If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen buyer’s agents calling themselves “data-driven experts.” But have you ever stopped to ask where that data actually comes from – or how it’s being used?
In this week’s episode of The Australian Property Investment Podcast, we sit down with Dr Matija Djolic, co-founder of HtAG (Higher Than Average Growth), the platform powering data insights behind many of Australia’s top property professionals. From construction sites to data science, Dr Djolic shares how he built one of the most sophisticated analytics tools in the industry – and why understanding behaviour behind the numbers is key to smart investing.
From Construction to Data Science
Before founding HtAG, Dr Djolic’s career looked very different. After migrating to Australia, he began working in construction and later earned a PhD in Organisational Behaviour. But despite the security of a well-paid job, something didn’t sit right.
“The nine-to-five really suffocated me,” he recalls. “It felt like there were hands around my neck every time I went to work.”
That desire for freedom led him to property investing – long before data-driven investing became mainstream. However, it didn’t take long for him to realise the problem: everyone had opinions, but there was no central source of truth. Data was scattered across dozens of reports, seminars, and sales pitches.
It was at this point that he met Alex, a software architect with a passion for solving complex problems. Together, they built what would eventually become HtAG – a platform capable of turning 150 data points and 80+ custom metrics into clear, evidence-based insights for property professionals and investors.
Building HtAG: Turning Data into Decision-Making Power
HtAG wasn’t designed to be a commercial product at first. Dr Djolic and Alex built it for their own use – to make better buying decisions based on facts, not hype. But what started as a personal project quickly evolved into a tool with wide-ranging appeal.
“We committed the cardinal sin of building for ourselves,” Mat admits. “But it turned out others wanted the same thing – clarity, accuracy, and transparency.”
Today, HtAG serves investors, buyer’s agents, brokers, and even enterprise clients. The platform analyses real-time property, economic, and behavioural data, using custom-built algorithms to forecast suburb-level performance.
But it’s not just about numbers. As Dr Djolic explains, “Every data point is a representation of human behaviour.” Understanding how people act – when they rent, buy, or hold – is what turns raw information into actionable intelligence.
Why Data Alone Isn’t Enough
Unlike traditional data companies that simply provide reports, HtAG takes education seriously. Its Mastermind Community offers members everything from free resources to in-depth strategy guidance.
Dr Djolic explains the reasoning behind this approach:
“It’s one thing to see figures on a page. It’s another thing to understand the story they tell.”
Through this community, users learn how to interpret market signals, evaluate supply and demand, and recognise behavioural patterns driving capital growth. It’s a more human-centred approach to data, one that encourages investors to think critically rather than blindly follow “hotspot” headlines.
Defining Your Buyer’s Brief
One of the most valuable lessons from Dr Djolic’s research is that most investors lack clarity before they buy. Many simply say, “I want to invest in property,” without a clear idea of their timeline, risk tolerance, or outcome.
HtAG helps users create a buyer’s brief – a structured framework that answers key questions such as:
- What stage are you in – accumulation, expansion, or consolidation?
- How long do you plan to hold each asset?
- What level of risk and yield aligns with your goals?
- What’s your available budget and serviceability position?
- What’s your desired outcome – capital growth, cash flow, or balance?
By deconstructing long-term goals into short-term decisions, investors can finally match strategy with intent.
Dr Djolic often reminds clients that property is emotional, even when we pretend it’s rational. “You’re dealing with people’s money and their future,” he says. “The key is to combine data with discipline – to take emotion out of the decision without taking humanity out of the process.”
The Science of Prediction: Warm Spots and Hot Spots
If there’s one concept that defines HtAG’s predictive power, it’s pattern recognition.
Because property is a relatively illiquid asset – transactions occur slowly – market trends tend to endure for longer periods than in equities or crypto. This means that once a trend emerges, it can often be tracked with a high level of probability.
HtAG uses proprietary algorithms to identify what Dr Djolic calls “warm spots” and “hot spots”:
- Warm spots: Areas showing early signs of growth (0–5% annual increase).
- Transitional markets: Regions entering accelerated growth (5–10%).
- Hot spots: Suburbs experiencing rapid activity and 20%+ growth.
These categories aren’t just based on price trends – they’re derived from a layered analysis of supply, demand, affordability, infrastructure, and demographic shifts. In other words, it’s not guessing – it’s forecasting built on behaviour and data science.
Inside the HtAG Platform
For those ready to take control of their portfolio, the HtAG platform offers an end-to-end system that eliminates spreadsheets and guesswork.
Portfolio Tracker
Users can enter their current properties, monitor cash flow, usable equity, and total debt, and create “what-if” scenarios for future purchases.
Goal-Setting Module
By inputting personal targets – like replacing income or paying off a home loan – investors can model different outcomes and compare which strategy gets them there faster.
Data Filtering & Suburb Comparison
The system uses 150 metrics, including long-term supply and demand trends, to narrow down opportunities. Subscribers can compare up to 75 suburbs across 33 metrics instantly, filtering results based on risk, time horizon, and yield preferences.
Transparency at Every Level
Unlike many platforms, HtAG publishes detailed articles on how each metric is built, the testing behind it, and how to interpret results. This commitment to transparency is part of what’s made the platform one of the most trusted data tools in the Australian property industry.
Why HtAG Matters More Than Ever
Australia’s property market has never been more complex. The gap between wage growth and property prices has widened to record levels, and emotional decision-making remains one of the biggest pitfalls for investors.
Platforms like HtAG are levelling the playing field by giving individuals access to the kind of analytics once reserved for institutional players. But data alone isn’t the full story – it’s how you connect the dots that counts.
“Data will never replace professionals,” says Dr Djolic. “But it can make professionals and everyday investors far more effective.”
For brokers, this means using insights to re-engage clients and offer strategic portfolio guidance. For buyers’ agents, it means making smarter, evidence-based recommendations. And for investors, it means finally understanding why a suburb performs the way it does.
Key Takeaways
- Data is behaviour: Every data point represents human action.
- Define your brief: Clarity before you buy saves costly mistakes.
- Balance yield and growth: You can’t have both at once – understand the trade-off.
- Use technology as a guide, not a crutch: Data tools empower, but human judgement still leads.
- Education is the edge: The more you understand the story behind the numbers, the better your results.
If you’re serious about building a smarter property portfolio, start by listening to the full conversation with Dr Matija Djolic on The Australian Property Investment Podcast.
You’ll hear how HtAG is helping investors, brokers, and buyers’ agents use data to predict market performance with confidence and how you can apply the same strategies to your own investing journey.
