Aussie buyer’s agent Jack Henderson urges people to buy within their means

Jack Henderson next to his new McLaren car. Picture: Facebook

A controversial Aussie buyer’s advocate says prospective homebuyers feel entitled to live in a $2m suburb on an $80,000 salary, and refuse to purchase properties where they could afford.

Jack Henderson has amassed a number of properties since he was 18-years-old and founded Sydney-based company Henderson Buyers Agency in 2020, later publishing a book “The Flamingo Way” based on building wealth through real estate.

He recently posted a photo of himself shirtless standing next to a luxury McLaren car worth more than $400,000, relating his latest purchase to how some aspiring homebuyers wanted to buy property in areas they couldn’t afford.

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Henderson said if he was earning $80,000 a year, he wouldn’t drive a McLaren.

“You buy a car that fits your budget,” he said.

“But for some reason, when it comes to property, people think differently. They feel entitled to live in a $2m suburb on an $80,000 salary.”

Growing up in Wilberforce, nearly 70km northwest of Sydney, the property pundit said a couple could still buy a house for $800,000 if they were earning average incomes.

“Your repayments might take 30-50 per cent of your income, which is completely normal,” he said.

“But what do most people say? ‘I don’t want to live there. It’s too far from the city.’

“That’s the real problem. It’s not that property is unaffordable. Its that people don’t want to start where they can afford.”

Henderson said prospective homebuyers needed to get into the market, build equity and step up from there. Picture: Facebook

He added that to level up from a Toyota Camry to a McLaren, you had to get into the property market, build equity and step up.

“If you sit on the sidelines waiting for the market to crash, you’ll be walking forever.”

But some of his social media audience wasn’t enthused by his post.

One commenter said: “You lost me with the photo. You got someone to take a photograph of you with pink shorts and no shirt holding a bunch of balloons in a dealership? Come on man.”

Another said: “I’m more impressed McLaren allows you to be in the dealership with sandals and no shirt.”

“Not when the banks decline you for loans then people can’t get mortgages. So not 100 per cent correct,” a social media user said.

Henderson said it takes 20 months to save for a home deposit, not 20 years. Picture: Facebook

It comes after Henderson said in another post that it didn’t take 20 years to save a home deposit — it took just 20 months, claiming the cost of housing wasn’t a problem, but it was the mindset of Australians and that they weren’t choosing to do what was “necessary”.

He added that a typical Australian salary was around $100,000 and after tax, that was about $75,000 a person was taking home.

“If you follow the basic principle of saving or investing 30 per cent of your income, that’s $25,000 per year,” he said.

“With the first homebuyer incentives and a 5 per cent deposit, that means you could realistically save for a deposit in two to three years, not 20.

“You need discipline, a plan, and a couple of years of focused effort.”

Henderson said the cost of housing wasn’t the problem, it was the mindset of Australians. Picture: Facebook

Henderson said the cost of housing wasn’t the problem, it was the mindset of Australians.

“The reality is, if you’re working full-time and taking advantage of overtime or extra shifts in industries like healthcare, hospitality, or construction, six figures is achievable.

“I made $100,000 in my early 20s because I worked two jobs.

“The real issue is people choosing not to do what’s necessary.”

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sarah.petty@news.com.au

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