How does a buyer’s agency work and how does it differ from a sales agent?
We are engaged by the purchaser to act on their behalf in sourcing and negotiating the best property to suit their needs.
Where a sales agent has a legal obligation to act on behalf of the vendor (seller) to secure the best price and terms for their client, we act on behalf of the buyer to even the playing field and work to negotiate the best price and terms for the buyer.
What type of properties can you assist with?
We are Sydney based specialists and can assist clients with any type of property from apartments to houses and commercial buildings.
Sometimes our clients are not sure of what they are looking for at the start of the search process and it's our job to help you right from the start to ensure that you have defined the right search criteria and we also re-evaluate and review the criteria throughout the process to ensure that we haven't missed anything.
Why do I need to pay you to search for a property?
Purchasing a property is a large financial commitment and something that most people do only occasionally. This is where our experience and expertise comes into play and given our extensive experience in this field, we are able to save our clients time and money in the process.
We will save time by working with you to define your exact requirements, ensuring that what you think you want in a property is actually what you need. We search all available on-market and off-market opportunities and conduct a thorough analysis and initial due diligence before we short-list and present to you for discussion.
We not only save you from the countless hours of searching and analysis, but also from dealing with multiple sales agents, stripping back the sales jargon and taking away the sales pressure tactics employed by many agents. We also take the emotional factors out of the negotiation process so that we can secure the property at the best price possible for our clients, but also know when to walk away and look for another opportunity.
Can't I just search online? Why do I need you?
Our value proposition is not just in identifying a property, but assessing the suitability of that particular property, conducting due diligence on behalf of you, the buyer. Finding a property is only a small step in the overall assessment and purchase of real estate.
We encourage you to search online and give us guidelines to help assist in the search. You can be as actively involved as you wish and we welcome the ongoing feedback from you to assist us to work together effectively.
This gives us an idea of what you are seeking and will help to speed the process along when we can see what you have previously identified and can discuss with you the pros and cons of each.
Along with searching for a property, we also conduct inspections of the property during open inspections and other due diligence such as pest/building/strata inspections and reports. Please note these reports are charged at cost to the client and we will advise which reports are required and at what stage.
We liaise with your finance broker, accountant and solicitors or conveyancers to ensure the purchase goes smoothly. As an additional service, we also offer our lifestyle management services where we have partnered up with personal concierge services to offer a truly integrated door-to-door serviced tailored to the busy executive moving home or country.
Why do you ask for an exclusive agreement – can I just pay you if you find a property for me?
Unfortunately, our service structure only works when we have an exclusive agreement. In the event that we didn’t have an exclusive agreement with you, it would be very likely that we could do a significant amount of work in assisting you through the property purchasing process and we would not be compensated. While we often waive our right to an engagement fee as we believe in having a trust-based relationship with our clients, we are unable to start work for you without an exclusive agreement.
Can I exclude particular properties from the exclusive agreement?
For clients who have a particular off-market property that they are already in negotiations or unique circumstances that dictate the need to exclude a property from the contract, we are happy to discuss with you on a case-by-case basis and come to a mutually agreeable agreement prior to commencement of our work.
When do I need to sign your agreement?
We encourage you to take our agreement, talk it over with family and other stake holders in the purchase, seek your independent legal and financial advice prior to signing and returning to us. The sooner we have your returned agreement the sooner we can get to work – however, it is important that you are comfortable and understand the contract and both your obligations as well as ours.
How quickly can you find me a property?
We will discuss with you the urgency of your purchase and your individual circumstances. We will never try to pressure you into a purchase, but we are always conscious of the time and your requirements. As a general guide, we usually ask for an exclusive period within the agreement of six (6) months from date of finance approval. This allows us to search without rushing into a purchase – while being realistic in our expected time frame and taking into account possible finance approval timelines.
What if I've already found a property - can you just negotiate the sale for me?
Yes - we can attend auctions and negotiate private treaty sales on your behalf. This is of particular benefit for people who feel pressured by the sales process or high-profile clients who would like to maintain their anonymity.
We have a discounted rate for this service to reflect the amount of work that is required. Contact us for more information.
Do you get any commission from other agents or people you recommend?’
The simple answer is no. We recommend professionals based on our personal experience with them and their firm's services. We do not receive any commissions from other parties. We act on a strict fee-for-service basis with our clients and we put this in writing at the beginning of our relationship with our client by way of an Exclusive Buyers Agency Agreement.
