🏘️ Getting Started in Property Investment: What type of Investor are you?

No two people go through life the same. We each have different personalities, upbringing, values, education, social circles and responsibilities. Our own perception of success, freedom and fulfilment can be somebody else’s picture of a cage and failure. 

So it makes sense that two people who are at the same stage of life, with the same budget, buying at the same time, in the same location can buy two very different properties and still feel that they have achieved their goal.

What it comes down to is often not the deal itself but the person behind the deal and the type of investor they are.

Some people thrive on rolling up their sleeves and squeezing every dollar of profit out of a property or project, while others prefer to let professionals do the hard work while they focus on their own careers or families.

Understanding what kind of investor you are isn’t just a fun quiz… it’s a crucial step in building the right portfolio for your goals.

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Here are the four main types of investors I see:

🛋 Set & Forget: Long-Term Wealth Builders

For you, property investment is a tool to secure your future while you stay focused on your profession or business. From research and purchasing to ongoing management, you lean entirely on trusted professionals. Your strategy is simple: buy well, hold long-term, and let time and capital growth do the work.

⚖️ Midway: Balanced Investors

You want to have a say, but you’re also happy to let the experts take care of most things. You keep an eye on the market, do your own research, and make informed decisions, but you outsource the majority of the heavy lifting like property management and maintenance. Your focus is on building wealth steadily over time, with a largely passive approach.

🏡 Hands-On: Renovators & DIY Managers

You like to get involved, but perhaps not to the extreme. Renovations, Airbnb hosting, and even self-managing tenants appeal to you. You don’t shy away from properties needing a little TLC, and you’re comfortable doing the research, planning, and sometimes the actual work. Cash flow is usually a big driver, but your approach can be flexible — short or long-term.

🔨 Super Hands-On: Flippers & Developers

This is the highest level of involvement. You’re driven by in-depth market knowledge and the ability to navigate hurdles to squeeze out maximum profit. Think subdivision projects, flipping properties, or full-scale developments. It’s high risk, high reward — and it requires serious commitment, both financially and personally.

You can do all the research in the world and plan out an investment strategy based on what worked for your best friend's Mum but if it doesn't suit your own Investor Type, the chances of you reaching your investor goals are low.

Why Does It Matter?

Knowing what type of investor you are helps you make smarter choices to move you towards your goal in a way that fits your individuality. Your investor type affects:

• The investment strategy you follow & the type of property you choose  - the run down house, unliveable on the best street might not be the best for a ‘Set & Forget’ type… just as a near new build in the inner suburbs on 400m2 isn’t going to suit the ‘Super Hands-On’ type, even though BOTH are good deals.

  
  

• The team you need - from accountants, solicitors and property managers to the buyer’s agent, builder and town planner. Each will have their own speciality and preference for strategy and it’s best to choose one that aligns with your own.

  
  

• How you structure your finances and purchases - knowing your end goal PLUS your investor type allows you to effectively plan the best finance and purchasing structures to fit with you.

  
  

• Your tax outcomes - active vs passive approaches can create very different scenarios and you need to have the right advice from your A team professionals on what strategy is going to suit your Investor type.

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Final Thoughts

When you’re clear on your investor type, you can align your property choices with your lifestyle, risk appetite and long-term goals.

At the end of the day, property investment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Just as no two people share the exact same vision of success, no two investors will walk the same path to get there. What matters most is recognising your own style, strengths, and limits and building a strategy that honours them.

When you understand the type of investor you are, you can cut through the noise, avoid chasing deals that don’t fit, and instead focus on the properties and strategies that align with your version of success. Because the best investment isn’t the one everyone else is talking about it’s the one that helps YOU move closer to the life you want.