November 13, 2025
October E.O.I Results - 7 days after close - 29%
Expressions of Interest: Smokes, Mirrors, and a 29% Clearance Rate
Largely bullshit for sellers and same for buyers
Let’s be clear: we rang the bell before the Cup. The market has turned for the better in 2025.
However if as a seller you’re still being sold the Expression of Interest fairy tale as the answer to a stratospheric price, via a way of tricking buyers into a higher price, you need to read this.
Executive Summary: The EOI Crisis Explained
The Expression of Interest market is currently in big trouble—and heading toward a pre-Christmas reckoning. Results are being pushed over a waterfall fed by three converging rivers of negative forces:
River One: The Market Dip
We’ve seen a noticeable dip from September to October in Top End buyer enthusiasm. The higher end of the market—where EOI dominates—is always more sensitive to these shifts (due to fewer buyers per property); it’s like a canary in a coal mine.
When the broader market softens, the premium segment feels it first and hardest.
River Two: The Wild West Legacy
The EOI market has always operated like the Wild West: poor rules, poor trust, and poor recording of actual achievements. Unlike auctions, which are public and traceable, EOI campaigns slip away into vague outcomes and sanitised statistics.
River Three: The Price Paradox of 2025
Here’s the contradiction: price expectations have actually improved and realistic prices are more achievable in this market than last year. But for sellers still chasing a peak price, little has changed—and our study, the only public analysis of 2025 EOI performance, proves this. The disconnect between above market prices and some seller expectations has never been wider.
The Result?
The EOI disaster is part market retreat, part seller mismanagement, part agent mismanagement.
Too many agents parlay the benefits of EOI without doing the same for the risks. They cherry-pick results, claiming selective greatness from the few successes, while bluffing past the majority and hiding the trail of destruction their lack of transparency leaves behind.
The Agent Problem
Most critically, many agents lack training in crisis management. They struggle to give hard opinions when securing a listing is on the line.
They fail to implement bespoke alternative strategies when a campaign gets into trouble. And most importantly, they treat every sale like a sprint—rush to the starting barriers, jump, and race to the finish line—when in fact, many campaigns are often a marathon requiring patience, strategy, and constant recalibration.
Unlike auctions, which are public and traceable with clear outcomes, EOI campaigns slip away into ambiguity. That’s why this analysis focuses primarily on the agents—because in a method built on trust and transparency, they’re the ones holding the keys to both success and failure.
The EOI market feels like it will stay in trouble until Santa arrives at least and in 2026, who knows.
The statistics we’re about to show you explain exactly why.
EOI: What It’s Meant To Be vs What It Actually Is
Meant to be: a clear, comparable, deadline-driven tender where real offers compete and the best buyer and price emerge.
Actually is: smokes and mirrors in the ask, the process, and the result. For many, EOI is simply a lie—at the start, during, and at the end.
Our Facts
- 60 random EOIs closing before mid-November: 20 Boroondara, 20 Bayside & Port Phillip, 20 Stonnington. No financial interest.
See our full list at the end of this article. - We reviewed October closers and allowed seven days post-close for the usual argy-bargy and cooling-off.
- Consistent lack of success across regions (Port Phillip the relative standout). Sub-30% clearance. For every three selling, seven are not.
Why are so few selling?
- Pricing: campaigns launched above market, when in fact the market has eased back this last month (but is still way better than this time last year).
- Lack of trust: buyers and sellers don’t believe what they’re told.
- Domination by some BS agents: the loudest EOI pushers often have the worst records.
- Lack of effort and innovation: cookie-cutter campaigns, zero strategy.
Why EOI Campaigns Are Failing Sellers
The pitch sounds great—skip auction pressure, keep privacy, create “competitive tension.”
The reality: with more stock and more choice, if you’re above market you won’t sell—method doesn’t save you. EOIs can make it worse:
- Start: untested, unrealistic pricing; little to no multi-opinion groundwork.
- During: deliberate opacity; buyers get fluff, sellers get filtered truth.
- End: fail publicly and you wear the digital scar. Value and momentum slip. Plus as a seller you have wasted tens of thousands of advertising dollars for no return. Zippo!
- And you have told any future potential buyer what your home is NOT worth.
The Agents Not Selling: Hidden Results
Some high-profile agents keep pushing EOI while their actual results are poor, very poor. You don’t see EOI clearance rates published—funny that. If a BS agent gets 10 jobs and sells 2, you’ll only hear about the 2. The rest vanish into “under offer,” withdrawals, and endless timelines. Transparency matters.
