Buying your first home is a huge milestone, but it can also feel overwhelming, confusing, and full of pressure.
First Home Unlocked is here to change that, and to help you reach your first home with clarity and confidence.
Hosted by Jack Elliott, National First Home Buyer Specialist at Alcove, and Chris Bates, one of Australia’s top-ranked mortgage brokers, this podcast simplifies the home buying journey and empowers you with the keys to unlock your first home.
Each episode is practical, clear, and designed specifically for first home buyers. From understanding the buying process to choosing a property that fits your long-term vision, Jack and Chris will guide you through every step with real conversations and expert support.
You’re not in this alone. Hit subscribe and let’s unlock your first home together.
48 - How to Buy at Auction as a First Home Buyer: Prepare, Bid and Stay in Control
Buying at auction works differently to a private sale. Once the hammer falls and you're the highest bidder, the property is yours: there's no cooling off period, and you can't pull out if your finance doesn't come through. You're also bidding in public against agents and auctioneers who've done this hundreds of times, so it's no wonder so many first home buyers find auctions daunting, or avoid them altogether.
Mortgage broker Jack Elliott brings buyers agents Veronica Morgan and Meighan Wells back for the final part of the Buyers Agent Series, and their message is simple: auction is just another way to buy, and good preparation keeps you in control. They explain why your finance and property checks need to be sorted before auction day, not after, and the terms you can ask the seller to change beforehand. Then they walk you through the day itself, including how to decide the most you're willing to pay before the bidding starts.
If auctions are common where you're buying, or the home you love is heading to one, this episode will help you walk in prepared and bid with confidence.
In this episode:
🔑 How buying at auction differs from a private sale, and why the rules change from state to state
🔑 Why pre-approval alone isn't enough, and why your broker should check the property before you bid
🔑 Why an agent might ask for an offer before the auction, and what to find out before you make one
🔑 The checks to finish before auction day, and the changes you can ask for, like a 5% deposit instead of 10%
🔑 How to bid with confidence on the day, and why waiting too long to bid can cost you the property
Timestamps
00:00 - How to Buy a House at Auction in Australia
03:07 - Auction vs Private Sale: No Cooling Off Period
05:46 - Why Sellers Choose Auction in Sydney and Melbourne
09:16 - Do You Need Pre-Approval to Bid at Auction?
11:35 - Should You Make a Pre-Auction Offer?
16:50 - Due Diligence Before Auction: What to Check
22:00 - Can You Pay a 5% Deposit at Auction?
24:02 - What Happens on Auction Day
28:30 - How to Bid at Auction: Bidding Strategies
30:43 - What Happens When a Property Passes In?
32:41 - First Auction Tips: Watch Before You Bid
35:48 - Common Auction Mistakes First Home Buyers Make
40:25 - Final Tips and the First Home Buyer Course
Ready to start your own first home journey? (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)Book a Get to Know You Chat with Jack (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book), mortgage broker and National First Home Buyer Specialist.
More about Home Buyer Academy
HBA First Home Buyer Course (https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG)
Get 50% off the course and access to the weekly Campfire sessions when you work with Jack as your mortgage broker: (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)start here (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)
How to Price Property Like a Professional (https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/minicourse)
Home Buyer Academy Website (https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/)
Your First Home Buyer Guide Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse/videos)
Connect with Veronica
Auction Ready by Veronica Morgan (https://gooddeeds.com.au/auction-ready/)
Veronica's Website (https://veronicamorgan.com.au/)
Good Deeds Property Buyers Website (https://gooddeeds.com.au/)
Veronica's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicakaymorgan/)
Connect with Meighan
Property Pursuit Website (https://propertypursuit.com.au/)
Meighan's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meighanwells/)
Find Out More About Alcove's Trusted Buyers Agents
Alcove Trusted Buyers Agent Map (https://www.alcove.com.au/core/buyers-agents)
Mentioned Episodes
Episode 41: Unlocking Buyers Agents: What First Home Buyers Need to Know (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cJsr07cWLl7uOqH4jOiFT)
Episode 42: How to Choose a Quality First Home: A Buyers Agent's Checklist (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Bdw1o63b3dso2bVMzhGfr)
Episode 44: Price Guides, Off Market and Agents: How to Search for Your First Home (https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iWggoFzGCN6yxGLr3JoyG)
Episode 45: Inspections and Due Diligence: What to Check Before You Buy Your First Home (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XFLVege52FpxN4oyGB8vI)
Episode 46: How to Make an Offer and Negotiate with Agents: A First Home Buyer's Guide (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5162MyO1SmSvaCjbCNaGNP)
Want to keep the conversation going?
