‘Rentvesting first’: Indian-origin investor owns 23 homes across Australia, still lives on rent in Sydney

An Indian-origin Australian entrepreneur has left many stunned after revealing that he owns 23 properties across Australia, yet still chooses to live in a rented home.

Ravi Sharma, 32, has quietly built a real estate portfolio valued at around USD 25 million, news.com.au reported. The founder of Search Property Buyer’s Agency, Sharma’s company was named a finalist for Best Buyer’s Agency at the REB Awards in 2023 and 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Despite owning nearly two dozen homes, Sharma rents a three-bedroom penthouse in Macquarie Park, Sydney, where he lives with his wife, paying nearly USD 1,420 (Rs 78,000 approx) per week in rent.

Owns 23 properties across Australia

Speaking in interviews with property platforms, Sharma said his portfolio includes around 20-odd properties spread across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.

“I have a portfolio of about $25 million, and I have like 20-odd properties in that. I have only got one or two in Sydney, but then the rest of them are across all of Australia,” he said in an interview with Coposit, a property application.

His real estate journey began early. At just 21, he purchased his first property, a three-bedroom house in Dubbo, for USD 190,000. Over the next decade, he steadily expanded his investments by purchasing homes in more affordable and high-growth areas and leasing them out.

Why he still lives on rent

So why doesn’t he move into one of the properties he owns?

The answer lies in a strategy known as rentvesting, a growing trend where investors rent in suburbs they want to live in, while purchasing properties elsewhere purely as investments.

Sharma explained that buying a home in Sydney would have required a massive deposit, locking away capital that could otherwise be used to expand his investment portfolio.

“If I wanted to live in Macquarie Park or anywhere in Sydney, I would have needed a large deposit, which would have got tied up in an asset that I didn’t think fundamentally would grow,” he said.

He added that while avoiding rent may seem attractive, tying up capital in a home that does not deliver strong returns could limit future opportunities. Selling such a property later could also result in losses due to transaction costs like stamp duty.

‘Rentvesting’ helped him upgrade lifestyle

Sharma advocates for “rentvesting first” rather than buying any home simply to avoid paying rent.

“Rather than going down the path of just buying anything you can afford to avoid paying rent, the options that you have later means that you’re probably going to end up in a better house in a better suburb, which is exactly what happened to me,” he said.

By renting in a premium Sydney suburb while investing elsewhere, Sharma says he has been able to grow wealth while maintaining his preferred lifestyle.

Beyond property: Building a finance brand

Beyond real estate, Sharma has built a strong personal brand in finance. He was named Australian Business News Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 in Property and Construction. He also runs a YouTube channel, Personal Finance with Ravi Sharma, which has crossed one lakh subscribers.

His story highlights a growing shift among young investors who prioritise asset growth and flexibility over traditional home ownership, even if it means paying rent while owning multiple houses.