For Buyers: Navigating the EOI Minefield
Key questions you must nail:
- Who is the real competition—agent expectations, seller position, or genuine buyers?
- What will it actually take to secure it?
- Is the deadline real or theatre?
Waiting till close is pressure without insight. We secured a just-over $4m property on Cup weekend by engaging early, testing the landscape, and moving before the formal close. Advocacy helps you decode signals, test the seller, and structure the win—without overpaying. Many who go alone either miss out or pay too much.
A Smarter Approach for Sellers
- Test before you advertise. Short off-market to gather real intel without public damage.
- Get multiple opinions. Don’t bet the farm on one voice; consider seller advocacy or multi-agent input.
- Respect the stakes. If you’re not price-confident, stay off-market until you are. Our assisted properties are either sold or held quietly until the price or buyer is right.
Goal isn’t to “test the market.” Goal is to sell—on terms that work for you.
.
A Smarter Approach for Buyers
EOI is opaque (and many auctions aren’t much better—sold before, sold after). Start early. Test properly. Work out whether your competition is the agent, the seller, or other buyers. You can’t do that the day after an EOI closes. Remember: more than two out of three EOIs aren’t selling. Many that do are single-buyer outliers. Was the testing real?
The Bottom Line
EOI isn’t a magic trick. With 29% clearance, it’s more likely to fail than succeed (without proper pricing and research), leaving sellers with a damaged online trail and buyers guessing in the dark.
What We’re Seeing/Experiencing
We cop heat for pushing openness in EOI and for advocating planned, transparent campaigns. Fine. Our involvement ends one of two ways: sold, or held quietly off-market until the buyer or price is right.
The Smarter Way Through EOI
James Buyer Advocates and James Buy-Sell Advocates exist for a reason: make EOIs work for you, not against you.
Sellers — James Buy-Sell Advocates: 1-2-3
- Reality Check
Multi-agent price read, comps, and risk map. No spin before an EOI. - Quiet Test (7–14 days)
Controlled off-market campaign to gather real buyer data—no public damage. - Execute With Clarity
Sell privately at the right number or go public with a plan, not a hope.
Buyers — James Buyer Advocates: 1-2-3
- Early Intel
We profile the agent, the seller, and real buyer depth—before the deadline noise. - Structured Path to Yes
Tiered offer strategy (terms, timing, price bands) that tests without overpaying. - Decide With Discipline
Secure it on your terms—or step away cleanly and fast.
EOI is tricky.
This is what we do every day. When the method is murky, bring James in early and move with facts, not theatre.
| Toorak | 25 Springfield Avenue | Tue 11 Nov 3.00pm | $5,900,000 – $6,400,000 |
| Toorak | 35 Irving Road | Mon 10 Nov 3.00pm | $4,500,000 – $4,950,000 |
| Toorak | 9 Washington Street | Tues 11 Nov 3.00pm | $5,500,000 – $6,000,000 |
| Toorak | 6 Heyington Place | 8 November at 4pm | $26,000,000 – $28,000,000 |
| Toorak | 57 Mathoura Road | Monday 10th November at 12pm | $6,600,000 – $7,150,000 |
| Malvern East | 15 Finch Street | Thursday 13th November at 1:00pm | $12,000,000 – $13,000,000 |
| Malvern East | 72 Beaver Street | Tue 11 Nov 3.00pm | $5,500,000 – $6,000,000 |
| Toorak | 5 Glover Court | Tuesday 11 November at 1.00pm | $12,000,000 – $13,000,000 |
| Toorak | 22 Douglas Street | Tues 11 Nov 3.00pm | $19,000,000 – $20,500,000 |
| South Yarra | 11 Coolullah Avenue | 28 October at 5pm | $11,000,000 – $12,000,000 |
| Malvern | 21 Shaftesbury Avenue | Tues 28 Oct 12.00pm | $6,000,000 – $6,600,000 |
| Malvern | 86 Pasley Street | Mon 27 Oct 3.00pm | $13,500,000 – $14,500,000 |
| Toorak | 2B Stonnington Place | Mon 27 Oct 3.00pm | $8,500,000 – $9,300,000 |
| Armadale | 39 Glassford Street | 28 October at 5pm | $5,500,000 – $6,000,000 |
