Featuring Scott Mitton, Financial Adviser at Secure Invest

There is a question that sits behind almost every property conversation: buy, sell, or hold? It sounds simple. In practice, it is rarely straightforward. And according to financial adviser Scott Mitton of Secure Invest, the reason most people struggle to answer it is not a lack of information. It is that they are asking the question from the wrong starting point.

In this episode of Property, Straight Up, Scott joins the conversation to talk about why property decisions must be viewed through the lens of a broader financial strategy, and what that actually looks like in practice.

The Problem with Tunnel Vision

Scott has been in financial services since 2007, entering the industry right as the global financial crisis unfolded. It was, by his own admission, a baptism by fire. But that early immersion in volatility gave him something invaluable: a deep understanding of how financial decisions ripple outward, and how emotion shapes the choices people make with their money.

After nearly two decades advising clients, he says one pattern shows up more than any other.

“Everyone needs to own a property, don’t they? But typically people have a very narrow focus. They’ve got an emotional connection to something rather than asking what is the right best solution for me overall.”

That emotional connection takes many forms. It might be a property inherited from a parent. It might be a home in a suburb someone grew up in. It might simply be the first investment they ever made. The attachment is real and understandable. But Scott’s job is to help people zoom out.

His process starts not with the property, but with the person. What actually matters to them in life? What are they trying to build? What does retirement look like for them? Once those questions are answered, the property decision can be placed into its proper context, and sometimes the answer is not what the client expected.

Hold, Sell, or Something Else Entirely?

The prevailing wisdom in Australian property culture is to never sell. Hold everything, borrow against it, keep accumulating. Scott does not dismiss this thinking outright, but he does challenge it.

Whether a property is worth holding depends on what it is actually doing for you. Is it generating income? Is it growing in value? Is it positioned well for future capital appreciation? And critically: how does it fit with everything else you own?

On questions of historical growth and forward-looking prospects, Scott defers to specialists. He refers clients to property professionals like Domain & Co to assess whether a property is genuinely working for them or whether it has become a blind spot in their financial life.

That phrase, blind spot, is worth sitting with. A property that looks fine on the surface because it has a tenant and a manageable mortgage may still be underperforming relative to what the same capital could be doing elsewhere. And without proper analysis, most people never find out.

The other dimension Scott raises is concentration risk. Most Australian investors tend to buy in areas they know, often within the same city or even the same suburb. Add a primary residence to an investment property and the bulk of a family’s wealth is suddenly tied up in a single asset class within a tight geographical footprint. That is a level of concentration that would alarm most investment professionals, yet it is the norm for many Australian households.

Diversification Beyond Property

This is where Scott’s broader advisory role comes in. His firm, Secure Invest, is multidisciplinary, bringing together financial advisers, accountants and lending specialists under one roof. The aim is to provide clients with a complete view of their financial position, not just one part of it.

When it comes to diversification, Scott is clear that property has a role, but it should not be the whole story. Superannuation, shares, and managed funds all offer qualities that property does not.

“Liquidity. You might have what we would consider to be illiquid property that might take one, three, six, twelve months to sell. Something that we can actually sell and liquidate within a day is very different.”

That contrast matters more than people often realise. A diversified portfolio with liquid assets provides options. It means you can respond to life events, health changes, or new opportunities without having to sell an entire property. Property is an excellent growth asset, but it is inherently illiquid, and that illiquidity has a cost.

Scott also addresses the leverage argument, which is one reason many investors are reluctant to look beyond property. They value the ability to borrow and amplify their returns. What many do not realise is that leveraged exposure is available through other investment structures, including managed funds that match investor contributions. It is not a perfect substitute for property, but it does mean that leverage need not anchor someone entirely to one asset class.

Strategies for Downsizers and Those Approaching Retirement

The calculus shifts significantly as clients move into the later stages of life. For people who have spent decades building wealth through property, the question becomes how to convert that wealth into income without unnecessary tax.

Scott walks through a legislative pathway that many people overlook: the downsizer contribution. Under current rules, Australians who sell a primary residence they have owned for more than 10 years can contribute up to $300,000 each (or $600,000 for a couple) into superannuation, regardless of age. That money then has the potential to move into a tax-free income stream once the person retires.

For many asset-rich, cash-flow-poor retirees, this is a genuinely transformative strategy. The family home has done its job. Now, rather than sitting in a four-bedroom house in the suburbs while the kids have long since moved out, the capital can be repositioned into something that actively generates income.

For investment properties sold close to retirement, the strategy often involves channelling proceeds into superannuation at lower tax rates, taking advantage of the structural benefits of that vehicle before transitioning into a tax-free pension phase. The goal is not just to extract equity, but to redeploy it in a way that suits where someone actually is in life, rather than where they were when they bought the asset.

The Case for Getting Advice Before You Act

One of the more counterintuitive points Scott makes is about sequencing. When a client comes to him thinking about their financial plan, he often sends them to a property adviser first.

“I don’t want to give them advice, then they go and make a property decision that completely undermines everything. We try and get the biggest moving piece, which is the property decision, bedded down first, and then we dovetail our advice into the back of that.”

That approach reflects something important about how these decisions interact. A major property transaction, whether buying, selling, or refinancing, has ripple effects across tax, super, cash flow, and estate planning. Getting the property strategy right upfront means that the broader financial plan can be built around it, rather than having to be retrofitted. Scott’s firm works closely with Domain & Co as part of that process, referring clients across when a property conversation needs specialist support.

The same logic applies in reverse. People often come to a property adviser ready to sell without having a financial plan in place. Without that context, the decision is, as the conversation puts it, throwing mud at a wall and seeing what sticks.

The best outcomes happen when both sides of the equation are covered. A financial adviser who understands the property landscape, and a property specialist who understands the financial stakes, working in concert.

Making Big Decisions with Confidence

Scott returns several times throughout the conversation to an idea that clearly sits at the heart of his practice: helping clients make big life decisions with confidence.

That word, confidence, is doing a lot of work. It is not about certainty. Property markets are not certain. Financial markets are not certain. Life is not certain. Confidence, in this context, means having the right people in your corner, having done the analysis, having understood the options, and making a fully informed choice rather than an emotionally driven one.

He is direct about the value of expertise. Most people sell a property once every decade or so. Property professionals and financial advisers are in the market every week. The information asymmetry is significant. Closing that gap, by working with the right specialists, is how you move from hoping for a good outcome to building one.

A note on this content

This article is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances, goals, or financial needs. It is not intended as personal financial or property advice. For guidance specific to your situation, we recommend speaking with a qualified financial adviser and a specialist property professional.

To connect with Scott Mitton and the team at Secure Invest, visit their website. For property advice or to discuss your next move, reach out to the team at Domain & Co.

Listen to the full episode of Property, Straight Up wherever you get your podcasts.

Video – https://youtu.be/c6yiwvcDPRY

Audio – https://www.buzzsprout.com/2609119/episodes/19310633