Who would use a Buyers Agent and why?

When I tell people I’m a Buyers Agent (or Buyer Advocate) many of them have no idea what that means. When I first started in 2012, even fewer people understood the role of a Buyers Agent!

Rather than tell you what I do, let me share some stories about why other people have engaged me as their Buyers Agent. (Of course, I’ve just used their initials to protect their privacy).

DP called me asking all sorts of questions about the Southern Highlands as her and her husband wanted to buy an investment property in the area that would one day potentially become their family home. We had a great chat about the market and off she went to consider her options.

A few months later, having looked at all sorts of properties and not knowing which was the right one to buy, feeling confused and overwhelmed, DP called me again. She said she felt I had proven to her that my knowledge of the market was far superior to her own, even though she’d been trying to understand it for months and she had realised she didn’t want to buy without my Buyers Agent services.

Once DP and her husband engaged me with a Full Service Investment Property Purchase , we got clearer on what they wanted, set the expectations, and off I went, to find them the property that met their goals and budget. I researched the whole market and reached out to all my agent contacts then inspected around 10 properties but settled on 2 that had both the income and the potential the couple were looking for. After receiving my report with recommendations and some discussion, I made an offer on their behalf on a house and granny flat in Moss Vale – under the asking price. The offer was accepted and the building inspection was organised. This showed some minor repairs were needed, so I went back to the agent and re-negotiated the purchase price, taking into account the cost of repairs.

DP and her family now have a wonderful investment, with a fantastic dual income return that offers them a variety of options down the track and means they have an asset that will continue to grow. I’ve just had a chat with her today to see how things are going and she told me there were no surprises and all is well. They have recently put up the rent on both properties and one tenant is vacating soon, with a new one already lined up.

Here’s a totally different client story that lights me up every time.

SJ and JC came to me for Independent Property Advice as first home buyers, a young couple looking to buy their first home together in Bowral. They lived in Sydney but both worked remotely so while they didn’t have to commute every day, our proximity to Sydney was a huge bonus.

They’d looked at all sorts of houses and felt that so many people were telling them different things, they were so confused. So, they came to me for expert, independent advice.

Friends and family always try to help, but unless they’re a seasoned investor or a property professional, it rarely makes sense. They had friends who googled the property address of their favourite house and told them it would flood because there was a creek close by. The agent of this property was pushing them to make a high offer, but when I investigated there were no comparable sales to justify such a price. They were concerned about light and air conditioning but as they didn’t yet understand our climate, their focus was all wrong.

As a local, I explained it all. Showed them the so called creek is nothing but a stormwater easement (which has never flooded), taught them about our climate and the best ways to deal with it and gave them the information they needed to negotiate hard with the selling agent. Then they did the rest themselves!

I’m pleased to say that SJ and JC bought the property at exactly the right price and they’re very proudly enjoying their new home. I’m so happy for them and glad I saved them a whole heap of stress and also some huge money!

Not all my clients are buyers. Yep, that’s right!

Sometimes I work with vendors as their Vendor Advocate, giving them Independent Property Advice. Mostly, vendor advocacy is about helping vendors wanting to sell their property but feeling confused and overwhelmed by the options. Remember, we have over 90 Real Estate Agents in the Southern Highlands, so no wonder it’s a tricky process to find THE ONE.

I help them to figure out which agency or agent is the best selling agent to go with, which one is most suited to selling their particular property and sometimes more importantly which agents to steer clear of. And… there are a few sharks around, let me tell you!

I help them establish a realistic price expectation, independent of the agents who will often try to ‘buy’ the listing by going in high and then using their sales techniques to sell them, as the vendor on reducing the price once they have the listing.

R and F were recommended to me as a no BS Buyers Agent (their words!) who could advise them who to trust when selling their Moss Vale home and buying in Bowral. They had previously had their home on the market with not a single offer. They were focussed on a totally different property near theirs which had sold for a super high price and therefore they couldn’t understand why theirs had not.

They had not been happy with a few of the agents’ approach at their listing presentations and felt let down by the industry, I guess. They were under some personal pressure, which makes the whole situation even more stressful. They are a lovely couple who needed reassurance and support.

The first step was to remove the focus from the other property because it had absolutely no relevance to their own. Then we discussed presentation of the home, which was immaculate but dated and felt a bit sparse. People often remove all their personal items when selling their home because they’ve been told to de-clutter, but sometimes the balance isn’t right. We talked about engaging a stylist to modernise the space with some furnishings and remove the focus from their bold coloured furniture.

I gave them some tips on local Real Estate Agents I would trust to sell a house of this calibre and we’ll have another chat once they’re closer to choosing their favourite.

See, so not all my clients are the same.

Yes, of course I help people buy family homes – in town or on acres. I help them buy investment property in the Highlands or further afield and I even help social housing providers to increase their asset base (which is work I’m really proud of – essentially helping the most underprivileged lives in our society to have a comfortable roof over their heads).

Sometimes the budget is $300,000 and sometimes it’s $6M. I really do help a huge variety of people to buy a huge variety of properties and I love helping every single person to enhance their lifestyle though property.

If you’re ready to buy property and feel overwhelmed, don’t know where to start, who to trust or where to find the time, let’s talk. I’d love to chat and work out the best way to help you make your next property purchase with the Highlands most experienced Buyers Agent on YOUR side.

Give me a call today on 0418 864 435.