The equity figure in this lead is the number the investor believes. It is a stated figure, not a valuation, and the whole first call turns on that difference.
What the owner occupier states
This investor is usually new to investing but not new to property. They have paid a mortgage for years and something has prompted them: a bank letter, a neighbour's sale, a conversation at a barbecue.
- Goal: to use the home to start investing, in their own words
- Equity position, as they stated it, usually worked out from a recent sale nearby
- Budget range, which they often leave wide because they do not yet know
- Timeframe, which tends to be open rather than urgent
- Location interest, often anywhere the numbers work
Why stated equity is a stated figure
An investor works out their equity by guessing their home's value and subtracting what they owe. The guess comes from a sale down the street, a bank app, or a listings site estimate. It is often generous. It never allows for the portion a lender keeps back, or the cost of borrowing against a home.
We record the figure the investor gave. We do not value the home and we do not check the loan balance with anyone. Any supplier claiming otherwise is claiming something they cannot know.
Where the owner occupier goes wrong
The misreadings are consistent, and they are the reason this investor enquires with an adviser rather than a sales agent.
- The equity is cash, and all of it can be spent
- The home carries no risk once the investment property settles
- The bank's estimate is a valuation
- The adviser's job is to name a suburb
- Borrowing against the home is a single decision rather than the first of several
Why is the first call about the plan, not the figure?
It is tempting to open by testing the equity number. Do not. The investor already suspects it is soft, and a call that starts by shrinking it feels like a lender saying no. Open with what they want the equity to do: income, growth, a retirement they can picture.
The lead carries their stated goal, timeframe and budget, so the call can go to structure and sequence rather than fact finding. The figure gets tested later, by a lender. Your call is where they decide whether they trust you to run the plan.
What to ask before you pay for a home equity lead
Equity leads are the easiest kind to inflate, because a supplier can attach an estimate to any postcode and call it qualified. Ask whether the equity figure is what the investor stated or something the supplier added. Ask whether the investor said they own the home they live in. And ask whether the lead is exclusive, in writing.
Our answers: the equity is what the investor stated and nothing is added to it. Each lead goes to one advisory and is never shared or resold. A wrong number, duplicate, out of market or non investor enquiry is replaced or credited when flagged within five business days. You pay one agreed price per lead, with no retainer, no lock in and no minimum term. We give no advice, and we do not contact the investor after delivery.