Starting to spread North of the City
- Off Market Ratings ARE NOT listed publicly - for Advocacy clients only
- Older Ratings? - Google full street address to see if we have released one publicly
AI & Ratings Policy – Mal James
Our Philosophy on AI
At James, we are strong believers in the intelligent use of AI for analysis, automation, and expanding options.
AI formed a significant part of my face-to-face Masters completed at RMIT in 2024. Beyond real estate, we use AI within our Sub-Saharan Child Surgery Program, which employs many people and has now helped more than 1,400 children access life-changing surgery.
I have been an advocate for 25 years. The internet transformed our industry. Mobile phones accelerated it. AI is now doing the same.
Technology changes tools. It does not replace judgment.
Like the internet and mobile phones, AI has positives and negatives. Our responsibility is to use it with integrity, restraint, and clarity of purpose.
How We Use AI in Our Property Ratings
- Property Selection
Properties are chosen by us based on merit and client relevance.
If a client requests it, we will load up and share the rating we would have shown them privately.
We do not publish homes where we are actively representing a buyer. - Physical Inspection – No AI
I personally attend every property where you see a rating.
I have done so for 25 years.
Good advocacy still means going to the home.
I record a video on site.
No AI is used in the recording or in forming my opinion.
- Written Ratings – My Words
All opinions and concepts are mine.
AI is used only to:
- Transcribe the video.
- Structure and format my words.
- Create a thumbnail image.
- Assist in layout production.
The AI is restricted to:
- My spoken transcript.
- My Marketnews articles.
- My Property Ratings book.
- Our internal data.
It does not generate new opinions. It organises mine.
- Automation & Publishing
AI automation assembles the webpage draft.
Sim in our office reviews, checks, and approves all content before publication.
Human oversight remains essential.
- What We Publish
We are free to comment on any home published here.
Off-markets and properties where we have active buyer representation are not published.
Our Standard
AI supports our efficiency.
It does not replace inspection, judgment, independence, or advocacy.
We remain accountable for every rating you see.
AI & Marketnews Articles
All Marketnews concepts are mine.
I speak my thoughts – sometimes into one large language model, sometimes several. My preferred tools are Claude and ChatGPT. I ask them to produce a summary using only:
- My spoken concepts
- My previous Marketnews articles
- My established frameworks and ideas
I do not ask AI to create new opinions.
I ask it to organise mine.
Typically, several versions are produced. I then:
- Read them carefully
- Edit heavily
- Combine the strongest elements
- Refine the argument
- Adjust tone and clarity
- Spellcheck
- Approve and publish
What you read is my thinking.
AI simply helps structure it more clearly and, hopefully, more enjoyably for you.
Why We Do It This Way
Clarity matters.
For 25 years I have developed frameworks, philosophies, and pattern recognition about Melbourne property. AI helps me express those ideas with greater precision and efficiency but it does not replace lived experience, inspection, negotiation, or judgment.
AI improves readability.
It does not create belief.
The thinking remains human.
The responsibility remains mine.
An Open Invitation
If you ever feel an article lacks clarity, depth, or alignment with what you expect from me, I welcome the feedback.
Technology should enhance connection – not distance it.
Mal James
0408 107 988
Boroondara
Bayside Port Phillip
Stonnington
Rated & Sold
Rated & Sold
Rated & Sold
What is a James Home Rating
How Does It Help You?
James Home Ratings is a 25 year old, patented, 1500 buy/sells plus 1,000-point scoring system based on the 3 critical drivers of long-term property value:
Three Pillar Value Drivers
- POSITION — “Where money is attracted to”
Street appeal, precinct, orientation, land size, walkability, school zones - PROPERTY — “Where money is spent”
Flow, floorplan, architecture, renovation quality, future potential - PRICE — “What the market rewards”
Relative value vs price paid, cycle timing, agent positioning
Why It Works – Patterns
Because real estate, at its core, is about human behaviour—and history repeats itself.
Each home is scored independently and consistently, based on how it aligns with long-term demand and supply fundamentals for it’s specific area property type—that way you can compare a block of land with an apartment in different areas with different budgets..
A, B, C-Grade – Know the Difference
- A-Grade: Always in demand. Rare, proven, and resilient through market shifts.
- B-Grade: Good, but situational. Can work well when bought or sold smartly.
- C-Grade: Riskier. More emotion-driven, often overhyped, and harder to recover value.
What Others Do | What We Do |
Gut feel and emotion | Science and structure |
Agent spin and hype | Independent, consistent scoring |
Short-term trends | Long-term fundamentals |
Comparing apples to oranges | Same property type, different budgets, objectively assessed |
What the Scores Mean
- 500 – Maybe ok but it has serious issues to consider
- 600 – Average: Typical for many Inner Melbourne homes
- 700 – Above Average: Strong fundamentals, few weaknesses
- 800+ – Exceptional: A-Grade, no obvious dealbreakers, rare and highly sought-after
Know the difference, know your grade before you pay the price buying or selling.
EOI Private Auction Brighton East Bought >$8million
How Strategy Won an $8M+ Brighton East Battle (While Our Clients Were at the Colosseum)
We bought 10 Roosevelt Court, Brighton East about a fortnight ago for clients we’ve known for over a decade. We’ve bought a few properties for them over life’s journey, and this one tells you everything you need to know about why strategy matters.
