PHOTO: Kobe Clarke-Jacob
Aussie Mortgage Broker Reveals Hack to Uncover Hidden Property Prices
Australian mortgage broker Kobe Clarke-Jacobs has shared a clever trick to uncover the price guides of properties listed on realestate.com.au, helping buyers navigate the often frustrating real estate market. Property listings frequently omit the asking price, urging interested buyers to contact the agent or submit their “best offer” or “expressions of interest.”
Clarke-Jacobs, a former buyer’s advocate, told Yahoo Finance that this tactic often leaves buyers in the dark and forces them to make time-consuming calls to real estate agents. While Victorian properties are legally required to provide a selling price on listings, the rules vary across other states and territories.
“Honestly, it should be illegal that they can’t actually tell you what the prices are online. But it’s only Victoria that they legally have to tell you,” she said.
Discover the Hidden Price Range
Fortunately, Clarke-Jacobs has revealed an easy hack that allows buyers to see the price range entered by the listing agent on Here’s how you can do it:
- Open on your laptop and navigate to the property listing you want to check out.
- On a Mac, press Command-Option-U to bring up the background coding. For Windows, press Control-U.
- Use Command-F on a Mac or Control-F on Windows to open the search function and type “marketing.”
This will reveal the marketing range that agents enter to ensure the property appears in searches for specific areas and price points. Although some properties may have broad price ranges, this method gives buyers a rough idea of the price range they can expect.
Clarke-Jacobs said she thinks property listings should be required to include price ranges. · Source: TikTok
Why Do Property Listings Omit Prices?
Clarke-Jacobs explained that there are several reasons why real estate agents might list properties without a price:
- Gauge Interest: Agents can gauge interest in the property based on the number of inquiries they receive.
- Create Competition: In a hot market, this tactic can create competition among serious buyers, potentially driving up the property’s price.
- Unique Properties: For unique properties with few comparable listings, it may be challenging to set a definitive price.
Real estate agency Eview Real Estate noted that this method helps agents “see” what the market will pay and assess genuine interest in the property.
Calls for Nationwide Transparency
Based in Melbourne, Clarke-Jacobs advocates for other states and territories to follow Victoria’s lead and mandate price guides on advertised properties.
“You don’t go into Woolies to buy a block of chocolate without knowing the price until you get to the register. It’s a bit backwards when you put it that way,” she told Yahoo Finance. “It’s not just $5; it’s a big chunk of property that people are spending, and they don’t know what they’re looking at.”
In Victoria, agents must provide a selling price in the Statement of Information for the property, with price ranges only 10 percent higher than the bottom end.
SOURCE: YAHOO