Housing affordability scheme creating instant millionaires - as buyers snap up development sites
Announcement posted by Invigorate PR 17 Dec 2025
Australia's fast-tracking of Transport-Oriented Development (TOD) zones is triggering one of the biggest wealth-creation waves the property market has seen in decades and the savviest buyers are racing in.
According to leading buyer's agent Daniel Sofo, founder of Unicorn Buyer's Agents, TOD reforms have created 'a once-in-a-generation opportunity' for strategic investors who understand how to position themselves before developers move in.
"People are doubling their money in as little as 12 months," Sofo said.
"The zoning is being relaxed, density is increasing and developers are aggressively seeking well- located sites. Anyone who buys the right property in a TOD zone today is sitting on a goldmine tomorrow."
Astute buyers are targeting TOD hotspots now
Sofo said buyers are snapping up:
- Apartments in future high-density precincts
- Corner blocks with uplift potential
- Big suburban blocks that can be knocked down
- Older homes in premium locations
- Properties bordering TOD catchments
- Blocks where neighbours could combine to create a super-lot
"They're not buying for lifestyle," he said.
"They're buying for uplift, they're buying for the developer exit and they're buying with a strategy."
Neighbour-to-neighbour deals are exploding
One of the biggest trends Sofo is seeing is owners approaching each other to package and sell their houses together or waiting for developers to approach them.
"When neighbours band together, their land becomes exponentially more valuable," Sofo explained.
"I'm helping groups of two, three, sometimes eight owners package their properties to create development-ready sites. Developers will pay a premium for that."
TOD zoning: relaxed rules, skyrocketing values
With governments pushing higher density around transport hubs to accelerate housing supply, planning restrictions are easing, height limits are increasing, and land once considered "ordinary" is now prime.
"A block that was worth $1 million under old zoning can suddenly be worth $2-3 million when TOD rules come into effect," Sofo said.
"This is why smart buyers are moving now, before the market prices in the uplift."
Strategic buying is everything
Sofo said consumers are becoming far more sophisticated in how they approach TOD investment, recognising that not all TOD areas or properties within them are equal.
"I'm guiding clients on exactly where the zoning shift will create real value, where developers are already circling and how to buy positions that guarantee strong exits," he said.
"Some of my clients are 20, 30, 40 years old, they're buying for wealth creation, not owner- occupation. They're looking for future uplift, not furniture placement."
Packaging properties is the new wealth strategy
Sofo said the biggest financial wins are going to owners who work together.
"If three neighbours sell individually, each gets market value," he said.
"If those same three sell collectively, they get developer value and that can mean hundreds of thousands, even millions more."
He is currently helping multiple groups package their land to negotiate with major developers.
"TOD is the new gold rush but only for those who act strategically"
According to Sofo, this is the most significant planning-driven wealth opportunity Australia has seen in years.
"People think TOD is about trains. It's not, it's about density, uplift and value creation. Developers are hungry, councils are motivated and zoning is loosening. The astute are striking early."
About Daniel Sofo
Daniel Sofo is one of Australia's leading buyer's agents and the founder of Unicorn Buyer's Agents, a boutique Sydney-based agency helping clients secure high-quality properties with confidence and insight. Known for his data-driven approach, deep market knowledge and uncompromising advocacy for buyers, Daniel is a respected authority on property strategy, urban development and market risk.
For more insights, visit www.unicornbuyersagents.com.au.