The prospective buyers you are most likely to compete with for property investment opportunities are male, younger than 35 and live in New South Wales.

Your Investment Property research has revealed what the average Australian property investor looks like and while some results will not surprise many, a range of definite and astonishing trends have emerged.

The magazine ran an online poll asking respondents to profile themselves as well as their investment priorities, such as why they wanted to invest in property and what other investment classes they were considering.

Among their intended investment strategies, respondents rated buying cash flow positive properties as their biggest priority, with finding undervalued properties their second biggest priority.

Your Investment Property’s Deputy Editor Aidan Devine said the results show that Australians are often on the same page when they start looking for an investment property.

“Many investors worry that their properties won’t be able to attract a tenant, or that they will have to rent them out for a miniscule amount and pay down hefty mortgage payments on their own. It is not surprising then that one of the biggest priorities for investors is finding an area with low vacancy rates,” he said.

Devine added that many buyers have the same concerns when looking at less conventional forms of purchase. “Very few Aussies feel comfortable buying off-the-plan and the majority show little interest in investing in US property at the moment,” he said.

Other results showed that 61% of prospective investors are between the ages of 26 and 45, with 54% of this group between 26 and 35. Those aged 46 and older account for 24% of wannabe investors, while those in their teens and early twenties made up 5%.  

Fifty seven per cent of prospective investors are men and among both sexes 75% are married. Less than half (43%) have no children.

Most of those keen to get into the property market live in New South Wales (38%), followed by Victoria (21%), Queensland (18%) and Western Australia (11%).

After property, respondents rated shares as their next favourite investment class.