Australia’s first real estate agent with dwarfism reveals secrets to buying first home

Australia’s first real estate agent with dwarfism has revealed his secrets to success and explained how young Aussies can get on the property ladder sooner.

Kyle Bell, 23, has established himself as a fierce force in the competitive world of Melbourne real estate, and he only started out four years ago.

He told Daily Mail Australia that he wanted to be a real estate agent since he was a child as it is not a career path that is restricted by his achondroplasia- the most common type of dwarfism.

The country’s first dwarf real estate agent, Kyle Bell (pictured), has told Daily Mail Australia about how he has established himself as a top agent and how he uses his stature to his competitive advantage

The Victorian real estate agent Kyle Bell has established himself on the real estate scene since becoming an agent in 2019 in a job he has wanted to do since he was in Primary School

The Victorian real estate agent Kyle Bell has established himself on the real estate scene since becoming an agent in 2019 in a job he has wanted to do since he was in Primary School

‘From the time I was in Year 6, I always wanted to be a real estate agent as you don’t need height, but in almost every other job you do,’ Mr Bell said.

‘I would have loved to be an AFL player, but it was pretty clear that wasn’t going to happen, so instead I focused on a career in real estate.

‘You don’t need height to sell a property, so that was the main way I got into it, and I knew I would be as good as anyone else at the job as there are no physical requirements and barriers to entry.’

Mr Bell says his condition is an advantage in real estate because people are less intimidated by him.

‘I have found that people like to chat with me more as I am quite unique, and I get questions all the time about it,’ he said.

‘It can really start a conversation, and it is really a benefit to me and my career.

‘In real estate, you do a lot of doorknocking and when I knock on their door people don’t see me as a threat and I look like a friendly guy at the door.

‘That’s another advantage as you get good friendly conversations and people aren’t afraid of you or talking to you and making that connection.

‘The other thing I get a lot is people congratulating me for getting out there. I get a lot of messages and in-person comments along the lines of “good on you” and people just think it’s awesome.’

As for cracking the real estate market, Mr Bell says all Aussies just need to focus on getting into the market in whatever way they can.

‘Especially for young Australians they just have to get their foot in the door, the property doesn’t have to tick all the boxes,’ he said.

‘If it has a roof on it you can live in it, and it doesn’t have to be everything you are after as over time it will go up in value, and you can then look to upgrade.

‘When you are looking at buying, get a good mortgage broker, reach out to real estate agents for off-market opportunities and just keep an eye on what the market is doing’.

Mr Bell (pictured) said he uses his condition as an advantage as people are less intimidated by him, largely due to the fact that he isn't seen as a physical threat

Mr Bell (pictured) said he uses his condition as an advantage as people are less intimidated by him, largely due to the fact that he isn’t seen as a physical threat

Mr Bell says all Aussies just need to focus on getting into the market in whatever way they can by just getting their foot in the door and then working towards getting their dream home

Mr Bell says all Aussies just need to focus on getting into the market in whatever way they can by just getting their foot in the door and then working towards getting their dream home

Mr Bell says the best place to start when looking to buy is the sold section of realestate.com and other online real estate marketplaces.

He says by spending time looking around the sold section and seeing what homes are going for can help you gauge what price is fair and reasonable.

‘When you are ready to buy don’t go straight into it, make sure you do the research before you’re ready so you know what is happening in the area and what type of home you can afford and where,’ he said.

‘Focus on what you can afford and get your foot in the door and then you can look to buy that bigger dream home in the future.

‘Property is always going up over time so the sooner you can get in the better.’

A Resolve Political Monitor poll published last month found that young people and middle-income earners in Australia have given up on ever owning a home.

Two-thirds of the 1,609 people questioned agreed that young Australians will never be able to buy a home.

Jim Reed, director of Resolve, said high house prices and rents meant younger people were being discouraged from entering the real estate market.

‘Many young people have simply given up on the dream of owning a home, at least in their early careers, and some are even telling me that they are giving up on having a family because they can’t afford to look after themselves, let alone more mouths,’ he said.

Financial comparison Canstar calculated someone on an average, full-time salary of $94,000, would only be able to borrow $436,000, less than half of Sydney's median house price (pictured: Sydney Harbour)

Financial comparison Canstar calculated someone on an average, full-time salary of $94,000, would only be able to borrow $436,000, less than half of Sydney’s median house price (pictured: Sydney Harbour)

An Australian on an average salary wanting a house is now almost locked out of the inner cities or towns near the beach unless they are prepared to live in a flood zone.

Financial comparison Canstar calculated someone on an average, full-time salary of $94,000, would only be able to borrow $436,000.

If the prospective homebuyer was able to raise a 20 per cent deposit of $109,000, they would therefore only be able to buy a house or unit worth $545,000.

That is less than half Sydney’s median house price of $1,253,759, even after a fall of 12 per cent in the year to April, CoreLogic data showed.

The average-income Australian would also now miss out on the middle market house in the more affordable but isolated capital cities like Perth where $599,240 is the mid-point and Darwin where $573,534 is the median.

They are also priced out of Melbourne where $907,220 is the median house price, after a 10.1 per cent drop, along with Brisbane where $781,881 is the mid-point, following an 11.8 per cent decline.

The average-income Australian would also now miss out on the middle market house in the more affordable but isolated capital cities like Perth (pictured) where $599,240 is the mid-point and Darwin where $573,534 is the median

The average-income Australian would also now miss out on the middle market house in the more affordable but isolated capital cities like Perth (pictured) where $599,240 is the mid-point and Darwin where $573,534 is the median

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