| Armadale | 19 Elgin Avenue | 28 October at 5pm | $8,750,000 – $9,500,000 |
| South Yarra | 1A Gordon Grove | 28 October at 5pm | $8,000,000 – $8,800,000 |
| South Yarra | 6 Norman Avenue | Mon 27 Oct 3.00pm | $5,800,000 – $6,250,000 |
| South Yarra | 21 Como Avenue | 28 October at 5pm | $11,500,000 – $12,500,000 |
| Toorak | 2 Tahara Road | 10 November at 5pm | $4,700,000 – $4,900,000 |
| Toorak | 9 Winifred Crescent | Tue 28 Oct 3.00pm | $10,000,000 – $11,000,000 |
| Black Rock | 11 Arkaringa Crescent | Tue 11 Nov 12.00pm | $4,350,000 – $4,650,000 |
| Brighton | 47 Ebden Street | 12 November at 4pm | $3,975,000 – $4,350,000 |
| Albert Park | 73 Merton Street | Thurs 13 Nov 5.00pm | $7,800,000 – $8,300,000 |
| Middle Park | 118 Canterbury Road | 28 October at 2pm | $6,800,000 – $7,200,000 |
| Brighton | 7 Manor Street | 28 October at 5pm | $10,500,000 – $11,500,000 |
| Brighton | 72 Head Street | 28th October 5pm | $10,000,000 – $11,000,000 |
| Brighton | 11A Manor Street | 28th October 5pm | $6,000,000 – $6,600,000 |
| Brighton | 13 Collins Street | 28 October at 4pm | $5,000,000 – $5,500,000 |
| Brighton | 21 Chatsworth Avenue | Mon 27th Oct at 5pm | $4,950,000 – $5,445,000 |
| Brighton | 3 Rooding Street | 7th November at 4pm | $6,000,000 – $6,600,000 |
| Brighton | 170 Esplanade | 28 October at 5pm | $5,000,000 – $5,500,000 |
| Brighton | 81 Champion Street | 28 October at 5pm | $4,850,000 – $5,250,000 |
| Brighton | 6 Dawson Avenue | 29 October at 3pm | $8,000,000 – $8,800,000 |
| Brighton | 3 Wolseley Grove | 30 October at 5pm | $15,000,000 – $16,500,000 |
| Brighton | 70 Carpenter Street | 11th November 5PM | $5,000,000 – $5,500,000 |
| Brighton | 23 Bay Street | Mon 10th Nov at 5pm | $7,000,000 – $7,700,000 |
| Brighton East | 58 Comer Street | 30 October at 3pm | $5,500,000 – $5,850,000 |
| Hampton | 14 Beach Road | 28 October at 5pm | $6,000,000 – $6,600,000 |
| Beaumaris | 88 Cromer Road | 30 October at 5pm | $3,400,000 – $3,650,000 |
| Brighton | 7/9 St Ninians Court, Brighton | 13 November at 5pm | $5,000,000 – $5,500,000 |
| Kew | 65 Molesworth Street | Tuesday 11th November at 12pm | $4,900,000 – $5,300,000 |
| Hawthorn | 14 Glenroy Road | 12 November at 3pm | $7,600,000 – $8,300,000 |
| Hawthorn | 98-104 Riversdale Road | 6 November at 5pm | $10,000,000 – $11,000,000 |
| Hawthorn | 50 Wattle Road | Tues 11 Nov at 5pm | $6,550,000 – $7,200,000 |
| Hawthorn East | 1 Harcourt Street | Tue 28 Oct at 5:30pm | $16,500,000 – $18,150,000 |
| Canterbury | Residence 5, 54 Mont Albert Road | Mon 27th Oct at 3pm | $4,300,000 – $4,700,000 |
| Hawthorn East | 1 Clive Road | Tuesday 11th November at 12:00pm | $4,500,000 – $4,800,000 |
| Camberwell | 30a Prospect Hill Road | Tues 28 Oct at 5pm | $4,300,000 – $4,700,000 |
| Kew | 57 Pakington Street | 27 October at 5pm | $5,500,000 – $6,000,000 |
| Kew | 16 Molesworth Street | 28 October at 5pm | $7,850,000 – $8,500,000 |
| Hawthorn | 1 Fordholm Road | 28 October at 5pm | $6,500,000 – $7,100,000 |
| Balwyn | 66 Gordon Street | 9 November at 5pm | $5,300,000 – $5,830,000 |
| Hawthorn East | 22 Leura Grove | Monday 3rd November at 12:00pm | $5,600,000 – $6,100,000 |
| Kew | 29 Redmond Street | Tuesday 28 Oct at 5pm | $12,750,000 – $13,750,000 |
| Deepdene | 29-31 Deepdene Road | Saturday 15 November at 4pm | $9,500,000 – $10,450,000 |
| Balwyn North | 3 Corby Street | 28 October at 5pm | $5,800,000 to $6,300,000 |
| Balwyn North | 127 Maud Street | 28 October at 5pm | $7,300,000 – $7,800,000 |
| Balwyn | 5 Hertford Crescent | 28 Oct at 5pm | $5,200,000 to $5,600,000 |
| Balwyn North | 13 Bernard Street | 7th November at 5pm | $6,100,000 – $6,600,000 |
| Deepdene | 11 Chatfield Avenue | Monday 10th November at 3pm | $6,900,000 – $7,500,000 |
This last fortnight 5 families have called us in to their homes wanting advice about renovate or sell; directly from the 19/10/2025 marketnews article.
