Australia’s first dwarfed estate agent reveals secrets to buying a first home
Australia’s first real estate agent with dwarfism has revealed his secrets to success and explained how young Aussies can get up the property ladder faster.
Kyle Bell, 23, has established himself as a fierce force in the competitive world of Melbourne real estate, and he started just four years ago.
He told Daily Mail Australia that he has wanted to be a real estate agent since childhood as it is not a career path limited by his achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.
The country’s first dwarf broker, Kyle Bell (pictured), has told Daily Mail Australia how he established himself as a top broker and how he uses his status to gain his competitive advantage
Victorian real estate agent Kyle Bell has established himself in the real estate business since becoming a real estate agent in 2019 in a job he has wanted to do since he was in primary school
“From the time I was in 6th grade, I always wanted to be a real estate agent because you don’t need height, but in almost any other job you do,” said Mr. Bell.
“I would have loved to be an AFL player but it was pretty clear that wasn’t going to happen, so instead I focused on a career in real estate.
“You don’t need height to sell a property so that was the main way I got into it, and I knew I’d be as good as anyone else in the job as there are no physical requirements and barriers to entry .’
Mr Bell says his condition is an advantage in real estate because people are less intimidated by him.
“I’ve noticed that people like to chat with me because I’m quite unique and I get questions about it all the time,” he said.
“It can really start a conversation, and it’s a real benefit to me and my career.
“There is a lot of knocking at the door in real estate and when I knock on their door, people don’t see me as a threat and I look like a friendly man at the door.
“That’s another benefit because you get good, friendly conversations and people aren’t afraid of you or talk to you and make that connection.”
“The other thing I get a lot is people congratulating me for getting there. I get a lot of messages and personal comments like ‘good on you’ and people just love it.”
As for cracking the real estate market, Mr. Bell says all Aussies should just focus on entering the market one way or another.
“Especially for young Australians, they just need to get their foot in the door, the property doesn’t have to tick all the boxes,” he said.
“If it has a roof on it, you can live in it, and it doesn’t have to be everything you want, because over time it will increase in value and you can look at an upgrade.”
“If you’re looking to buy, find a good mortgage broker, contact brokers for off-market opportunities and just keep an eye on what the market is doing.”
Mr Bell (pictured) said he uses his condition to an advantage as people are less intimidated by him, largely because he is not seen as a physical threat
Mr Bell says all Aussies should just focus on entering the market by any means necessary just getting their foot in the door and then working on getting their dream home
Mr. Bell says the best place to start when looking for a buy is the sold section of realestate.com and other online real estate marketplaces.
He says that by spending time looking around the for-sale section and seeing what homes are going for, you can determine what price is fair and reasonable.
“If you’re ready to buy don’t jump right in, make sure you do the research before you’re done so you know what’s going on in the area and what type of home you can afford and where,” he said.
“Focus on what you can afford and get your foot in the door and then you can look into the future to buy that bigger dream home.
“Real estate always rises over time, so the sooner you can move in, the better.”
A Resolve Political Monitor survey published last month found that young and middle-income earners in Australia are giving up on ever owning a home.
Two-thirds of the 1,609 surveyed agreed that young Australians will never be able to buy a home.
Jim Reed, director of Resolve, said high house prices and rents discouraged young people from entering the real estate market.
“Many young people have simply given up on the dream of owning a home, at least early in their careers, and some even tell me they give up on starting a family because they can’t afford to take care of themselves , just more mouths,’ he said.
Financial Comparison Canstar calculated that someone with an average full-time salary of $94,000 could borrow just $436,000, less than half the average house price in Sydney (Photo: Sydney Harbour)
An average-skilled Australian who wants a home is now almost locked out of the inner cities or villages near the beach unless they are willing to live in a flood zone.
Financial Comparison Canstar calculated that someone with an average full-time salary of $94,000 could only borrow $436,000.
Therefore, if the potential home buyer could raise a 20 percent down payment of $109,000, they would only be able to buy a house or unit worth $545,000.
That’s less than half of Sydney’s median home price of $1,253,759, even after falling 12 percent in the year to April, CoreLogic data showed.
The middle-income Australian would now also be missing out on the mid-market house in the more affordable but isolated capitals such as Perth where $599,240 is the midpoint and Darwin where $573,534 is the median.
They’re also priced outside Melbourne, where $907,220 is the median home price, after a 10.1 percent drop, along with Brisbane, where $781,881 is the median, after an 11.8 percent drop.
The middle-income Australian would also now miss the mid-market house in the more affordable but isolated capitals such as Perth (pictured) where $599,240 is the center and Darwin where $573,534 is the median