RE/MAX Living broker owner Kathy Sweeney has celebrated the fifth anniversary of her Asset Building Club (A.B.C.), an initiative aimed at helping young adults enter the property market
Ms Sweeney launched the program five years ago with the goal of empowering young people on her team and in the local community.
“I didn’t want to simply help them buy a home; I wanted them to learn how to run a ‘program’ of investing in property,” Ms Sweeney said.
The fifth annual A.B.C. session, themed ‘The how-tos of buying your first property’, was held in early August in Burpengary, north of Brisbane, with 22 attendees.
Real estate sales agents, property managers and finance specialists from RE/MAX Living and Pivotal Financial were on hand to provide expertise.
Ms Sweeney said that market conditions have changed significantly since the program’s inception.
“The market is very different now to when we ran that first event,” she said.
“For instance, what once read $400,000 now reads $700,000, and this generation has to be far more creative about finding their way into property ownership.”
The success of the initiative is attributed to the establishment of ‘ambassadors’, who serve as real-life examples of people on their real estate journey.
Three original ambassadors, William Sweeney, Melanie Wilks and Chanae Roma, have all progressed in their property ownership journeys since the program began.
Ms Roma has moved from saving for a deposit to selling her first property for a profit and purchasing a larger home.
Ms Wilks has purchased an investment property while living with family and working towards a second property.
Mr Sweeney has expanded his portfolio to three properties, including his current residence.
The A.B.C. events target 18-to-30-year-olds, with a focus on those who may not yet be considering property investment.
“Our purpose is to break down the barriers, take fear out of the equation and show that finance brokers and real estate professionals are not scary and unapproachable,” Ms Sweeney said.
“It is very gratifying for the team to see the people who have gone on to become property owners.”
The events are promoted primarily through social media, with parents often enquiring about upcoming sessions for their children.
Attendees have praised the program for its helpfulness in understanding the property market and easing nerves about first-time home ownership.
Some participants have reported gaining valuable knowledge about both home buying and investment properties.
“The ABC event was inspirational, motivating and informative.
“The RE/MAX team saw us as people and not just another number,” one attendee said.