Letter to/from potential client after visit; post Marketnews Renovation Article
30th October 2025
Dear Mal and Simone,
I hope you have both had a wonderful week.
My apologies for the delayed reply. We were reflecting immensely on our meeting and this needed a few days further reflection and composition.
We appreciate your insights and frankness, I think through the years living here we lost ourselves a bit and you helped us realise the potential, heart soul and character already herein this home. Too many agents say too many things and I loved your openness and honesty, so thank you again. I have made a substantial donation to the Rotary Child Surgeries today, what a great cause that you are championing here Mal & Simone.
I’d love to further pay it forward with any of or contacts and colleagues, and look forward to keeping in touch and having you both over to ?? on completion.
Be well,
C & J
23rd October 2025
Dear C&J,
It was genuinely lovely to meet you today at your beautiful home at ???, Armadale.
You already know how we feel about your home — it’s simply special. It has a soul, a calmness, and a sense of balance that you can’t recreate easily. It’s one of those rare homes where the longer you sit, the more it feels right.
And honestly, based on what you told us, you’d be unwise to leave. You’re happy there — in the home, in the location, and in the way it makes you feel. That’s a rare trifecta in property, and not something to walk away from lightly.
If you’ve found yourself questioning it, I suspect it’s not the house — it’s everything else that’s changed around you. We’ve all been through COVID. Costs shifted, routines broke, and the world tilted slightly off its axis. Many great homeowners found themselves wondering if the grass might be greener somewhere else.
Simone and I both believe your home is one of those timeless “less is more” properties -because it already has a lot. It doesn’t need reinvention — just refinement.
A few thoughts:
- The car stacker idea — brilliant. It’s smart, efficient, and adds genuine functionality.
- The garden — absolutely keep it. If you want your dream cellar or entertainment space, build beneath it. The integration works beautifully, especially with the stacker at the front.
- The three-bedroom scenario is workable. Reimagine the study and formal room combination — that could create flexibility without adding walls of stress.
- Upstairs, J, you already said it best — it’s about discovery and finishes, not structural overhaul. Keep the magic there.
- And that rear room — don’t overthink it. Some subtle shelving or storage, and it’s perfect.
In other words — very little to do. Just thoughtful steps to enhance what’s already exceptional.
Don’t be spooked by the south-facing bedroom — it’s not a weakness. With light materials, intelligent glazing, and good flow, it can be a strength.
C with above its a straightforward execution, and I think zero chance of overcapitalisation
When your work at ?? is finished, we’d love to see it. You’ve both got a great eye, and it will be a joy to see how that project unfolds.
But more than anything, I truly hope you don’t move. If you ever do — please call us first. We’d have buyers for your home in a heartbeat. But I’d prefer not to, because some homes are better kept by the people who already understand them.
Not now but in a couple of weeks if this all resonates and you want to pay it forward then please look at the morechildsurgeries program and make a tax deductible donation via Rotary – its at the bottom of marketnews
Good luck J you will do a great job we can feel it
Warm regards,
Mal & Simone
James Buyer Advocates
Principal Buy Sell Agent
0408 107 988
Making it happen today!
This Week: Letter to clients as they weigh up which $3m+ apartment to buy
November 6th
To: ???
