17 Must Read Books for the Australian Property Investor (2024)

There is a lot to know about successful property investing and, suffice to say, it can’t all be learned from one book. But with so many books out there on the topic of property investing, which ones should the Australian property investor read?

To answer that question, we’ve put together this list of property investing books written by notable property investors and builders of extensive property portfolios.

From 0 to 130 Properties in 3.5 Years by Steve McKnight

Much wisdom and relevant information is contained in Steve McKnight’s account of how he bought 130 properties in just 3.5 years. It centres around a four-step process for finding positive cashflow properties, where you should buy if you want to increase your profits and how to protect your assets and wealth. The revised edition includes the latest highly effective strategies and reveals:

• How to create a positive cashflow property portfolio from scratch — even if you have little money and no experience
• Steve’s New 1% Rule — a simple four-step process for finding positive cashflow properties
• Exactly what and where to buy if you want to maximise your profits
• How to protect your assets and reduce tax

The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate by John McGrath

As one of Australia’s most successful real estate agents, John McGrath’s Ultimate Guide to Real Estate covers everything you need to know about buying and selling real estate. It contains many proven strategies, insider’s tips and original techniques making this book a valuable asset for home-buyers and property investors alike. This book is especially good for anyone buying their first residential property. Written in an easy to understand way, the later chapters look at property investing but some other good chapters include:

• How to buy a home you love that maximises capital growth
• Ten ways to earn thousands of dollars more when you sell your property
• Understanding market cycles and how to buy and sell well in all market conditions
• Six steps to buying an outstanding investment property
• Five common pitfalls for property buyers and how to avoid them
• Identifying the next property ‘hot spots’
• Nine strategies to shave tens of thousands of dollars off your home loan
• Finding and keeping A-grade tenants, cost-effective ways to add value and other secrets to successfully managing your investment property.

Mastering the Australian Housing Market by John Lindeman

This book is great resource for the risk averse property investor. It starts out by explaining why the Australian market is still one of the world’s best performers and then dives into the specific details of property investing. Provides the information and tools you need to invest with confidence, explaining when to buy, where to buy and what to pay. There are also several useful tips which will help you avoid the mistakes may investors make. Some key information from this book includes:

• How to test the information you heard about the market
• Where to buy for high capital growth and rental returns
• Techniques and tools to estimate property values and predict expected returns
• The best time to buy and sell

It contains a number of case studies which show you how to undertake market analysis by using data which, in some instances, is freely available. By the time you’ve finished this book, you’ll have a lot more confidence in your abilities to make smart and calculated decisions when investing in property.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Whilst this book is more about baseline knowledge and investor mindset than specifically property investing, it is nonetheless a book which has stood the test of time and has opened the eyes of millions and helped them to exit the rat race.

If you know nothing about investing in general, this should be one of the first books that you read as it will go a long way to setting your internal investing compass.

Your Property Success with Renovation by Jane Slack-Smith

Renovating is a strategy that can be either totally disastrous or, one of the best ways to get active with your property investing. Jane Slack-Smith is a renovation success story and now has a multi-million dollar property portfolio to prove it. Whilst her book contains helpful advice for renovating, it also contains information to help you avoid the traps that so many would-be real estate investors fall into. Rather than focusing on fast money, the book and focusses on a low-risk investing strategy — find an area with above average capital growth, buy below market value, and manufacture capital growth through renovation thus setting the foundation for a strong and profitable real estate portfolio.

How To Grow A Multi-Million Dollar Property Portfolio — in your spare time by Michael Yardney

This book is great for the newbie investor as it explains everything from the correct mindset to property searches and then tips to close the deal. There is a great wealth of knowledge contained within the pages and once you’ve read it, you’ll have a good idea of where to go next to realise your dream of buying investment property. Yardney’s Five Stranded Strategic Approach is a valuable concept to consider when qualifying property as to whether it is of investment grade. Whilst Yardney’s property investing strategy is geared more towards capital growth and blue-chip properties close to capital cities, it still relevant information that cash flow investors will find valuable.

20 Must-ask Questions for Every Property Investor by Margaret Lomas

Margaret is an Australian property investment expert and is now well known thanks to her TV shows and internet presence. One of many books by Lomas, 20 Must-ask Questions is a short and easy read but contains excellent information that aids in the selection of investment grade properties. Lomas’ books are typically written with the cash flow investor in mind however it’s still useful for those buying with the goal of capital growth. It’s a great step-by-step approach to researching property in Australia and provides a good balance to Michael Yardney’s capital growth strategy.

The Armchair Guide to Property Investing: How to Retire on $2,000 a Week by Ben Kingsley and Bryce Holdaway

This book contains many practical nuggets of wisdom but definitely caters towards the topic of investor mindset. Originally starting with a podcast where Episode One was titled “We Fix Bad Property Investment Advice”, their book is comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of money management, risk assessment, and picking a winning property that provides the necessary toolkit to be a successful property investor. The authors share 18 investment strategies that, based on their extensive experience, have worked successfully for them and hundreds of their clients.

