal place of residence. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

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Property financing. Wow, what a delight it can be. Especially for those not in the game. There are so many options, so many ads and so many incentives. How do you determine what the best option is?

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Thinking of investing in Australia but not a citizen or permanent resident? We chatted to Al-Karim Madhavji at Long Saad Woodbridge Lawyers about the process of submitting to the Foreign Investment Review Board.

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When purchasing a property via private treaty a standard contract will include a cooling off period. What are your rights and what are you liable for if you pull out in this time?

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Understanding what insurances you need for your investment property. 

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The Canberra leasehold system. Panic stations or non-event? We do our best to explain the process.

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It’s an area most like to look past and leave to the professionals. Whilst that sounds all well and good and possibly smart, property conveyancing is something you should know the basics of.

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Milk Chocolate, co-founder, Richie Ragel was recently interviewed by Aaron Christie-David on the Australian Investment Property Podcast, take a listen. You can also review some of the case studies he mentioned in this article.

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The Aussie property market has undergone quite a few shifts in recent years thanks to the pandemic, global affairs and economic changes, among many other influences. However, despite the dynamic nature of the market, it remains a very robust asset class in the economy.

We might be just a little biased, but we reckon there are countless benefits to putting your money into Australian property. Let’s explore some of the reasons it’s worth investing in.

Read Time: 4 minutes

The national market has achieved the highest gain since 1989, recording 20.3% higher over the past 12 months. In this article, our Snr Economist, Dr. Keving Hoang explores the last quarter and the impact the possible APRA Intervention and the unfolding Evergrande Crisis could have on Australian real estate.

Read Time: 3 Minutes

Are the Olympic Games in Brisbane expected to have an impact on the state’s housing market? In this article, our Snr Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Kevin Hoang explores what happened in Sydney and his forecast for Brisbane.

Read Time: 2 minutes

Housing markets around Australia have recorded a strong year amid various economic uncertainties. According to CoreLogic, the national Home Value Index rose 19% over the 2021 financial year, which is one of the highest annual gains in history.

Read Time: 2 minutes

Over the past few decades, the Aussie property market has appreciated an average of 7% per year. One or two volatile years won’t matter much in the long run; it’s all about long-term capital growth.

Our in-house Data Scientist and Economist Kevin Hoang explains why.

Read Time: 4 minutes

We don’t take property purchases lightly. From family homes and investments to renovations and management, every undertaking at Milk Chocolate is carefully scrutinised to ensure it meets the client’s exacting needs.

We explore the incredible team effort that goes into our Game Plans, how they work, and why we see them as such a crucial part of our business.

Read Time: 3 minutes

Four years ago, Mark Korenik flew from Russia to Australia to kickstart his career in property. Fast-forward to now and he’s our very own property economist and Qualified Property Investment Advisor. Among a bunch of other things, Mark’s in charge of overseeing our clients’ portfolios and developing our Game Plans – tailored property investment strategies that we provide to each of our clients.

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For expats reading Australian news headlines, you're most likely hearing the negative sentiment and mixed reviews on the Australian property market. In this blog, we debunk three common myths.

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Guest Article by Craig Joslin, Founder of The Australian Expat Investor – 5 reasons Australian expats should invest in property in Australia whilst living abroad. 

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Fad or here to stay. It feels like the world has only just grabbed onto the fact that Granny Flats exist and are easily accessible. They have been around for a while, but fashionable? Not only until recent times have they become sexy, mainly due to the fact that companies now just specialise in building Granny Flats. 

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Extreme weather events are happening more often and will be more likely in the future. Our Snr Economist Dr. Kevin Hoang explores what this means for the property market.

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Are the Olympic Games in Brisbane expected to have an impact on the state’s housing market? In this article, our Snr Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Kevin Hoang explores what happened in Sydney and his forecast for Brisbane.

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In this blog we take a look at six architectural styles of homes in Adelaide, South Australia. What a ripper Adelaide and it's architecture is. 

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Is Canberra really that dull and boring? Is it just politics and bureaucracy? We take a closer look at the sleeping giant that is, Canberra.  

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Research. Research. Research. It's been head down, bum up - extracting as much information as possible in the Australian property market. We're excited by the opportunities that the market is presenting at this time of year and can't wait to share these findings with our clients.

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For someone unsure of the market, the conditions, the data and process - it can be quite a daunting and difficult experience when it comes to buying a property. More importantly, for investment properties where there are so many indicators and requirements to look out for.

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A great article by Broadsheet on how to spend 24 hours in Hobart. We love this southern city! 

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According to new research just out by the NSW Government initiative, Get Healthy at work, 72% of small and medium sized businesses consider themselves 'healthy' workplaces. 

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Guest contribution from Nikki Ragel - qualified Personal Trainer and professional boot camp ass kicker!