Only around half of Australians have a will, and half the people who think they know how their property is held are wrong. In this episode, Mel Dennis sits down with Tracey Collins, Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates Law at Collins Lawyers and Consultants, to work through where your property really goes when you die.

Tracey explains why marriage invalidates a will in Victoria, why DIY will kits go wrong once life gets complicated, and why joint tenants vs tenants in common can override your will entirely. She covers superannuation and binding death benefit nominations, owning property across state lines, the blended family mistakes she sees most often, and how to find a lawyer who actually specialises in this work.

Property, Straight Up is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Most property owners have no idea what the planning controls on their land actually allow, or what they could allow in the future. In this episode of Property, Straight Up, Warwick Brookes talks with Laurie Rigoni, founder of Terrain Consulting Group, about the planning reforms reshaping property value right across Melbourne.

Laurie explains the 70/30 housing split, the 60 activity centres changing density near you, what rezoning to housing choice zones means for height limits, the December 2024 car parking changes, and the new canopy tree rules catching owners and developers off guard.

Connect with Laurie Rigoni, Terrain Consulting Group

https://terrainconsulting.com.au/

Property, Straight Up is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Warwick Brookes sits down with Luke Sacco, Partner at Nelson Alexander's Northcote office, for a frank conversation about nearly three decades in real estate and what's really happening in Melbourne's property market right now. From the widening gap between renovated and unrenovated homes to the proposed changes to auction reserve pricing, Luke shares what he's seeing on the ground with buyers and sellers every day.

They cover the biggest mistakes sellers are making, why presentation and staging matter more than ever, what's driving demand in Melbourne's inner north, and why nervous buyers are slowing down every deal. A straight talking look at what it takes to build a lasting career in real estate, and what both buyers and sellers need to understand right now.

Connect with Luke Sacco, Nelson Alexander: https://www.nelsonalexander.com.au/real-estate-agents/luke-sacco/149/

Property, Straight Up is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Downsizing is not just a property decision, it is one of the most emotionally complex transitions people face. In this episode, Mel Dennis talks with Robyn Strickland, founder of Love It or Leave It, about what really happens when someone lets go of decades of belongings and a family home.

Robyn shares why clutter affects our wellbeing, the role adult children play, how the process works step by step, and the one thing she says makes the biggest difference: starting early.

Connect with Robyn Strickland, Love It or Leave It: https://loveitorleaveit.com.au

Property, Straight Up is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Buying the right property is only half the equation. In this episode, Mel Dennis sits down with Nicola Michels, Senior Business Development Manager at Longview, to talk about what great property management actually looks like, what investors get wrong, and the small changes that can have an outsized impact on rental returns and long term performance.

With over two decades of experience across metropolitan Melbourne, Nicola shares what's happening in Melbourne's rental market right now, why the right property manager is worth far more than the fee difference, and a real life case study of a property turned around from two months vacant to let in two weeks. If you own an investment property, or are thinking about buying one, this conversation is essential listening.

Connect with Nicola Michels, Longview: www.longview.com.au

The Melbourne Property Brief is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:25 Meet Nicola Michels: Senior BDM at Longview

01:17 Longview's Coverage Across Metropolitan Melbourne

02:22 What's Happening in Melbourne's Rental Market Right Now

03:34 Pricing Right: The Key to Minimising Vacancy

04:07 Buy With Your Head, Not Your Heart

05:10 What Makes a Property Appeal to the Rental Market

05:51 Long Term Tenants Mean More Money in Your Pocket

06:22 Average vs High Performing Investment Properties

06:54 The Right Team Around You: Why It Matters

07:26 Data Doesn't Lie: Understanding Real Rental Returns

09:17 The Biggest Mistake Investors Make: Choosing the Wrong Agent

09:58 Don't Skimp on Management Fees for a Million Dollar Asset

10:38 What Good Property Marketing Actually Looks Like

11:43 Floor Plans, Virtual Tours and Photography: Why They Win Tenants

13:02 What Service Standards to Look For in an Agent

13:52 Compliance and Legislative Changes Landlords Must Know

15:28 Longview's Service Guarantee: Putting Money Where Their Mouth Is

16:39 Practical Ways to Maximise Rental Return and Minimise Vacancy

17:55 Proactive Maintenance: Prevention Is Better Than Cure

19:39 How Often Should You Review Your Property's Performance?

