Australian Property Podcast LongView: The ‘RODWELL’ approach to property
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Nov 18, 2025 Evan Thornley, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of LongView, discusses solutions for Australia's housing affordability crisis. He shares insights from his journey transitioning from tech to social ventures. The conversation dives into LongView's innovative Home Equity Fund and the RODWELL investment approach, emphasizing land-driven capital growth. Evan explains why land values matter and how owner-occupied homes often outperform investment properties. He highlights the fund’s performance, liquidity strategies, and a philosophy of aligning interests with clients.
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From Surf Kid To Tech Founder
- Evan Thornley grew up on the NSW Central Coast, played drums and moved to Melbourne before launching a tech and public-policy career.
- He helped build LookSmart into a Nasdaq unicorn, entered politics briefly, and later co-created social ventures like Good Start Consortium.
Blend Fieldwork With Data
- Longview blends deep field experience with seven years of data science to select properties.
- The firm insists on senior buyer inspections plus national analysis of 50 years of sales data to identify outperformance.
Land, Not Buildings, Drives Growth
- In Australia land value drives capital growth far more than buildings, especially in major coastal cities.
- Longview's RODWELL idea targets robust older dwellings on well‑located land because land, not structure, creates long-term returns.