👉 Join the First Home Unlocked Facebook Community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913683752715056)
📅 Book a chat with Jack (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book) for tailored support
📱Follow Us on social media: Instagram, (https://www.instagram.com/firsthomeunlocked) TikTok, (https://www.tiktok.com/@firsthomeunlocked) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6n1qN33Fd128VLi5TW2naQ)
firsthomeunlocked.com.au (http://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/)
22 Sept 2026
47 - Is Now a Good Time to Buy? The 4-Point Checklist for First Home Buyers
Is now a good time to buy? It's the question Jack's hearing most from first home buyers right now. With headlines about falling property prices, negative equity and interest rates everywhere, sellers are sitting tight, and pre-approved buyers are struggling to find anything worth buying.
Mortgage brokers Jack Elliott and Chris Bates cut through the noise to explain what's really going on: why so few properties are for sale this spring, what falling prices actually mean for you, and why trying to time the bottom of the market is riskier than it sounds. Then Jack shares four simple checks to help you work out whether now is the right time for you to buy.
Whether you're actively searching, still getting your finances in order, or waiting to see what the market does, this episode will help you make the call based on your situation, not the headlines.
In this episode:
🔑 Why so few properties are for sale right now, and who's still selling
🔑 Why the "prices are falling" headline is an average, and how to check what's happening where you're buying
🔑 Why nobody can pick the bottom of the market, and how waiting can mean missing out when confidence returns
🔑 Four checks to know if you're ready to buy
🔑 How buffers, a practised repayment and the right cover protect you from being forced to sell in a downturn
Timestamps
00:00 - Is Now a Good Time to Buy Your First Home?
02:07 - Why So Few Properties Are for Sale Right Now
02:46 - Who's Selling in a Down Property Market?
04:15 - How Spring and Autumn Property Seasons Work
06:01 - Why It's OK to Be Fussy About Asset Quality
06:59 - What to Expect From Spring Property Listings
09:47 - What Falling House Prices Really Mean
13:00 - Property as an Asset Class and Negative Equity
15:25 - Should You Wait for Prices to Fall?
18:10 - Checklist 1: Your Goals and Vision
21:21 - Checklist 2: Your Finance Strategy
22:17 - Checklist 3: Buffers and Protecting Yourself
25:05 - Checklist 4: Quality Property and Due Diligence
27:34 - Final Thoughts: Asset Quality in a Downturn
Ready to start your own first home journey? (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)Book a Get to Know You Chat with Jack (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book), mortgage broker and National First Home Buyer Specialist.
Free Resources
Goals and Vision Workbook (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67b67c79de168824c01d4cb7/t/685cec6ef5f9e3127218d397/1750920310689/Goals+and+Visions+Guide+V2.pdf)
Buyer's Agent Map (https://www.alcove.com.au/core/buyers-agents)
Mentioned Episodes
Episode 1: Unlocking Your Goals and Vision (https://open.spotify.com/episode/05tx024DxOprIVQIVRnwV3)
Episode 6: Unlocking Asset Quality (https://open.spotify.com/episode/7JZpXQrC7Hx9khuHWWrYMF)
Episode 39: Unlocking the Real Risk of Buying with a 5% Deposit and How to Protect Yourself (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cr3rZXXWYiHhu2EI9kugi)
Episode 41: Unlocking Buyers Agents: What First Home Buyers Need to Know (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cJsr07cWLl7uOqH4jOiFT)
Episode 42: How to Choose a Quality First Home: A Buyers Agent's Checklist (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Bdw1o63b3dso2bVMzhGfr)
Episode 45: Inspections and Due Diligence: What to Check Before You Buy Your First Home (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XFLVege52FpxN4oyGB8vI)
Want to keep the conversation going?
