Karl Fitzgerald worked at Prosper Australia for 18-years. He was Prosper’s longest serving employee.
As such, I can confidently say that there’s not much Karl doesn’t know when it comes to land economics, the history of land markets, and how government policies impact the land cycle!
It made him a perfect candidate for this week’s LCI interview.
Throughout his tenure, Karl racked up some spectacular achievements. He pioneered the Speculative Vacancy Reports, which utilise water usage data to reveal the extent of unoccupied properties in Melbourne – a couple of which I authored over the years.
His seminal Staged Releases report provided unprecedented insights into the volume of vacant land held off-market by major developers, highlighting its impact on property prices and housing accessibility.
Karl hosted the Renegade Economist radio show on 3CR for over a decade. The only radio show in Australia that was able to unlock some of the economic myths that litter policy narrative.
It was here, that he conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse array of thinkers including Fred Harrison, Professor Michael Hudson, Professor Steve Keen, Ann Pettifor, David Malone.
His collaboration with esteemed economist Michael Hudson led him to be employed as Hudson’s webmaster where he hosts regular events for his Patreon followers.
In 2022, Karl left Prosper Australia to found Grounded, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advocating for, and developing Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in Australia.
Inspired by the economic philosophies of Henry George, Grounded aims to create sustainable, community-owned housing solutions that mitigates speculative pressures and promotes long-term affordability.
Beyond his research and advocacy, Karl resides on a rural property, where, (with no cliché intended), he embodies a profound connection to land and community that has driven him over the years.
In this interview we discuss -
- The myths behind land price and economic data that you need to be aware of.
- Findings of the reports that show how land and housing is horded and hidden from the economic narrative and market data - exacerbating potential downturns in market.
- The U.S. election and Karl’s perspectives on its impact on the Winner’s Curse phase of the land cycle.
- The Build-to-Rent corporatisation of the land market – what does it mean for the years ahead?
- Community land trusts – what are they, and how they are a ‘cure’ for boom/bust property cycles, and inflated land markets?
All this – and more!