Wendy Russell

03/11/2026

One of the first things I try to understand when negotiating a property purchase isn’t the price. It’s the seller’s motivation.

Because what a seller tells you they want and what actually matters to them can be two very different things.

I’ve seen situations where timing was more important than money, where a seller had already purchased elsewhere, or where certainty and a clean transaction mattered more than squeezing every last dollar out of the deal.

And this is where I think many buyers get it wrong.

They become so focused on negotiating the price down that they overlook the details that might actually persuade the seller to accept their offer.

I’ve always believed the best negotiations start with asking better questions, listening carefully and understanding what’s happening on the other side of the table.

Because sometimes, the opportunity isn’t in getting the seller to accept less.

It’s in understanding what they’re prepared to accept and why.

01/11/2026

He lied to me. And I knew it.

When the selling agent told me the seller’s “final price”, my instinct was that there was more to the story.

I was right.

Too often, buyers take these statements at face value. They assume the seller’s position is firm, increase their offer, and end up paying more than they may have needed to.

But negotiation isn’t just about numbers. It’s about understanding human behaviour, recognising when pressure is being applied, and knowing when to hold your ground.

What someone says in a negotiation and what they’re actually prepared to accept can be two very different things.

The real skill is knowing how to find out.

In my latest article, The Psychology Behind a Seller’s “Final Price”, I share a real negotiation and explain how I tested the seller’s position to uncover what they were genuinely prepared to accept.

Curious about what happened?

I’ve linked the article below. 👇🏼

When “final price” doesn’t mean final, and how to know the difference.

31/10/2026

If it feels right, don’t overthink it. Buy it.

30/10/2026

If you’re house-hunting tomorrow, keep this in mind …

Stock levels are up, and with more choice available, it’s easy to assume you can afford to wait.

But here’s what many buyers get wrong …

More property on the market doesn’t mean more quality property.

Exceptional homes are always scarce. And when the right one comes along, it doesn’t become less desirable because the market has slowed.

If a property ticks the right boxes, stacks up on the fundamentals and feels right for you, don’t let temporary uncertainty talk you out of a good decision.

The market will always give you reasons to hesitate.

The skill is knowing when to wait, and when to act.

26/10/2026

I’ve seen some beautiful homes in my time, and the one thing I instantly notice is this …

It’s not always the size of the home or how much money has been spent on it.

It’s the overall feel.

The proportions, the natural light, the layout and the things that are much harder to change than a kitchen or bathroom.

Because there’s a difference between a home that looks good and a property that’s built to hold its value.

And that distinction matters, regardless of whether you’re buying a home for your family, or an investment to grow wealth.

Because most of my clients want both.

A property that stacks up from an investment perspective, with the fundamentals to support its long-term value, but also a home they genuinely love living in.

The smartest purchase is one where you don’t have to sacrifice lifestyle for sound investment principles.

You can have both, provided you know what to look for.

23/10/2026

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is step away from everyday life and spend a few days with good people who make life feel lighter.

15/10/2026

You’d think this was taken at the height of the boom. But no, it was taken last week at an auction in Gordon Park.

Yes, prices have come back. But that doesn’t mean buyers have disappeared.

For the right property, competition is still very much alive, as I witnessed last weekend when 3 active bidders battled it out to secure this original Queenslander.

Scarce, quality property continues to attract serious buyers prepared to compete for it, and when the property is right, competitive bidding follows.

A softer market doesn’t mean every property is struggling. It means the gap between good property and the rest becomes even more apparent.

That’s why knowing what to buy matters just as much as knowing when to buy.

08/10/2026

🏡 WHY I BOUGHT IT ——— 12 years ago, I secured this Art Deco apartment in the heart of New Farm for my client, N.

Recently, he messaged me:

“Hi Wendy, you know it’s been 12 years since settlement! Hasn’t that flown. It’s been a rock solid investment and can’t thank you enough.”

This is why I bought it.

It was scarce —— and now it’s worth more than double what we paid.

Genuine Art Deco apartments in this part of New Farm are limited, and they’re not making any more of them.

You can build another apartment, but you can’t recreate the character, craftsmanship and established setting of a property like this.

Then there’s the location.

Walk to the river, cafes and restaurants.

The kind of lifestyle people consistently want.

And when you combine scarcity + location + lifestyle, you get an asset with something incredibly important:

Enduring demand.

This is how I think about property.

I’m not looking for what’s cheap today.

I’m looking for what people will still want tomorrow.

And 12 years later, N’s message was a reminder that we got this one right.

07/10/2026

The Brisbane property market is falling. So why are some buyers still fighting to secure good property?

I’m currently buying for a couple who are continuing to find themselves competing against multiple buyers for the properties they want.

At first, that might seem at odds with what we’re hearing about the broader market, but it actually illustrates something I’ve seen throughout my career:

The property market isn’t one market.

Some properties are becoming easier to negotiate on. Others are sitting longer. And then there are the properties that buyers genuinely want —— scarce, tightly held, well-positioned homes that are difficult to replicate.

Those can still attract serious competition, even in a softer market.

Which is why I don’t think the next six months will simply be about waiting for prices to fall further.

For buyers who are ready to act, I think the real opportunity will be in being able to distinguish genuinely good, A-class property from something that looks like a bargain but is actually a B or C-grade asset.

Because a cheaper property isn’t necessarily a better purchase.

If you’re curious to understand the changing times we’re in, I’ve written a new deep dive into the Brisbane property market —— where we are now, what I expect to see over the next six months, and how I think buyers can position themselves for what comes next.

The article is below. ⬇️

Brisbane property market outlook for 2026, including prices, interest rates and buyer competition — and why not all Brisbane property is falling equally.