Property Investment Professionals of Australia – PIPA

PIPA Member Profile | Richard Crabb, ASPIRE Property Advisor Network

Sep 2024Karen Millers

Melbourne based Richard Crabb of the ASPIRE Property Advisor Network is on the PIPA Board of Directors, where he hopes to represent professionals working within the new property space.

| HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PROPERTY INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL AND WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER BEFOREHAND?
I founded the ASPIRE Property Advisor Network over twelve years ago. Previous to specialising in property, I was in senior financial services roles for 15 years. For seven of those years, I was in the niche medical market as the state manager for Victoria and South Australia at Medfin Finance.

| WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN REASONS FOR BECOMING A QPIA?
The ASPIRE Property Advisor Network has strived to set the highest standard of education and licensing for property investment professionals, which is why we have also ensured all our members now undertake the QPIA as the base foundation for property investment advice.

| WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF BECOMING A PROPERTY INVESTMENT ADVISOR?
Being a property investment advisor to assist clients in the investment journey comes with many challenges.

Advisors need to stay up to date with industry changes, market conditions, current research and be working with investors on the best solutions for their strategies.

All these combined, as well as growing your business, means it can be a demanding profession.

| YOU ARE ON THE PIPA BOARD. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BRING TO THE BOARD TABLE?
I am looking to represent the new property space on the PIPA board.

This segment has not previously been represented on the board to my knowledge.

The brand-new/off-the-plan market for property investment advice can be done well with the right frameworks, processes and ethics, as well as continuing to lobby for regulation to raise the professional standards in this space.

| CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY?
The ASPIRE Property Advisor Network was founded to bring new property investment into a structured framework, with the view of future regulation in the industry.

This sets a benchmark for qualifications and licensing, and provides a custom-built live platform and structured system from beginning to end.

This allows independent property investment advisors to operate without conflicts of interest and to implement their client’s personalised strategies – not just selling stock as many do in this segment of the industry.

The ASPIRE Property Advisor Network independent advisors also hold professional indemnity Insurance for property investment advice in this currently unregulated environment.

| HOW DOES THE QPIA AND PIPA SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS AND ITS GROWTH?
The QPIA is a highly practical qualification that sets the required foundation for being a qualified property investment advisor.

As a business, we have made the QPIA a fundamental requirement for our advisors, along with a real estate license, Cert IV in Finance, and RG146 in Property Investment Advice.

| HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A MEMBER OF PIPA?
As a network, we officially joined PIPA at the beginning of March 2018.

| HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION?
We have known about the association for many years through the exposure in the industry and have followed the great work the association has done.

| WOULD YOU RECOMMEND OTHER PROPERTY INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME MEMBERS OF PIPA AND COMPLETE THE QPIA COURSE? WHY?
Anyone working in this space should be a member of PIPA and have completed, or hold, the QPIA certification.

To also have ongoing networking opportunities with peers, continual industry updates, and operating under a known code of conduct is a must for all providing property investment advice in an
unregulated environment.

| WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AND BEYOND?
Our goal is that people should only use an ASPIRE Property Advisor Network independent member to invest in brand-new property.

We have seen many of our existing advisor’s businesses grow and are excited to provide the ASPIRE Property Advisor Network business systems to others wanting to grow a new property investment advice business.

Originally Published: PIPA Adviser Issue #10

We strive to bring accountability, ethics, and education to the property investment industry.

PIPA exists to improve the professional standards of anyone providing property investment advice to consumers. Our voluntary Code of Conduct means that members adhere to a high set of professional standards to help protect consumers. Qualified Property Investment Advisers (QPIAs®) have the highest form of industry-recognised, specialist training and can be trusted to provide tailored and unbiased advice to consumers.

PIPA also regularly produces research, analysis, and publications to help educate our members, media, and consumers about the property investment sector.

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