May 4, 2026
Ruminators, Collaborators,
and Determinators
It's been an interesting week.
Not dramatic. Not explosive. But layered.
A few small shocks. A few quiet wins. And overall, a new sense that with the headlines now saying what we've been saying, something constructive is happening beneath the surface.
Before we get back into pure market analysis next week, I want to stay with something more human.
Because right now, the market isn't just about property. It's also about behaviour, mindset — and physical stuff like kids growing and their hormones and ours.
What I'm seeing falls into three groups. Hopefully today's little ditty helps you — especially if you're in group one and wanting to find your way to group three.
- Ruminators.
- Collaborators.
- Determinators.
Executive Summary
- The market remains subdued — one of the toughest in recent memory.
- The dominant behaviour right now is rumination: people thinking, but not acting.
- One circuit breaker is expertise and collaboration — bringing structure to thinking.
- Outcomes are coming via determination: those who commit to a mindset change, or those who go another path and move. The third group remains in rumination — unhappy, or not.
Part One
Ruminators — The Weight of Thinking
If there's one defining characteristic of this market… it's that everyone has time.
You as a buyer, a seller, or an agent. Time. And time, for many, turns into overthinking.
People are circling the same questions:
- Should we move — buyer, seller, and yes, even some agents?
- Should we renovate?
- Should we take on more debt?
- What if the market gets worse?
And around it goes. Not once. Not twice.
In a roaring market, an hour is a long time in a deal. In a cooling market, some decisions are measured in years.
We humans — myself included — are inconsistent buggers, aren't we.
A Story from the Week
Ten properties. Two inspections.
Today I had ten properties lined up to inspect. I saw two. The rest of the day was spent in unplanned conversation.
After home number two, a family we've worked with before turned a three-minute phone call into a two-hour get-together.
We bought their current home together. It worked then. It doesn't work now. Children have grown. Life has shifted. Space matters more. But so does financial comfort.
They've grown used to a minimal mortgage. And the idea of stepping back into significant debt feels heavy. So they've done what many do.
They've thought about it. For a long time.
The Loop
We sat together for two hours. And as they have before, we went in circles. Same points. Same concerns. Until eventually, the shape of the problem became clear:
- Stay and accept unhappiness — but hold a low mortgage.
- Renovate significantly or move — and carry a slightly uncomfortable mortgage.
Most people already know their options. They're not lacking information. They're lacking resolution.
They're trying to hold every door open. And in doing so, they walk through none.
I think there are only two real exits:
- Let it go — and be genuinely content staying.
- Determine a course — and act.
Anything in between keeps the loop alive. For a few, that's okay. For most, it isn't.
Here's the thing about the loop: it doesn't break from the inside.
That's the nature of rumination. More thinking produces more thinking. More information, at some point, stops helping. The mind keeps circling because it's searching for certainty — and certainty, in a market like this one, isn't on offer.
What actually shifts the pattern is almost never a new spreadsheet or another Google search. It's a different voice. Someone who can sit inside your uncertainty with you — not to decide for you, but to help you find the shape of it. To name what's really driving the loop, and to hold it steady long enough for you to see it clearly.
That's the role of a collaborator.
Part Two
Collaborators — The Role of Expertise
Rumination rarely leaves by doing it alone. I know, because I can be a ruminator too — usually on relationships and mountain climbs. When I want out of the loop, I talk to a psych and a tour guide.
Same principle. Different arena.
The bridge from rumination to action is expertise:
- A trusted buyer's advocate or agent — in property.
- A financial advisor — in wealth.
- A doctor or surgeon — in health.
- Mum.
Different professions. Same role. They step into complexity and bring clarity — not by deciding, but by listening and giving structure.
Sincerity is a key ingredient. Without it, they're not a trusted advisor — they're a salesperson. And salespeople, for the record, are great if you're still making the decision you want to make in your own best interests. They at least facilitate you out of rumination.
A Story from Aspendale Today
Three agents. One buyer. One seller.
Down at the Tiley family home, something played out that captured this perfectly.
Garry Donovan from Belle. Andy Nasr from Marshall White. And myself from James Buy Sell.
Andy had the buyer we wouldn't have found. Garry had the local knowledge and depth on the home. I had the seller.
We worked together to create an environment where the buyer could properly engage. Forty-five minutes. One inspection.
Will it lead to a deal? Not sure. But that's not the point. The point is: in this market, collaboration is a process out of inaction.
In strong markets, competition dominates. In weak markets, thinking dominates. And thinking benefits from perspective.
Expands
Reach beyond what any one party could find alone.
Improves
Information quality on both sides of the table.
Aligns
Incentives. If the deal happens, everyone benefits. Clean.
Part Three
Determinators — The Moment of Decision
And then there's the final group. The ones who act.
A Story from Camberwell — Transacted This Week
Highfield Road. A growing family. A shift in momentum.
Children coming. Growing. Space required. We met these clients late last year off a James Home Rating — and yes, they're surgeons.
Alignment was there. But no action. Until a property surfaced. Sim found it as the clients did. And suddenly: momentum.
The rumination questions changed form. Instead of whether to move, they became about how:
- How do we do this well?
- What is the right value?
- What is the right offer — before, at, or after auction?
In this market, everything comes back to price. In roaring markets it isn't all about price — it's about access, securing, timing. But in this market, everything is price-sensitive. The home, the interest rate, our fees, and so on.
Working the Deal
Different sides. Shared understanding.
On the other side: James Tostevin and Robert Le. Strong operators. Trusted relationships.
This time on different sides — but still with a shared understanding. And that allowed something important: a deal that was about price, but nuanced via trust — with additional terms, creative structuring (furniture and the like), and timing.
An outcome both sides could accept.
Determination Defined
Determination isn't speed.
It's clarity followed by commitment.
Not every question answered. But enough understood.
And then: Decision. And then: Outcome.
Bringing It Together
Ruminators
Think
Collaborators
Structure
Determinators
Act
Yes, it's tough. Very tough. And yes, it's still price-driven — OMG, is it price-driven.
But something is changing. Sellers are adjusting. They're accepting. And as a result, it feels like more buyers are engaging. Perhaps that's recency bias from this week. But it feels like last September… but that didn't last long.
If you're in this market:
You don't need perfect conditions. You need:
- · Clarity on a reason to act — kids are changing, life is shifting, space matters.
- · Trusted advice — when all else fails internally, get help externally.
- · The willingness to act.
Because the difference between thinking and doing can be everything.
