PRESS RELEASE: 8/11/2013

FAMILIES ON THE HUNT FOR BEDROOMS INSTEAD OF SCHOOLS FOR NEW HOMES
The top five factors considered by families when seeking a new home are the number of bedrooms, the overall size of the block of land, whether there is a garage or off street parking, followed by affordability and the size of the backyard, according to a recent survey undertaken for Aussie by RP Data. The survey of 2,400 respondents shows that the size of a property is important when it comes to family purchases, while unsurprisingly first home buyers consider affordability is the key factor when buying a property, followed by the number of bedrooms, off-street parking, capital growth and proximity to public transport. Executive Chairman of Aussie, Mr John Symond said The survey shows that off-site factors like proximity to schools and public transport are not as important in buying considerations as many commentators thought, with buyers showing preference for the attributes of the property itself for families. A logical conclusion to be drawn from the survey is that people are prepared to travel longer distances to work and schools, with the features of the house or apartment now the top priority for families, he added. RP Datas Senior Research Analyst Cameron Kusher agreed that it was a surprise the survey showed that proximity to schools only ranked 12th in growing families considerations when weighing up what they look for in a new home. With auction clearance rates reaching 80% and above in CBD areas as the market recovers, it shows that people should be, and are considering qualities easily available outside of metro areas, concluded John Symond.

Rank 1 2 3 4 5

Top 15 Factors - Family growth Number of bedrooms Overall size of block Garage / off street parking Affordability Size of back yard

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Number of bathrooms Construction Capital Growth Neighbourhood - Family friendly Number of parking spaces Proximity to - Public transport Proximity to - Primary school Proximity to - Work Entertainment area - External Entertainment area - Internal

Top 15 Factors - First home Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Affordability Number of bedrooms Garage / off street parking Capital Growth Proximity to - Public transport Overall size of block Number of bathrooms Proximity to - Work Number of parking spaces Construction Size of back yard Distance from capital city CBD Proximity to - Parks Balcony / Patio Neighbourhood - Family friendly

For further information: Fiona Hamann Snr Manager, Public Relations (02)8297 0560 Tim Allerton City PR (02) 9267 4511 (0412) 715 707.

About Aussie: Aussie (formerly Aussie Home Loans) was founded in 1992 by John Symond AM, who was widely credited with bringing competition to the Australian home lending industry. The company was unique in its approach to home loans, offering 24 hours a day service and loans far cheaper than those offered by banks. In 1994 Aussie introduced the securitisation of home loans, allowing it to offer loans upwards of 3% cheaper than its competitors. The company rapidly grew as consumers became aware of its products and that of other nonbanks and the competition heated up. As at June 2013, Aussie had a loans portfolio of more than $46.8 billion. In 2012 Aussie acquired Mortgage aggregator nMB, which brought its total portfolio value to $55 billion. In May, 2013 The Commonwealth Bank increased its investment in Aussie from 33 per cent to 80 per cent, with the right to subsequently move to 100 per cent ownership.