Financial planners look to property advice

In a statement yesterday, the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) said the number of students enrolled in its Quality Property Investment Adviser course had increased 36 per cent over the year to September.

PIPA chair Ben Kingsley said there were several catalysts driving the surge in enrollments.

“Property has become a favoured investment class among Australian investors and one that requires as much due diligence as any other asset," he said.

"We are seeing practitioners from a range of backgrounds including mortgage broking, financial planning and real estate services formalise their property investment knowledge to offer a professional, qualified service.

“In many cases it’s inbound demand from clients looking for assistance with their property investment strategies. In other cases, we hear that practitioners are simply becoming aware of clients’ less than strategic approach to property investment and they’re looking for a way to help.

“There is also growing recognition that property investment advice is simply very complementary to a range of professions.”

Mr Kingsley added that it was encouraging to see professionals opting to proactively increase the professionalism of the property investment industry.

He said that although property investment advice remains unregulated, it is important to drive higher standards to protect consumers and ensure they benefit from the wealth creation benefits that property investment can bring.