iscoverNew research has found promising engagement of professional services among Australian consumers, with nearly half engaging professional services providers.
1 in 2 Aussies use professional services providers, with accountants leading the way
10 September 2025
•
8 minute read
Market research agency, Agile Market Intelligence (Agile), has released its new Consumer Pulse Survey, which found that nearly one in two Australian consumers invest in professional services.
Consumer Pulse is a monthly tracker developed by Agile Market Intelligence to monitor consumer sentiment, financial stress, and behavioural shifts across key household segments.
You’re out of free articles for this month
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
The survey collected responses from 1,534 Australian consumers throughout August 2025 from the prompt: "Which of the following professionals or service providers do you currently engage or have engaged in the past 12 months?"
Have you done your returns yet?
Accountants received the highest rate of engagement out of the professional services, serving one in four consumers (26 per cent) over the last 12 months, Agile found.
It noted: “This level of market penetration more than doubles the engagement rate of financial advisers at 12 per cent.”
Director of Agile Market Intelligence, Michael Johnson, said: "While both professionals are supporting consumers to achieve their financial goals to some degree, accountants are clearly more popular, likely driven by tax and compliance requirements."
It emphasised that accountants benefit from “automatic demand renewal cycles” caused by regulatory requirements, whereas financial advisers exist in “competitive discretionary markets” where they need constantly to prove their value.
"The way we see it is that accountants have built their practices around solving problems consumers cannot ignore, while financial advisers compete in a space where consumers can always choose to do nothing,” Johnson said.
The Australian dream
The agency found that nearly one in five consumers were served by property-related professionals in the last year. Real estate agents were engaged at a rate of 13 per cent, whereas property managers were engaged at a rate of 6 per cent, meaning that in the last 12 months, they collectively served 19 per cent of Aussie consumers.
"Australians don't see property professionals as service providers - they see them as wealth creation partners," Johnson said.
He said this reflected “a nation that views property expertise as essential infrastructure for building family wealth, not just completing transactions."
Self-reliant segment
“52 per cent of consumers (795 of 1,534 respondents) have not engaged in any financial or property professional service in the past 12 months, representing a substantial untapped market,” Agile found.
This group of consumers manages aspects such as tax, property, and financial planning without professional help.
“[They] aren't necessarily rejecting the value – they may not understand when they need help or how to access it," Johnson added.
“This represents the industry's biggest growth opportunity, but it requires rethinking how professional services are positioned, priced, and delivered to reach this self-reliant segment.”
You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member for free today!
