Real estate coach Josh Phegan trains Australia’s top-performing agents, but his advice holds valuable lessons for everyday homebuyers navigating a fast-moving and often overwhelming property market.
Buying a home has never been easy, but in today’s environment of tight supply, rising prices and constant competition, the process can be brutal.
Many buyers spend months researching the market, attending weekend inspections, and pouring over listings, only to lose at auction or get outbid by higher offers.
The heartbreak of missing out, again and again, can quickly take its toll.
Mr Phegan, who is said to be the number one preferred trainer for Australia's top 100 agents and top 50 women in real estate, shared the techniques that he shares with agents to stay focused and avoid burnout with the Australasian Real Estate Conference (AREC) on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
“We live in a brand-new world, every single day you wake up, there’s something completely different.”
For buyers, that can mean changing interest rates, fluctuating property prices or fierce competition for homes.
Mr Phegan said people should try to understand their energy and mindset during the process, pointing to four common zones: performance, recovery, survival and burnout.
Real estate coach Josh Phegan speaking on stage at AREC. Picture: Supplied
He said real estate agents and homebuyers alike needed to know where they sat among these zones to help them act with clarity.
“When you’re at your best, stop and have a look at what actually happened in the 24 hours before that moment that led you to be at your best, and replicate those behaviours,” he said.
He said people should also look out for the signs of stress.
“Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in a position that we’ve got a high level of energy, but we’re really negative. That’s the survival zone,” he said.
“And sometimes… you actually have people go into burnout.”
Real estate expert Tom Panos and AREC founder John McGrath. Picture: Supplied
Mr Phegan said the solution was to take deliberate breaks and build strong routines.
For homebuyers, this could mean taking a short break from their property search to reflect on what was working and what wasn’t working.
“The recovery zone is all about the power of the routine, going to bed early, waking up early, doing all of the things that are critically important,” he said.
Mr Phegan said people needed to deeply understand the market they were buying into not just by looking at listings, but by learning the bigger picture about the area they were looking to buy in.
He said people should expand their research by learning about local amenities like shops, public transport options, and more.
“Find out where the schools are, the best cafes, transport options, then go and see them in person,” he said.
He encouraged agents to pay close attention to why a property was on the market, but it’s something that savvy buyers could try out as well.
He said sellers were motivated to sell their homes for different reasons, such as upgrading to a larger home for a growing family; to downsize as the kids moved out; to relocate for work; or to split up the assets after a relationship breakdown.
The different reasons often shaped how fast a seller wanted to move, with more pressing issues like divorce and relocations motivating sellers to sell up faster.
“The bigger the problem, the faster people move,” he said.
For example, someone relocating for work may be more likely to accept a fair offer than someone casually considering a move.
Above all, Mr Phegan said people needed to be clear on what they wanted and be ready to move when the right home appeared.
“It’s your goals. It’s your vision. Get clear and go,” he said. The conference continues on Monday.
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