
Every floor has a story.
We find yours.
Off-market units and pre-construction allocations in mid-rise developments — secured before the marketing suites open.
The Brief
Upgrading from Fitzroy.
Twelve weeks to settlement.
James and Priya had outgrown their two-bedroom terrace and needed a north-facing apartment in the Collingwood–Fitzroy corridor under $950K. Every comparable listing was going $40–70K over reserve at auction. They refused to compete blind.
Strategy
Identified a Level 5 north-facing 2BR + study in a 34-unit development completing in Q3. Vendor motivated by divorce settlement — approached before any agent engagement. Negotiated directly, no competing interest.
Purchase price
$892,000
$58K below comparable auction results
Brief to exchange
19 days
vs. 90-day average search
12-month equity
+$114K
Based on Feb 2026 valuation

The Brief
Trading a Hawthorn house
for a view and no lawn.
Margaret and David, 61 and 64, had $1.4M in suburban equity and wanted a two-bedroom lock-and-leave with a city outlook. The Richmond auction market was running 12–18% above reserve. They couldn't afford to lose three auctions and watch prices climb.
Strategy
Tracked a Level 8 corner apartment through four weeks of vendor indecision. Identified the agent's pressure point — vendor relocating interstate in 30 days. Submitted a pre-auction offer with 14-day settlement, unconditional. Vendor accepted within 6 hours. Auction subsequently passed in at $68K above our purchase price.
Purchase price
$1,185,000
$68K below auction clearance
Days on brief
31 days
Single property, no wasted weekends
Rental yield
4.2% gross
If leased; held owner-occupied
Start Here
Your shortlist.
Built before the weekend.
Tell us your parameters. We'll return a shortlist of three to five off-market and pre-launch opportunities that match — properties you won't find on any portal.
148
acquisitions settled in 2025
across Melbourne's gentrifying mid-ring corridors
23 days
median brief-to-exchange
vs. 74-day industry average
$61K
median saving vs. comparable sales
verified against CoreLogic settlement data

The Brief
Seven units.
Three developments. Ninety-four days.
Liam, a 38-year-old finance director, wanted to deploy $6.3M across gentrifying mid-ring corridors without inflating any single development's pricing by bidding against himself. Required pre-construction pricing, staggered settlements, and zero auction exposure.
Strategy
Deployed a three-corridor strategy simultaneously, leveraging existing developer relationships to access pre-launch pricing before any public release. Staggered settlements 60–120 days apart to manage cash flow. All seven units acquired without a single public auction appearance.
Development A — Brunswick East
Levels 4–6 · 3 units · 3 × 2BR, secured at pre-construction pricing
$2.86M
Development B — Footscray
Level 7 · 2 units · 2 × 1BR + study, off-market allocation via developer relationship
$1.54M
Development C — Northcote
Levels 3 & 5 · 2 units · 1 × 2BR + 1 × 3BR, vendor motivated by stalled sales program
$1.92M
Total portfolio
$6.32M
Across 3 developments, 7 units
Blended saving
$247K
vs. post-launch comparable pricing
Portfolio yield
4.6% gross
Fully tenanted at 12 months
How It Works
From brief
to keys.
Our median is 23 days from initial brief to exchange. The industry average is 74 days. The difference is access.
"We'd been looking for 14 months. Elevate found our apartment in 18 days. We paid $55K less than the unit above sold for at auction the same week."
Sophie & Luke
Upgraders · Collingwood · 2025
01
Day 1
Brief
A 30-minute conversation. We map your non-negotiables, understand your timeline, and identify which corridors are moving in your direction. No questionnaire — a real conversation.
02
Days 2–5
Intelligence
We activate our developer relationships, off-market network, and pre-construction pipeline. You receive a shortlist of three to five properties that match your brief — none of them on any portal.
03
Days 5–10
Inspect & Validate
We walk the building before you do. We assess the floor plate, orientation, strata financials, and developer track record. You only visit properties that pass our filter.
04
Days 10–25
Negotiate & Secure
We negotiate on your behalf — directly with vendors, developers, or agents. Pre-auction, off-market, or pre-construction: we find the lever that moves the deal.
05
Days 25–90
Settlement
We manage the process through to keys. Solicitor coordination, building inspection, final walk-through. You make one decision. We handle the rest.