If you're in your 20s and thinking about investing in property, you're already ahead of the game. While many wait until their 30s or 40s to build wealth through real estate, starting early gives you a serious advantage - more time in the overall market, which can mean higher long-term returns, buying more properties and income capacity - to have greater financial freedom.
But let’s be real: the property market can feel like a minefield when you’re just getting started. There’s no shortage of conflicting advice online, flashy off-the-plan ads, and people who say you “must own your home before investing.” That’s where this guide comes in, to cut through the noise and show you how to invest with confidence, strategy, and minimal risk.
Why Property? Why Now?
Property remains one of Australia’s most powerful wealth-building tools. National home prices have consistently reached new record highs in recent years, driven by factors such as strong immigration and limited housing supply. Rental markets are also tightening. PropTrack reported that the national rental vacancy rate fell to 1.07% in February 2025, marking the scarcest proportion of properties available for rent historically. This tightening supply continues to push rents higher, delivering better yields for landlords.
Starting in your 20s gives you time to:
- Ride out market cycles
- Leverage equity to grow a portfolio faster
- Use rental income to reduce your debt over time
The Investor Mindset: Think Like a Long-Term Wealth Builder
Before jumping into the numbers, nail your mindset:
- You don’t need to live in your first property. This is known as rentvesting. You rent where you want to live, and invest where it makes financial sense.
- Your first property is a stepping stone, not a dream home. Focus on performance, not granite benchtops.
- Cash flow matters, but growth builds wealth. Aim for a balance, especially early on.
- Smart investors also play the long game. Property isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a get-rich-slow-and-smart plan.
5 Steps to Get Started (The Right Way)
1. Get a grip on your finances
Meet with a mortgage broker to understand your borrowing capacity, ideal deposit size, and whether you’re eligible for incentives like First Home Buyer schemes.
2. Clarify your strategy
What’s your goal? Passive income? Long-term capital growth? Fast equity to build a portfolio? This will guide your suburb and property type.
3. Use data, not emotion
Don’t buy where you live, or where your uncle or cousin says is “booming.” Instead, make sure you look at key factors like:
- Vacancy rates
- Infrastructure spend
- Population growth
- Rental demand
- Historical capital growth
This is what we help our clients analyse in detail.
4. Avoid common traps
Here’s where many young investors go wrong:
- House & Land Packages: They sound appealing with fixed prices and “rental guarantees,” but often come with inflated valuations, hidden fees, and low-growth locations. You're essentially paying a premium for newness, not performance.
- Off-the-plan Apartments: These can drop in value on completion and often suffer from oversupply and poor rental demand.
- Buying based on tax benefits alone: Negative gearing only works if the property grows in value. Focus on fundamentals, not just deductions.
5. Build your A-team
Your success depends on your support system:
- Mortgage Broker: Finds the right loan structure and lender
- Buyer's Agent: Sources and negotiates the right property with investor-grade metrics
- Conveyancer: Handles the legal process
- Accountant: Structures your finances tax-efficiently
But here’s the difference:
A Strategic Buyer’s Agent isn’t just another player on your team - they lead it. We act as the central hub, aligning all parts of your property strategy with your long-term financial goals. That means connecting you with strategic mortgage brokers and tax-savvy accountants, coordinating logistics, and ensuring your A-team is working in sync. With our Principal Buyer’s Agent also being a Chartered Accountant, we bring a unique blend of financial insight and property expertise to your portfolio.
We’re not here for just a transaction - we’re here for your long-term transformation.
A Realistic First Step
You don’t need $200,000 in savings. With a 10-12% deposit, some lenders accept first-time investors, especially if you have a stable income and low debt. (with the new government grants you could be eligible for a 5% deposit!) You might even consider a joint venture with a sibling or friend, but only with legal advice and clear exit plans.
We Help You Buy with Strategy, Not Emotion
At Shayne Heeralall Buyers Agency, we specialise in helping ambitious young professionals like you break into the property market confidently.
We:
- Do the research & due diligence for you
- Identify high-growth, high-yield suburbs
- Shortlist investment-grade properties for you to choose from
- Negotiate fiercely on your behalf
- Help you avoid the mistakes we’ve seen others make.
Book a free 15-minute discovery call today, and let’s turn your income into long-term wealth.
