Rent.com.au helps renters and landlords connect and uses technology to make the whole process easier. As the only property website focused solely on the rental market, they have a unique perspective on the industry.
Rent.com.au's CEO Greg Bader sat down for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about the rental market, the housing slump and the future of renting.
"The whole renting market has changed completely. And that's a good thing, I think.
"Over half of our renters are under the age of 40. Every day the average renter gets younger and a little bit wealthier. Interstate migration, people moving for jobs, lifestyle – it's the norm. It's much cheaper and easier to move.
"30 years ago the thing to do was to lock yourself into a mortgage, buy a house where you could afford out in the sticks. Our current generation of people entering the workforce place a lot more value on their lifestyle and flexibility. And some of that is because they need to.
"But I think underlying this is almost a movement where people are putting value on their experiences, their friends, their lifestyle. We see 20% or so of our customers either own a property that they don't live in or saving up to buy a property they have no intention of living in. That's the rentvestor."
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