Difference #1 – All-in-one system vs Build-it-yourself

Using a property investment company (like Opes) is like carrying a Swiss Army knife (stick with me on this). Everything you need is built into one system.

Trade Me, on the other hand, is like building your own toolbox. You choose each part yourself – the wrench, the hammer, the drill – but you’ve got to source and assemble it yourself.

At Opes, you get: 

• help from financial advisers 
• a tailored shortlist of properties 
• a vetted developer, and 
• support all the way through to settlement. 

That’s all in one place. And all your professionals (like a mortgage adviser and accountant) work together.

With Trade Me, you’re the project manager. You find the property, your mortgage adviser, accountant, solicitor and property manager. You decide what to look for and figure out how you’ll measure returns. You do the legwork.

Some investors thrive on taking the reins. They enjoy weighing options, vetting professionals, and making every decision themselves. If that’s you Trade Me is likely a better fit.

But others prefer a more guided (all-done-for-you) type service. If that’s you – you might consider using Opes. 

Difference #2 – Handpicked shortlist vs Thousands of listings

With Trade Me, you can browse 40,000+ property listings. You’ve got every suburb, every property type, every seller in the country.

With Opes (or a similar investment company) your adviser will usually only show you 3–5 properties.

Now, that might sound limiting, but your financial adviser will hand-pick those properties based on what they think will fit your financial plan. 

It’s also because the Opes Property team’s job is to find the most suitable investment properties. And they will only approve about 4 out of 1,000 properties available on the market. 

So it depends on what you prefer:

• If you like to compare lots of properties and make your own shortlist, Trade Me is a great fit.
• If you want fewer, well-suited options selected by a team of experts, Opes (or similar) might be the way to go.

Difference #3 – New Builds vs Existing Homes

Most property investment companies – including Opes – focus almost exclusively on New Builds.

These are the types of properties that often don’t make it to Trade Me. That’s because the Opes Property team will often do ‘off-market’ listings. 

That means that rather than trying to find buyers through Trade Me, the developer makes the build (or part of the project) just available to investors using Opes.

Trade Me, however, is home to all sorts of properties, but primarily existing homes.

So if you’re an investor looking to do a BRRRR (Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) strategy, Trade Me is likely where you’ll find your property.

But if you’re after a New Build, then a property investment company may open doors not widely advertised on public platforms.

Difference #4 – Vetted for you vs Vet it yourself

This one’s all about what goes on behind the scenes. Buying a property from Opes Partners and Trade Me might look the same on the surface. 

At the end of the day … they’re both ways to find a property.

But behind that property … there’s a difference in the amount of work that gets done. 

To get on Trade Me, a seller just needs to pay $599+ and the listing goes online. 

With Opes Partners, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes before you even see the property. 

That’s why we use this iceberg analogy – the property is what you see, but with Opes most of the heavy lifting happens below the surface: 

• Vetting the developer
• Looking at the data for the area
• Running the cashflow for the property
• Getting feedback from property managers to see how the property will rent.

With a property from Trade Me you get the property through a real estate agent, but you need to do a lot of the research yourself.

At Opes, most of that research is done for you (though, of course you’ll need to do a few of your own checks too).

So, if you’re confident in your ability to vet properties and spot hidden red flags, Trade Me may suit you. 

With much of the due diligence done for you, you can save dozens of hours and avoid costly mistakes.

Difference #5 – Transparent pricing vs Auctions and “By Negotiation”

On Trade Me, prices are often listed as “Negotiation” or “Auction.” That can mean potential for a good deal – but also requires you to haggle or compete in a bidding war.

With a property investment company, prices are usually pre-negotiated. You’ll see the price upfront – no guesswork.

A common question we hear is: “Can I get a better deal by negotiating directly?”

If you’re buying an existing home or a do-up project, perhaps.

But with New Builds developers often give sharper prices to companies like us. 

That’s because they can place multiple investors into a project. 

Difference #6 – Guided process vs Do it solo

If you buy through Trade Me, once the deal is done, you’re on your own.

You’ll need to:

• Work with your bank or broker
• Organise valuations
• Liaise with lawyers
• Line up a property manager
• Get it tenanted

At Opes, every investor gets a dedicated customer relationship manager. 

You also get plugged into a professional-grade system (ClickUp) that tracks every task you need to do – that means fewer details fall through the cracks.

It’s a bit like having a checklist – with someone checking off the boxes alongside you.

Sometimes investors don’t realise how much work goes on in the background. We recently had an investor who bought their first investment property through Opes. Then, they decided to purchase their second through a real estate agent.

They were about to settle (pay for) this second property when they called us in a panic: “Who organises the Healthy Homes Assessment?”

Of course, when they bought through Opes, it was all sorted. So sometimes it’s not until after the purchase that buyers realise how work happens in the background when you use a property investment company. 

Difference #7 – Financial advice vs Find-your-own-way

Trade Me offers real estate listings. It’s up to you to figure out if a property will help you achieve your financial goals.

When you work with a property investment company, the conversation starts with your financial plan ... not the property.

At Opes, we use our MyWealth Plan software to:

• Map out where you want to be financially
• Identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be
• And use investment property to help close that gap

So if you already know what you want, have a clear strategy, and just need the right house – Trade Me’s your go-to.

But if you want help figuring out what kind of property you need (and how many) then a property investment company is worth talking to.

So … what’s the better option?

Well, that comes down to who you are as an investor.

Trade Me is a good fit if:

• You want to buy an existing property (e.g. BRRRR or renovation strategy)
• You enjoy hands-on investing
• You’ve already got a good team of professionals (accountant, mortgage adviser, property manager)
• You know what you want and how to assess deals

A property investment company (like Opes) is a good fit if:

• You want a New Build
• You’re time-poor or want support
• You’re not sure which property strategy is best for you
• You want a guided process backed by financial advice

We recently had an investor come on the Property Academy Podcast for Case Study Sunday. He had bought a property on the West Coast.

It’s leasehold and he’s transformed it into a motel. He lives there and rents out rooms.

That’s the sort of investor who should absolutely use Trade Me.

If you want to flip, renovate, run a boutique business – Trade Me gives you that flexibility.

But if you’re serious about investing in New Builds, you might be working with us here at Opes. 

The amount of expertise, support, and strategy you get – at no cost – makes it a bit of a no-brainer.

If you want to explore whether working with us is the right fit, start by booking a free Portfolio Planning Session.