The Discovery
I was out doing my property ratings when I spotted it. Exceptional home. I sent the clients a rating sheet plus video and suggested they take a look. They loved it immediately.
The Due Diligence
We went through the full process on their behalf—pest and building inspections, legal checks, council checks, the works. Then sat down for a comprehensive rating discussion covering values and strategy.
Once they were certain they wanted to buy, we formed our plan.
The Strategy
We believed this property would sell around $8 million—highly unusual for Brighton East. There had only been two or three sales in the area’s history at that level. But this was an exceptional home.
Our strategy: bring the close of the EOI campaign forward with a strong pre-emptive offer of $7,520,000.
What Happened
The offer created exactly what we expected—competition. Three other serious buyers emerged at that level, confirming our read of the market. The agents organised an auction.
Here’s where it gets interesting: our clients were now overseas. In Rome. At the actual Colosseum.
So there we were—a Colosseum in East Brighton, them at the Colosseum in Rome. We discussed the situation via video, talked through alternatives if we weren’t successful, but came back to the same conclusion: give this a red-hot go.
They gave us instructions on their limits (approximately), and that evening we were successful, buying the property over $8 million. Two other bidders competed with us above that level.
The Aftermath
Our clients said afterwards they simply would never have bought this property without us. They would never have got their act together, never made it happen.
But here’s the telling part: texts came through to the agent during the auction from one of the unsuccessful bidders saying, “I would have paid a lot more, but you gave me no time to get organised.”
That’s what strategy delivers.
Our clients bought at their limit. They got what they wanted. The unsuccessful bidder had more money but less preparation.
Would our clients have secured this property themselves, competing from Rome against cashed-up local buyers?
You be the judge.
11 Knox Street Malvern East - Bought Off Market <$5m
How our clients bought 11 Knox Street, East Malvern Off-Market last week (And Why Other Buyers Didn’t)
(our clients have given permission to tell this story)
11 Knox Street, East Malvern is a brilliant property, and the clients we secured it for are a wonderful young couple. But the bigger story here is this: it’s an off-market purchase.
Everyone talks about off-market properties. Very few people actually buy them. Or sell them. It’s a nice concept to mention at dinner parties, but the reality? Most people never do it.
That’s not the case with James Buyer Advocates. We buy a lot of properties off-market.
Let me show you exactly how we did this one.
The Setup
Our clients had their hearts set on the Gascoigne Estate area. We’d previously bid on a property for them at a significantly higher number and been unsuccessful. They were looking for a period home—something with character and history.
Then Kathy in our office found 11 Knox Street through targeted phone calls. No online listing. No public marketing. Just strategic outreach.
The Property Challenge
Here’s the thing: this wasn’t what they were looking for. It’s modern, not period. Three levels with a lift. Beautiful contemporary design.
Exceptionally well-built. Perfect for their growing family. On a quiet cul-de-sac in exactly the location they wanted.
But it was new. We had to open their minds to a different way of thinking.
We showed them through. They really liked it. We loved it. We encouraged them to see past their preconceptions because this property was exceptional and under $5m.
The First Stop
We made an offer. The seller came back wanting more. Not unreasonable—just more than we’d offered. We agreed to think about it.
Then they changed their mind. Personal issues. They weren’t selling after all.
Our clients were disappointed. We’ve been here before. We didn’t give up.
The Strategy
We sat tight for a couple of weeks. Then suggested our clients write a letter explaining their situation and why they’d love to buy the property.
We informed the agent we were doing this. We were collaborating with the agent—not fighting him, nor colluding—to secure a good result for all parties. We believed we could offer something that would help his clients achieve what they wanted in their next stage of life.
The Turnaround
A couple of days later, the agent rang. “Surprise, surprise—they’re back on. They loved the letter. I’ve now shown them another property, and if you can meet at this level”—somewhere between our original offer and their asking—”I reckon we can get a deal.”
The Final Stretch
Within a week or so, after pest and building inspections and both solicitors working efficiently, we were close.
Then more hiccups. The inspections found a couple of issues. We brought in an outside plumber, then an outside builder to assess how serious they were. Not serious. We proceeded.
There was a little cold feet on both sides, actually. But the agent and we were able to guide our mutual clients through those difficulties.
The property was secured. Good result for all.
Why This Matters
This transaction involved:
- Strategic phone calls (not online searches)
- A skilled agent who understood collaboration
- A buy, a sell, and another buy coordination
- Targeted letterbox drops
- Personal letters from buyers to sellers
- Multiple expert assessments
- Patience and persistence and politeness (another 3Ps) – not rudeness or name calling
None of this appears anywhere on the internet. That’s the point.
Off-market isn’t about luck. It’s about relationships, strategy, timing, and knowing how to navigate the human side of property transactions.
Would our clients have found this property themselves? Mmmmm. Did your buyer advocate suggest this to you?
Would our clients have bought it without opening their minds to modern architecture? No, and credit to them.
Would the sellers have come back to the table without the right approach? Nope.
That’s what off-market buying actually looks like. No noise. Just real.
