Who really owns SA’s rentals?

Who owns Adelaide’s rental properties?

Australian Bureau of Statistics data has shone a light on which occupations have the highest number of investors across the company, and the results might surprise you.

Sales assistants are far and away the nation’s biggest investment profession, with more than 381,000 around the country owning an investment property.

Registered nurses make up the next largest group of investors, with almost 344,000 across the country, while 309,330 administration assistants around the nation own investment properties.

General managers, office administrators or managers, chief executive officers or managing directors; and contract, program or project administrators claimed spots four through seven, with a total of 924,055 investors across the country.

Nurses, it turns out, are pretty big into property investment. Pic: iStock.

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They came in just ahead of checkout operators or office cashiers, infant, primary and secondary school teachers, and aged or disabled carers.

Buyer’s agent Katherine Skinner of National Property Buyers SA said investment activity in SA is as strong as ever.

“Even with the prices increasing to the extent they have, there’s still a lot of interstate activity, but there’s also a lot of local interest from first-time investors looking to use the equity that they’ve seen increase their own homes over the past five years to invest in something locally as well,” she said.

“We’re seeing a lot of mum and dad investors and a lot of tradies who can do renovations themselves and add value.”

She said there were still executives in the market, usually aiming for a blue chip home as close to the city as they could get.

According to ABS data, 100,360 South Australians own one investment property, while 23,881 have own two.

Almost 7000, (6779) own three, while 2313 own four properties.

Some 891 South Australians own five investments, while 908 have a property portfolio of six or more.

Teachers were among the financially savvy who use property investment to build their personal wealth. Pic supplied.

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Solid Brickworx owner and bricklayer Tim Parish, and his wife Honor, both 42 of Blair Athol, bought their first investment properties in 2004 – he a Para Hills home to rent out and later subdivide, and she a Pennington unit.

They then bought their own home in 2007, later using the profits from their sale of both investments to fund an extension.

They have recently bought another investment property which will be subdivided and serve as a nest egg for their children.

Mr Parish said their investment goals had been clear from the outset.

“It’s always been about setting our kids up for the future, so that each of them can have a leg up for when they want to buy a property,” he said.

“It would be extremely difficult for them to get into the market down the track without us – it’s only going to get worse for the next generation.

“Property’s a solid investment and you’ll never really lose on it.”

Tim Parish from Solid Brickworx working on a project in Mitcham. He’s using property investment as a way to set his kids up for their future. Picture: Matt Loxton

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Property Investors Council of Australia director Ben Kingsley said for many of the care-work professionals buying investment properties it was about helping others with a home to rent.

“They are trying to build financial security, but also to do social good,” Mr Kingsley said.

He said efforts to build a narrative that investors all own nine or ten homes hadn’t held water when they were issued as Bill Shorten proposed ending negative gearing ahead of the 2019 election, and still didn’t stack up today despite The Greens offering similar rhetoric.

“The stats can’t support the claim,” he said.

“It’s every day aspiring Australians buying. Or they are accidental investors, who upgrade and can hold onto their first apartment. Or they inherit.”

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