Methodology · Research and Selection

How a property earns its place.

Three levels of research determine which properties earn their place in the conversation: builder, location, and build. Only opportunities that align with the strategy and meet the research criteria are surfaced.

Research and selection in motion
The specialism

Specialists in new property. Not all new properties are created equal.

Research rather than speculation. Evidence rather than emotion. Every opportunity is assessed against the strategy and investment brief before it is surfaced for consideration.

Level 1 · Builder and developer

Track record before product.

Who is building this? What have they delivered before? How did they handle defects and rectification? The builder is the first screen before any product is considered.

Level 2 · Location and leading indicators

Looking beyond today's market.

Population growth, infrastructure pipeline, employment drivers, tenant profile, and owner-occupier appeal. Leading indicators that suggest where a market is going, not where it has been.

Level 3 · Build and inclusions

The property itself.

Floor plan, orientation, finishes, depreciation profile, and resale appeal. The build details that distinguish a sound investment from a marketing pitch.

Across ten markets and a range of property types.

Five questions

Five questions before any property is named.

Process begins not with the property, but with the market and the investor. These are the questions that have to land in the positive before an opportunity is even considered.

The five-question screen

  • Population growth

    Is population growth supporting long-term demand?

  • Managed supply

    Is new supply being carefully managed, or oversupplied?

  • Local employment

    What industries are driving local employment?

  • Tenant profile

    Who is the likely tenant profile?

  • Long-term growth

    Will owner-occupiers want to buy this property in ten years?

What typically doesn't pass the screen.

These are characteristics that commonly prevent an opportunity from progressing through the research process.

What we look for.

The signals that move a property forward through the screen. Each is necessary; none are sufficient on their own.

Responsibility split

What sits with the buyer.

API surfaces opportunities and runs the screen. The buyer is responsible for independent inspections at handover. For new builds, the builder carries warranty obligations. For completed property, a building and pest inspection sits with the buyer.

Frequently asked questions.

  • Why don't you publish a property list?
    Because properties are matched to a brief, not browsed off a shelf. A public list inverts the methodology: the property comes first, the client second. We start the other way around.
  • How does API decide which builders to work with?
    Track record. Defect handling. Delivery against contract. Long-term reputation. We watch how a builder responds when something goes wrong, not just when things go right.
  • What if there's a defect after settlement?
    Builder warranties cover most issues for new builds. Buyer-side independent inspections at handover catch what they can. API doesn't carry post-settlement construction responsibility, but we help clients navigate the warranty process.
  • How long does the screening process take?
    Strategy comes first. The screen runs against the brief once strategy is set. Most engagements move from strategy through to a shortlisted property in a number of weeks, sometimes longer if the brief calls for it.
  • Why new property only?
    Depreciation, build quality, fewer surprises at settlement, and a cleaner picture for the lender. From July 2027, new property is also the tax-efficient pathway under the negative gearing reforms.
  • Do you ever change which markets are in scope?
    Yes. Markets move in and out of scope as the leading indicators change. We add markets when the fundamentals support it, and step back when they soften.
Recommended first step

See the work behind every match.

Five minutes. A summary, a move, and your options. When the assessment is complete, you will see how the framework would apply to your position.