Buyer’s Agents - Seeking Recommendations & Experiences

AmorPax on 22/09/2025 - 21:34

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out to the community for some guidance in finding a reliable and experienced buyer’s agent or property advocate.

I’m in a fortunate position where I have borrowing capacity (along with a bit of capital) to invest in property, and I’d love to get advice from those who have worked with buyer’s agents. I’m looking for someone who can help me navigate the market, identify high-potential properties, and guide me through the purchase process.

I’m based in Melbourne but am also open to investing interstate.
If you’ve worked with a buyer’s agent, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experiences (both good and bad) so I can get a better understanding of what to look for.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or insights!

Financial

Comments

  • dcep on 22/09/2025 - 21:53
    -2

    Youtube shown me videos from pumped-on-property, I looked up into them and surprised many people using them with plenty of glowing google reviews/feedbacks.

    I like their content on youtube. No experience with them nor associated.

  • MS Paint on 22/09/2025 - 22:02

    Are you time poor OP? Not hard to do your own research. Plenty of data and information available. Save yourself 1000's and take your time and learn the ropes yourself.

    • AmorPax on 22/09/2025 - 22:26

      I am doing my own research as well, but I don't have enough confidence/experience with this and have no access to off-market properties. In addition, if I decide to buy interstate, it can be hard to inspect it in person and stay on top of local regulations and market conditions.
      Any guidance on this would be greatly appreciated.

      • MS Paint on 22/09/2025 - 23:08
        +5

        I would only invest in a property that I can drive to and back in a day but that's just me. Interstate investment properties are a potential bigger headache. Being a landlord is not all roses and sunshine. I'm glad not to be a landlord any longer. The capital gains were nice and the fat tax returns were the cherry on top but the shit along the way is a headache I definitely don't miss.

        • ihbh on 23/09/2025 - 07:32
          +1

          Interstate investment properties are a potential bigger headache

          Not necessarily. Get and manage a good property manager; if they don't operate to your expectations, get another one.

          and the fat tax returns were the cherry on top

          This is not the way. Means you got in late in the cycle.

          • MS Paint on 23/09/2025 - 07:48

            @ihbh: 2002 was late in the cycle?

            • ihbh on 23/09/2025 - 07:58
              -2

              @MS Paint: Yes. Note, it's cycles. The latest has gone crazy with the immigration kick.

              1. No one has the benefit of hindsight, but if you look at this graph, you bought around the top and the market went sideways for a number of years. https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/01/if-you-are-a-young-…

              Experienced or lucky buyers/investors were buying mid-90s to around early 2000s (GST commenced July 2000 on building materials was a driver for investors to get in/sign contracts before prices started to increase on existing builds).

              1. Sure it's gone up afterwards, but they're subsequent cycles.

              2. Also depends on when you sold.

        • apple2016 on 23/09/2025 - 16:09
          +1

          Interstate investment properties are a potential bigger headache.

          not if you are in VIC. Being a landlord in VIC is bigger headache…

      • ihbh on 23/09/2025 - 07:24

        have no access to off-market properties

        Don't believe this crap that they spin. If you've got money, agents will talk to you. They're the ones most off-market sellers talk to.

        The exception was on my street. A buyers agent put in flyers about how they secured a great property for their clients on my street. A few days later, I got a flyer from the agents, how they sold a street record for same property. Turns out these idiots door knocked and managed to get someone to sell, … at a street record (when I checked prices after settlement, it was a massive premium relative to land cost & build).

        • tekisei on 23/09/2025 - 14:04
          +1

          I agree. People don't just decide to sell a property by themselves without significant preparation - they will engage an agent. You should think of off-market properties as pre-market properties instead. Property agents are your resource if you are unfamiliar with the area - ask them about demographics, schooling, crime, commercial centers, rental demand across multiple suburbs. Cross reference with multiple agents.

          Honestly though, this is a hefty bit of wealth you are putting on the line. You should be looking in the area on the ground, in person, for at least a couple of days even if you don't end up buying ones you inspect in person.

          • kai888 on 23/09/2025 - 15:58
            +1

            @tekisei: Agreed, buyers agents and the miracle off market properties is the biggest con, if you believe this then you probably also believe that tariffs is not a tax. Some properties do not go onto realestate.com or domain because it's already listed by the agents and they have received an offer too good to refuse. To get access to these type of properties, all you have to do is go to a few open houses with the different agents in the areas you want to buy and they'll proactively call you if such properties exist but there is no way it's going to sell below market.

    • dogboy on 23/09/2025 - 16:01

      The real issue here is that buying agents often have good contacts within the real estate agents and get the inside track on new properties before they are listed. So if you don't use them, you are left with only the remaining properties they don't already have buyers for with all the other plebs. While you might have the time to research, negotiate and all the other stuff fine, good luck getting the real estates to give you preference when they have an existing relationship with a buying agent that is connected with multiple motivated buyers. I personally think this is ridiculous and completely unfair and when you consider stamp duty and the buying agent's exorbitant costs, you are looking at least an additional ~$150k cost on a $2M property.

  • ihbh on 23/09/2025 - 07:26
    -1

    Unless the experts have done this for decades and are independently successful/wealthy (that is, not rely on your fee), don't bother - it will reduce your returns even further, which are very hard to come by in this market. Here's the catch, if they're experienced/worth it, they don't need to work.

    And if you get someone inexperienced or out to earn a quick fee, they will drag your future returns down even further.

  • 87percent on 23/09/2025 - 08:12
    +1

    I’ve done it twice, and highly recommend them

  • HMK on 23/09/2025 - 08:23
    -1

    I'm in Melbourne and have used Parley Property Advisory for both Victorian and NSW properties. I can't recommend Chris Hampton enough. He was absolutely fantastic and made everything so easy for me. He was thorough and had a wealth of knowledge.
    Good luck

  • dtc on 23/09/2025 - 11:06
    +2

    its one of those advisory services where 75% of people think they know more than the experts and 25% of people understand they dont know more than the experts, but a lot of them are happy to take the gamble anyway because 'how hard could it be, real estate agents are all stupid'

    • CharlieSheen on 23/09/2025 - 12:19
      +1

      It depends. If you're looking to invest interstate it would be worth paying for in my opinion- but ultimately I'd want to see the property for myself prior to any formal offers being made. I had a friend that went through a buyers agent for their investment property. They basically gave the buyers agent a laundry list of what they wanted, their budget, etc. Their buyers agent searched Australia wide and settled on something they're happy with quite easily.

  • Austin 316 on 23/09/2025 - 13:39
    +1

    Research your area first. Lock in a location where you want to invest. Depending on that, you can decide if you need a buyers agent or not. Since you are in VIC, if you are investing in VIC, don't use a buyers agent. If you decide to invest interstate, there is nothing wrong with using an agent.

    By the way, depending on where you invest, you might even be able to lock in your property online and use a real estate manager to inspect the property for you, if all you need to verify is the property is not too different from its online ad.

  • cloudy on 23/09/2025 - 16:09
    -1

    You are a finanical helpers dream, lots of money, no "confidence" in dealings, believe in mysterious secret knowledge others may or may not have.

    whats the saying. When a man with money meets a man with wisdom, the man with money leaves with the wisdom and the man with wisdom leaves with the money.

  • TheFreaK on 23/09/2025 - 16:58
    +1

    If I were in your shoes, I'd only bother with a BA if you want to look interstate

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join