Buyer's agents under scrutiny as Dashdot fallout exposes cracks – is it time for property managers to take centre stage?

Following the collapse of leading Australian buyer's agency Dashdot, questions are emerging about the quality and transparency of property advice being offered to investors. As confidence wavers, investors are left asking how to properly conduct due diligence and what the evolving property landscape will mean for future decisions. In this episode of Property Buzz, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the wave of disruption sweeping through Australian real estate, including a close examination of the liquidator's report into the Dashdot collapse. With $16.5 million in liabilities, 695 creditors, and $10.5 million tied up in "prepaid services & refunds", Tarrant questions whether the numbers fully stack up, suggesting the sector may be heading into a period of overdue rationalisation. The discussion then turns to the broader advisory landscape, with the pair questioning whether the traditional dominance of buyer's agents will give way to more tailored, locally grounded insights from property managers who hold long-term, on-the-ground experience in asset performance and tenant demand. They also examine Canberra's recent tax backflips, unpacking the policy shifts and mathematical blind spots that continue to shape housing affordability and influence property prices.