Accurate decision-making is an essential skill of the successful property developer. Using the right tools makes the process of making data-driven decisions a whole lot easier. Thankfully, there are a great many tools available to help you make well-informed decisions and save yourself the headaches associated with costly mistakes.
This guide covers both free and paid tools that you can use to determine if you’ve found a profitable property development opportunity.
Free Property Development Research Tools
The best place to to start – especially if you are a beginner – is with free tools. These tools give you enough information to assess if a site or deal is worth pursuing beyond initial due diligence. When you are getting serious, it’s worth paying for the professional tools to get deeper analysis and more data.
Here are some great free tools to get you started:
CoreLogic New & Research Tools
- Offers suburb-level insights, auction clearance rates, and property value estimates.
- Limited data compared to paid subscriptions but useful for initial research.
- Provides official census data, population growth statistics, and employment trends.
- Useful for assessing demographic shifts and high-growth areas.
- Uses supply and demand indicators to rank Australian suburbs for investment potential.
- Helps developers identify emerging hotspots before they become widely recognised.
Council Planning and Zoning Websites
- Every Australian local council provides zoning maps, planning amendments, and upcoming infrastructure projects.
- Essential for understanding land-use restrictions before acquiring a development site.
- Provides suburb-specific data such as crime rates, income levels, and school rankings.
- Helps developers identify buyer demand and lifestyle preferences in specific locations.
- Free Australian property data platform showing historical sales prices and estimated property values.
- Ideal for price benchmarking and identifying market trends.
Infrastructure Australia Reports
- Lists major upcoming government infrastructure projects, transport developments, and housing supply forecasts.
- Useful for spotting growth corridors before property prices rise.
Paid Property Development Research Tools in Australia
When you are ready to get serious about analysing the feasibility of your project, it’s definitely worth considering investing in paid tools. Most tools are online and offered via a subscription model. Be sure to include the costs in your calculations.
Here are some pro tools to help you dig deeper:
CoreLogic RP Data Professional
- Industry-leading platform for detailed property market analysis.
- Includes historical sales, property valuations, and development feasibility tools.
- Used by banks, developers, and investors for accurate site assessment and market forecasting.
SQM Research – My Property Report
- Provides vacancy rates, rental yields, and price growth trends at a suburb level.
- Great for assessing supply and demand dynamics in different regions.
- Analyses buyer demand vs. available supply, helping developers find high-growth areas.
- Predicts future capital growth based on market trends.
- AI-powered platform that helps developers assess sites instantly.
- Provides zoning data, planning restrictions, and 3D feasibility modelling.
- Reduces manual research time when evaluating potential development sites.
How to Use These Tools to Improve Property Development Decisions
These tools are only as good as the user. They cannot make decisions for you, so it is essential that you understand the process.
Here’s how you might choose to proceed:
- Start with free tools to filter and shortlist potential development sites.
- Use paid tools for detailed feasibility studies, financial modelling, and zoning analysis.
- Combine data from multiple sources (e.g., CoreLogic for market trends, council websites for zoning, and SQM Research for rental demand).
- Work with town planners and finance experts to interpret data correctly.
We always recommend consulting a professional who has done this work before. Finding a trusted advisor or mentor can really help you save time, money, and stress.
Want to learn more?
If you want to learn more about assessing the viability and profitability of your potential projects, here are three podcast episodes worth listening to:
