Michael Lillywhite, buyers agent for investors.
Equity Lift was founded on a single, deliberately narrow idea: that ambitious property investors deserve a buyers agent who works exclusively for them, sourcing undervalued pre market stock across residential and commercial and building a repeatable portfolio system. Michael Lillywhite leads the practice.
01 — The Principal
Meet Michael Lillywhite, investment property buyers agent.
Twenty five years in Australian real estate, across both residential and commercial. For the past several years, Michael has worked exclusively for property investors, sourcing, negotiating and settling on the buy side only.
He has founded and run an agency and led sales teams across Melbourne. The work taught him one thing plainly: the best off market and value add stock, residential houses through to commercial warehouses, offices and mixed use sites, rarely reaches the investor who deserves a look first. It moves through agent relationships long before a public listing.
Equity Lift is his buyers practice for investors only: pre market and off market acquisition across residential and commercial, value add delivery with a vetted trades panel, commercial repositioning where the lease and tenant strategy unlocks the equity, coordinated resale when you trade out, and hold and reinvest discipline when you compound. It is all done on your title with your broker and accountant, not through courses or coaching.
02 — Our Story
Born from one observation about property investors.
Investor-first. Always.
The investors who pull ahead are rarely the loudest on social media. They are the ones with pre market access, a written plan, and the discipline to execute: not to collect unfinished renovations.
Equity Lift works with investors only: source off market across residential and commercial, acquire under competition, add value with a controlled scope, revalue honestly, redeploy capital. We do not act for owner occupiers, chase first home buyers, or take selling side kickbacks.
We work with Melbourne and Victoria investors and the wider Australian commercial market: SMSF trustees, portfolio builders, investors running full renovate and sell cycles on residential, and families compounding mixed residential and commercial holdings. The brief varies; the mandate does not.
03 — Sister Brand
Part of the Lillywhite group.
Equity Lift is the specialist investor arm of Lillywhite Property, Michael Lillywhite's full service buyer and vendor advocacy practice. Lillywhite Property serves home buyers, sellers, and general investors across Victoria. Equity Lift exists for one audience only: ambitious investors pursuing pre market, value add opportunities in Melbourne.
04 — Operating Principles
The five principles we will not compromise.
i.
Principle One
Investment Property Investors Only. Always.
We deliberately do not chase first home buyers, owner occupiers, downsizers, or relocation work. Every relationship in our network (agents, vendors, builders, brokers, valuers) is geared to investor outcomes, including SMSF property investors with stricter acquisition requirements. Specialisation is the entire point.
ii.
Principle Two
Buyer side, no kickbacks.
We never accept rebates, marketing referrals, or incentives from selling agents, vendors, builders, or brokers. Our fee is paid only by the investor who hired us. No divided loyalty, no quietly inflated transactions.
iii.
Principle Three
Acquire Right or Walk Away.
We will tell you the deal does not work. We will tell you to wait. We will tell you the property you have fallen for does not value up. The discipline to walk away from a bad acquisition is the most expensive habit a serious investor can build.
iv.
Principle Four
Portfolio, Not Transaction.
A single acquisition is a transaction. A portfolio is a system that turns each acquisition into the deposit on the next. We are built for the loop, not for the one off purchase that quietly sits on the books for a decade.
v.
Principle Five
End to end execution. Not advice or coaching.
We do not sell courses, mentorships, or weekend workshops. We do not run "property investment coaching." Equity Lift is an end to end investment property service in Melbourne: we acquire, we coordinate the renovation team, we time the bank revaluation, we redeploy the equity. You hire us to do the work, on your title, for the duration of the engagement. The deliverable is the portfolio, not the lesson plan.
05 — Begin Together
Let's see if we're the right firm for your next investment property.
A 45-minute investor strategy call. No pitch, no pressure, no obligation, just a candid discussion about your portfolio, your capital position, and how we'd approach the next deal.
See how the loop runs →Investor Strategy Form
Book your free investor strategy call.
We'll respond within one business day to schedule.