Geelong Exposed | Where to Buy, What to Avoid & What Actually Drives Growth (with Sophie)

What if everything you thought about property investing… was slightly off?

In this episode of Future Proof Property, Dawn sits down with Sophie, a Geelong-based property investment specialist and director with over 14 years of experience on the ground.

This is not a theory.This is what’s actually happening in the market.

From migration trends and vacancy rates…To suburb-by-suburb insights and tenant behaviour…

Sophie breaks down where investors are getting it right and where they’re quietly losing money.

Because buying property isn’t about what looks good on a map. It’s about understanding what drives demand. Why owner-occupier demand matters more than investor trends

The truth about Geelong’s growth and “COVID boom” effects

Where the most undervalued suburbs are right now

Why cheap areas don’t always mean better investment

The real difference between houses, units, and apartments

How to avoid high-maintenance properties and bad tenants

What tenants actually want in today’s rental market

Why some investors are leaving money on the table with rent

The hidden costs of buying older properties

00:00 Why most investors focus on the wrong data 02:10 Geelong growth, migration and market trends 06:30 The COVID boom and what changed after 10:00 Suburbs with the most potential right now 14:30 Owner-occupier demand vs investor demand 18:00 The truth about “cheap” suburbs 22:00 Property types: houses vs units vs apartments 26:30 Rental demand and tenant behaviour 30:00 Renovation mistakes investors make 34:30 Compliance costs and hidden expenses 38:00 Vacancy rates and rental opportunities 42:00 Suburbs to avoid or approach carefully 46:00 Final advice for investors