Frequently Asked Questions our Brisbane buyers agents often answer …
If your question is not listed below, CONTACT US today and our team of Brisbane buyers agents will be in touch
What exactly is a Brisbane buyers agent?
As Brisbane buyers agents we work exclusively for the property buyer in a real estate transaction. Whether you’re a home buyer or investor, we guide you through all of the necessary steps in the process. These include searching and inspecting properties on your behalf, providing full property due diligence services, negotiating or bidding at auction, liaising with your conveyancer, coordinating building and pest inspections on your behalf and completing pre-settlement inspections for you.
If you are an investor we can also coordinate the hand over to a property manager so the process is completely streamlined and stress-free.
What is a buyer's agent vs a real estate agent (or buyer's agent vs selling agent)?
Buyer’s agent vs real estate agent? Or buyer’s agent vs selling agent? First the terms ‘real estate agent’ and ‘selling agent’ are essentially used interchangeably. And they are both different from a buyer’s agent.
The main difference is that as Brisbane buyers agents we work exclusively for you as the buyer. Our job is to help you buy a property with the least stress and worry and at the best price. On the other hand, the real estate agent (or selling agent) works for the seller. Their job is to help the seller sell the property at the best price.
As a buyer you need to be aware of this difference because when a selling agent gives you information it’s important to know that their loyalty will be to the seller—rather than to you.
Can an agent represent both buyer and seller?
No. In Australia it is illegal for an agent to legally act for both parties in a real estate transaction. They can only represent either the buyer or the seller. As Brisbane buyers agents, you can feel assured that we only ever represent you – the property buyer.
I’m a new or established property investor. I’m not sure of the best way forward and I need advice about what type of property might suit me based on my personal circumstances. Can you help me?
Yes! Our full service scope of works offered by our Brisbane buyers agents includes a one-on-one session with our Qualified Property Investment Advisor so you can be guaranteed to get advice that is tailored specifically for you to ensure the best possible long term investment results. This is a standard inclusion for all investor clients who choose to work with our team of Brisbane buyers agents.
I’m looking to renovate, or add value, to the property that I purchase. Is this something you can help me with?
Yes! Our Licensed Builder is able to provide cost estimates for renovation and refurbishment works before you buy. This means you’ll understand all the costs associated with your strategy and any other relevant options. We are the only Brisbane buyers agents to offer this level of qualification and service offering.
What is the minimum amount of money I will need to buy a property using your services?
Our Brisbane buyers agents have strong agent relationships. Our agent networks are not spread far enough geographically to service all areas throughout Greater Brisbane. We specialise exclusively in the Brisbane City Council region. At this stage the minimum property value for a house on its own block of land that we can help people to locate and buy is around $850,000. Under this budget, you may need to consider a townhouse or a unit if you are looking to partner with our Brisbane buyers agents.
I am not yet finance ready. Is it too soon to get in touch?
Not at all. There is usually a lot of work to do up front before we are ready to commence the search for you. So the finance pre-approval can happen in conjunction with our Brisbane buyers agents looking after your onboarding process.
Also, if you haven’t already commenced discussions with a mortgage broker, we can put you in touch with one who will provide an exceptional service and will have your best interests at heart.
How long do property searches take?
This is a very difficult question to answer. Because the answer is when partnering with our Brisbane buyers agents the search timeframe varies.
It depends on the property brief that is agreed, as well as the availability of properties both on and off market at any given time. In the past we have been able to help clients in as little as two weeks (this is not very common). But sometimes the search can take up to three or four months. Generally, most clients are able to purchase a property within six to eight weeks of the search commencement.
Why do I need a Brisbane buyers agent when I can just buy the property myself?
This is a good question and we love to explain the answer. The biggest problem we see is most buyers don’t know what they don’t know. Our thorough due diligence ensures there are no hidden surprises after you buy.
As Brisbane buyers agents, we also save you time, provide access to properties that otherwise would not be available to you (off-market or pre-market properties) and provide a completely stress-free buying process.
Having professional representation ensures you don’t overpay and that you don’t let emotions overtake your property buying decisions.
What makes you different from other Brisbane buyers agents?
We are a boutique firm specialising only in the Brisbane property market. And we provide a personalised premium service for our clients. We are not just buyers agents. Our team has an extensive skillset, including a Qualified Property Investment Advisor, a licensed builder and a property management expert on our team. This gives us the ability to analyse property in many different ways. We also operate as a team… you get access to the entire team throughout the whole process.
How do buyers agents get paid? Are you paid referral fees when you recommend us to other service providers?
Our payment comes solely from the fees for our services which we’ll confirm with you prior to commencing any work. We do not get any referral fees or kickbacks from others.
In fact, we do not believe in receiving secret commissions, kickbacks or referral fees. We will only make introductions when we believe you could benefit from the other party’s services.
Anyone we refer you to has a proven ability to assist you with a professional service that you need, and provides a premium, personalised service which complements our own business model.
Do you provide a shortlist of properties for us to review and select from?
No. Your search with our team of Brisbane buyers agents happens in real-time. This means that we review all properties on and off market that match your brief as they become available. If they are not suitable we rule them out, but we will also explain why so you learn more about our selection process.
When a property becomes available that does match your brief, once we have performed our due diligence and inspected the property on your behalf, we will provide those details to you. At that stage, and only if you wish to move forward, we will then provide the full comparative market analysis and enter into negotiations with the sales agent on your behalf.
Do you inspect every property on our behalf?
Yes, absolutely! This is critical to get an understanding of the building structure, layout and other things that can only be seen through a physical inspection. We provide you with ample information through our communication channel after our inspections to help you get a real feel for the property.
How much does a Brisbane buyers agent cost?
When determining how much does a buyer’s agent cost, the first thing to ask is what services you require. Our fees for one-off services are payable up front and our full scope Brisbane buyer’s agent service fees are charged in two instalments. This includes an upfront Engagement Fee of $2,500 + GST and a Success Fee, payable once the purchase of a property becomes unconditional. You are welcome to book a discovery call to find out more about our buyer’s agent costs.
Are buyer's agents fees tax deductable?
If you are buying an investment property, then our fees are generally tax deductible as they become part of the cost base for the purchase of the asset. Talk to your accountant about how this impacts on your personal circumstances. If you are buying a home, then no, our fees are not tax deductible.
How do I know you are acting in my best interests?
We are members of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Association of Australia (REBAA) as well as the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA). We have to abide by a Professional Code of Conduct to maintain our affiliation with these organisations.
We are also a fully licensed real estate agency, with full professional indemnity insurance. But most importantly, we are a small business and, therefore, our integrity is the driving force behind our business’ ongoing success.
Find out what our past clients have said about our services on our Google reviews. We are proud of our professional reputation in the industry.