Property without the price tag
Money Magazine Australia|September 2022
Real estate ETFs can offer diversification and low initial outlay. Here are the factors to consider.
Pam Walkley
Property without the price tag

Most Australians want to invest in property – bricks-and-mortar has many attractions. But with high house prices, good quality commercial property way beyond the means of most of us and surging interest rates, we need to look at other ways we can get a stake in property without outlaying a fortune or borrowing a cent.

Enter real estate exchange traded funds (ETFs), which are available on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The good news is you can buy a parcel of ETFs for as little as $500 and instantly have a diversified portfolio of either Australian or overseas income-producing property companies.

These companies own assets in many sectors, such as residential, commercial offices, industrial, retail and more specialised areas, such as health and hospitality.

Diversifying our investments to include property, a big asset class, makes a lot of sense. Diversification across geographical boundaries reduces risk.

Access to expert management is also an attraction, but this does come with fees.

ETFs pay regular income distributions, which is particularly good for those who live on investment income. Other pluses include low initial outlay and high liquidity and transparency.

One negative is volatility: you have no control over the price of your ETF, so ideally you would not panic and sell if it fell. Another downside is having no control over the portfolio in which you own a stake.

The four local ETFs, ranked from highest funds under management down, are:

• Vanguard Australian Property Securities Index (ASX: VAP)

• VanEck Australian Property (MVA)

• SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Listed Property (SLF)

Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Money Magazine Australia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Money Magazine Australia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MONEY MAGAZINE AUSTRALIASe alt
An outrageous, beautiful monopoly
Money Magazine Australia

An outrageous, beautiful monopoly

Telstra's mobile business is a cash machine with few competitors, giving it the highest returns in the world.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
Drop the anchor to judge value
Money Magazine Australia

Drop the anchor to judge value

Buying and selling decisions should be based on where a stock price is going, not where it has been.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
Powering the AI boom
Money Magazine Australia

Powering the AI boom

Beyond the software and chipmakers, where will the energy come from?

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
Get into life
Money Magazine Australia

Get into life

Tucked inside super are products that can protect you from life's inevitable uncertainties.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Paths to home ownership
Money Magazine Australia

Paths to home ownership

Taking the road less travelled can sometimes deliver unexpected benefits.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Sold! Quick ways to add value
Money Magazine Australia

Sold! Quick ways to add value

Small, strategic changes can have a big impact on the look and feel of your home. And get you a better price on auction day.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Money lessons the kids need to know
Money Magazine Australia

Money lessons the kids need to know

Your children can learn a lot from your past money mishaps. Here are eight financial conversations I have had with mine.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?
Money Magazine Australia

Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?

The pressure for the government to curb the tax benefits of tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, is unrelenting. Most recently, independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie proposed five options for paring back investment property tax concessions, with savings to the Federal budget of up to $60 billion over the next decade.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
What's love got to do with it?
Money Magazine Australia

What's love got to do with it?

A rollercoaster of emotions could be driving poor crypto behaviour.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
Are we ready to be cash-free?
Money Magazine Australia

Are we ready to be cash-free?

Saying goodbye to our piggy banks too soon could leave small businesses in the dark when problems arise.

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024