From: Mal and Sim for todays meeting
Subject: ?? Street Apartment Search – Framing the Key Elements
Hi ??,
Hope you’re all well. Just a quick note to frame where we’re at and offer some clarity as we assess the current options, particularly around ?? Street.
Executive Summary – Where We Stand
In this search, two of our three major variables—price ($3M–$3.5M) and position (?? Street vicinity)—are already locked in. That narrows our focus to the remaining, most critical variable: the property itself.
In other words: Price – fixed. Position – fixed. Property – the decision.
What Makes a Great Apartment – Our Framework
To assess any apartment well, I’d recommend weighing it through the following lenses:
- Size – Does the space meet your lifestyle now and into the future? Enough bedrooms, storage, and car spaces?
- Quality of Build – Solid construction, long-term durability, minimal risk of defects or major upkeep? Who are your neighbours—owners or renters?
- Flow & Functionality – Can you move easily from car park to apartment? Does the layout feel natural, safe, and balanced between shared and private zones?
- Light, Views & Feel – Is the apartment fresh, light-filled, uplifting to live in? Do you want to get out of bed in the morning there?
- Security of Surroundings – Will your views, light, or privacy be compromised by future development? Heritage overlays, setbacks, or adjacent ownership can give us clues.
Recent Inspections – Pros & Cons
- 1St Apartment
- The most refined apartment we’ve seen together so far, but fair call—it wasn’t quite your fit.
- 4th Apartment
- Pros: Superior build quality, premium feel.
- Cons: Asking price is on the higher end; potential townhouse development next door could impact future enjoyment.
- 8th Apartment
- Pros: Larger apartment, more internal space, lower price point.
- Cons: Build quality not quite on par with ?? Street; some risk of adjacent future development.
In both current contenders, there are external risks to consider (i.e. neighbouring builds), but neither currently appears critical—just important to factor into the due diligence.
Market Snapshot
We’ve reviewed comparable apartment sales in the high twos to low threes range across the past few years. One clear takeaway: there hasn’t been much price movement. This underscores the importance of buying quality over expecting capital growth in this segment.
James Buyer Advocate View
This is not about rushing. It’s about matching to you. If either of these current options ticks all the major boxes, we should start formal due diligence. If not, then we keep looking—with clarity and calm.
Key Learnings
- The right apartment must feel right and function well.
- Build quality and future light/view security are non-negotiables.
- The market rewards thoughtful, quality buys—not compromise.
Recommendations & Next Steps
Option A: If either ?? Street or ?? Street still appeals, let’s dig deeper: strata reports, past sales, any upcoming builds, etc.
Option B: If neither feels quite right, we simply keep the radar on, with no pressure, until the right one surfaces.
In both cases, we’ll continue filtering through options to meet your brief.
Always Here
Let me know your thoughts on either apartment—or if you’d prefer to keep searching. We are with you either way.
Warm regards,
Mal and Sim
New Fresh James Home Ratings This Week
- Click Address through to Completed James Home Rating
- Boroondara Fresh Ratings
- Boroondara This Month
- Boroondara Rated & Sold
- Bayside Port Phillip Fresh Ratings
- Bayside Port Phillip Rated For Sale
- Bayside Port Phillip Rated & Sold
- Stonnington Fresh Ratings
- Stonnington This Month
- Stonnington Rated & Sold
- We cover a lot of off-markets not up on this site
- Do you have an off-market for any of our James Buyer Advocacy clients?
| 3.5m | Brighton | Church St Precinct | Apartment |
| 1.8m | East Melbourne | Apartment | |
| 2m | Carnegie | to Richmond | Townhouse |
| 7m | Armadale – | Malvern Larger block and family home | Bigger yard, will reno |
| 6m | Camberwell Hawthorn | Camberwell Hawthorn | Renovation Value Add up to $2m |
| 1.2m | Caulfield | Anderson Park Area | Townhouse for single |
| 2.7m | Prahran | South Yarra, | Small home |
| 4.5m | Hawthorn | Malvern | Family Home |
| 3m | Surrey Hills, | Mont Albert Canterbury | Family Home |
| 3.2m | Mont Albert | Surrey Hills, Canterbury | Family Home |
| $5m | Near Camberwell Grammar | Canterbury, Balwyn | Modern Family Home |
If you do great – we can come and have a look. Simone 0400304111 or Mal 0408107988
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.