👉 Join the First Home Unlocked Facebook Community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913683752715056)
📅 Book a chat with Jack (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book) for tailored support
📱Follow Us on social media: Instagram, (https://www.instagram.com/firsthomeunlocked) TikTok, (https://www.tiktok.com/@firsthomeunlocked) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6n1qN33Fd128VLi5TW2naQ)
firsthomeunlocked.com.au (http://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/)
8 Sept 2026
46 - How to Make an Offer and Negotiate with Agents: A First Home Buyer's Guide
Making an offer is where a lot of first home buyers get stuck. How do you make an offer? How much do you offer? What do you say to the agent? Nobody explains the process, and once you're in it, things move quickly and the pressure builds.
In this episode, Jack sits down with buyers agents Veronica Morgan and Meighan Wells to walk through the offer process for a private sale, from preparation through to negotiation. They cover what to have sorted first, including why your conveyancer needs to see the contract before you offer rather than after, and when an offer actually becomes binding, because it's not the moment the agent says yes. Veronica and Meighan also break down everything an offer contains beyond the price, from the deposit and settlement terms to inclusions, and how a lower offer with the right terms can beat a higher one. And they get into how agents run a negotiation, the questions to ask along the way, and what to say when you're asked whether you can go higher.
Whether you're making an offer this weekend, still working out what you can afford, or somewhere in between, understanding the process is what helps you make confident decisions when you start offering and negotiating.
In this episode:
🔑 What to have organised before you make an offer
🔑 The questions to ask an agent about their offer process
🔑 When an offer actually becomes binding, and why it changes state to state
🔑 What makes up an offer beyond the price
🔑 When an unconditional offer makes sense, and the finance risks to check with your broker
🔑 What to say when an agent asks if you can go higher
Timestamps
00:00 - How to Make an Offer in a Private Sale
02:42 - What to Organise Before You Make an Offer
06:54 - How to Choose a Conveyancer or Solicitor
11:50 - What to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before Offering
15:55 - When Does an Offer Become Binding?
22:10 - How Much Deposit Do You Need to Pay?
25:05 - Unconditional Offers and the Finance Risks
30:07 - What's Included When You Buy a Property?
34:38 - Real Estate Agent Tactics and How to Respond
37:24 - How to Talk to an Agent During a Negotiation
41:15 - How to Work Out What a Property Is Worth
42:45 - Why an Offer Is Never Just a Number
Ready to start your own first home journey? Book a Get to Know You Chat with Jack, mortgage broker and National First Home Buyer Specialist. (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)
More about Home Buyer Academy
(https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/)Home Buyer Academy (https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/)
(https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG)First Home Buyer Course (https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG)
(https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse/videos)Your First Home Buyer Guide Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse/videos)
First Home Unlocked listeners get 50% off the First Home Buyer Course and access to the weekly Campfire sessions when they work with Jack as their mortgage broker.
Connect with Veronica
(https://gooddeeds.com.au/)Good Deeds Property Buyers (https://gooddeeds.com.au/)
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicakaymorgan/)Veronica's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicakaymorgan/)
Connect with Meighan
(https://propertypursuit.com.au/)Property Pursuit (https://propertypursuit.com.au/)
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/meighanwells/)Meighan's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meighanwells/)
Mentioned Episodes
Episode 45: Inspections and Due Diligence: What to Check Before You Buy Your First Home (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XFLVege52FpxN4oyGB8vI?si=73e00be6459845de)
Want to keep the conversation going?
👉 Join the (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913683752715056)First Home Unlocked Facebook Community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1913683752715056)
📅 (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book)Book a chat with Jack (https://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/book) for tailored support
📱 Follow us on social media: (https://www.instagram.com/firsthomeunlocked)Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/firsthomeunlocked), (https://www.tiktok.com/@firsthomeunlocked)TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@firsthomeunlocked), (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6n1qN33Fd128VLi5TW2naQ)YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6n1qN33Fd128VLi5TW2naQ)
(http://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/)firsthomeunlocked.com.au (http://firsthomeunlocked.com.au/)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
19,863
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
39
Social presence
90
YouTube
72
Engagement
0
Contact First Home Unlocked
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