Also included are several case studies which explain many of the different ways to make money through property. It’s great for the beginner trying to wrap their head around property as an investment.

59 Biggest Mistakes Made by Property Investors and How to Avoid Them by Helen Collier-Kogtevs

Whilst it feels like a lead generation tool for other services, 59 Biggest Mistakes is a simple read and contains information in a format which is easy to digest. Provided as more nuggets of wisdom based on the author’s experiences, this book highlights what not to do when investing in property and, more importantly, how you can avoid making these errors. It is broken down into sections with some important mistakes to avoid being:

• Failing to have an exit strategy
• Creating an imbalanced portfolio
• Being struck by information overload
• Investing in a lemon
• Buying low demand properties
• Investing in high-risk areas

What I Didn’t Learn from My Real Estate Agent but Wish I Had by Jamie McIntyre

Remembering that the majority of real estate agents are paid by, and work in the best interests of, the vendor, it is somewhat amazing that many property investors make decisions based on information they obtain from these agents. With the intention of educating Australians about how the real estate industry works, this consumer-beware publication motivates you to take control of your finances so you don’t have to rely on the information provided by a commission-taking real estate agent. This book shows you how to get into the mindset of a property millionaire, how to leverage property options and how to not fall for real estate agents’ strategies.

Secrets of Property Millionaires Exposed by Dale Beaumont

Featuring insights from Michael Yardney, Chris Gray, John Fitzgerald, Dymphna Boholt and Rachel Barnes, this book will endow you with a good variety of investing knowledge:

• The different investing strategies
• Mastering negotiation techniques
• Structuring your portfolio to minimise tax
• How to make money whether the market is going up or down
• Using partnerships and joint ventures to explode profits

My Four-Year-Old the Property Investor by Cam McLellan

In simple, jargon-free language, Cam McLellan, a successful property investor who retired in his 30s after amassing a property portfolio, lays out a step-by-step investment manual written for his young children. It a must read for anyone looking to secure their own financial future and is essential reading for anyone wishing to walk the Straight Line to Wealth. The genius of this book lies in its simplicity — it reads like an easy-to-understand set of instructions for succeeding in the property market.

How to Create an Income for Life by Margaret Lomas

This insightful guide details how you can identify and structure investment properties with long-term positive cash flow potential.

The pages omit get-rich-quick ploys, and instead incorporate a simple, practical and easy-to-follow cash flow positive strategy that anyone can adopt.

Exploring concepts such as how to minimise risk when investing in positive cash flow property, how to employ a specific borrowing strategy, taxation issues and how to invest unemotionally, this one is worth sinking your teeth into.

7 Steps to Accelerated Wealth by John Fitzgerald

Having made his first million at just 23 years of age, Fitzgerald reveals his seven principles of rapid wealth building through real estate.

This practical and anecdotal guide demonstrates how you can build wealth by following a formula of developing a low-maintenance, low-risk investment portfolio.

After putting this one down, you’ll learn how to identify undervalued properties and leverage their potential, how to surround yourself with an ‘A-Team’ of experts, and how to prepare exit strategies.

Renovating for Profit by Cherie Barber

Having completed more than 100 renovations, Cherie has helped thousands of people to profitably transform their properties and this book reveals the secrets behind her renovating success and shows how anyone can improve their property on a budget. Learn about street appeal, cleaver makeovers, low cost DIY projects, and much more. From the lounge room to the bathroom, Cherie shares her favourite renovation tricks and tips, shows you the traps to avoid and highlights where to spend and when to save, to make your property shine without breaking the bank.

The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing by Spencer Strauss & Martin Stone

Discussing concepts such as researching and valuing property, obtaining finance, managing tenants, insider tips on tax minimisation strategies and advice about how to identify tomorrow’s ‘hot properties’, this book is a worthy read.

It also includes useful charts to help you create an investment strategy and generate cash flow and translates complex investing concepts into easy to understand words and steers clear of any sugar-coating or empty promises, emphasising that despite popular belief, stable wealth creation is not achieved overnight.

How to Maximise Your Property Portfolio by Margaret Lomas

Building on her success from How to Create an Income for Life, Lomas explains to both beginner and seasoned investors how to profit from positive cash-flow properties.

Encompassing areas such as how to select the right property type, how to best manage your property, and how to maximise each investment through valuable purchasing structures, Lomas’ eight book is an informative read for all keen investors.

Conclusion

Whilst reading books on property investing is a good way to get educated, a better and much faster way is to do it with a successful property investor. In fact, many of them have become property mentors and coaches which you can engage to help you grow a substantial property portfolio. Every one of them will have achieved financial freedom employing a different strategy so be sure to discuss how they achieve their success through property and select one with a strategy that resonates with you and are capable of employing yourself.