20:37 The Case for a Property Management Only Agency

21:41 Unbiased Advice: Sell or Hold?

22:12 Real Life Case Study: Vacant for Two Months, Let in Two Weeks

24:06 Closing Advice: The One Thing Every Investor Should Do Now

24:15 Wrap Up and How to Connect With Nicola at Longview

Most people don't think about what happens to their property in a separation until they're already in one. In this episode of Property, Straight Up, Mel Dennis talks with Claire Walczak, an accredited family law specialist and partner at Lander & Rogers, about property settlements, binding financial agreements and the mistakes that end up costing people the most.

Claire explains why having property in your name doesn't make it yours, why a 50/50 split is far from guaranteed, and why an informal agreement can come back to bite you. She also shares why mediation often beats court, how a Vendor Advocate can lower the temperature during a property sale, and what a binding financial agreement is really for.

Connect with Claire Walczak, Lander & Rogers

https://www.landers.com.au/legalservice/family-and-relationship-law

Property, Straight Up is brought to you by Domain & Co, Your Property People. domainandco.com.au

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Meet Claire Walczak, Lander & Rogers

01:11 Claire's role and areas of expertise

02:10 How real property is handled during separation

03:15 Selling vs. retaining the family home

05:19 Who gets to stay in the family home?

06:29 The biggest misconceptions people have about property and separation

08:10 Does separation always mean going to court?

09:57 How to avoid unnecessary disputes and reduce legal costs

11:16 How a Vendor Advocate can help during a property sale

12:28 How independent guidance reduces stress and conflict

13:24 Binding financial agreements explained

14:10 How a BFA protects wealth if a relationship ends

15:27 How to have the BFA conversation with your partner

16:05 Are attitudes toward these agreements changing?

16:51 Think of a BFA as an insurance policy

17:12 When should you seek legal advice?

18:13 The one thing to do to protect yourself and your family

19:07 Closing thoughts and free checklist

In this episode of Property, Straight Up, host Mel Dennis sits down with Inna Segal, director of RET Conveyancing, to talk about what can go wrong when buying or selling property and how to make sure it doesn't happen to you.

Inna has over ten years of experience as a licensed conveyancer and has spent the last five as director of RET Conveyancing. She is the person who sees the mistakes before they become disasters, and in this conversation she shares exactly what those mistakes are and how to avoid them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• A conveyancer is not optional. Inna explains what the role covers and why skipping it is a costly mistake.
• The Section 32 is one of the most important documents in any transaction. Inna explains what to look for and what a defective one can cost you.
• Finance timing matters more than buyers expect. Thirty days goes faster than you think, and missing the window carries real risk of default.
• Skipping a building and pest inspection is a gamble, not a shortcut.
• Section 27 lets vendors in Victoria access their deposit before settlement, and most don't know it exists.
• Tenanted properties carry a vacant possession risk that has ended deals entirely. Inna shares the cautionary tale.
• Undisclosed renovation works can come back on sellers under the seven-year disclosure rule.

CONNECT WITH INNA SEGAL AT RET CONVEYANCING
https://www.retconveyancing.com.au/

ABOUT DOMAIN & CO
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions of your life. Often the biggest financial decision you'll ever make. Bigger than anything else you'll sign your name to.

And the people meant to help you make it have started to look a lot like the people you didn't trust in the first place.

The polished ones in the sharp suits. The corporate machines who never learn your name. Or worst of all. No one. Just you and a portal and a hunch.

We've spent thirty years on both sides of property. The buy and the sell. The boom and the bust. The houses that grew. The ones that didn't. The agents you'd want in your corner. The ones you wouldn't.

We've walked the same families through five, six transactions across decades. First home. Family home. Forever home. The next chapter after that.

So we don't pitch. We don't perform. We don't take work we don't believe in. We just tell you what we'd do, if it were us in your position.

For property, told straight. We're your property people.

https://domainandco.com.au/

Download the Buyers & Sellers checklist here - CLICK HERE