You might be familiar with the term ‘buyers agent,’ yet many home buyers and property investors aren’t quite sure about their role. Unlike the more commonly known real estate agents, buyers agents have a distinct function. So… exactly what is a buyer’s agent?
In this discussion, we’ll delve into the specifics of what a buyer’s agent is, their responsibilities, and the value they bring to the property buying process.
Let’s dive in.
What’s in this post?
- Introduction to Buyers Agents
- What does a buyer’s agent do?
- How much are buyers agent Brisbane fees?
- Why should I work with a buyer’s agent?
- How to choose the best buyers’ agent?
- The National Property Buyers Difference
- Buyers Agent FAQs
What’s the difference between a buyers agent and a real estate agent?
Understanding the difference between a buyer’s agent and a real estate agent is crucial when you’re stepping into the property market. Essentially, real estate agents are professionals who help to buy and sell real estate. However, these selling agents primarily represent the seller’s interests, and aim to sell properties at the best possible price.
On the other hand, buyers agents are dedicated to the buyer. Their job is to find and secure the ideal property for you, ensuring you get the best value for your money. They focus solely on your needs, regardless of whether you’re looking to purchase a residential or commercial property.
So to make it simple, while a real estate selling agent represents property sellers, a buyer’s agent represents you, the buyer. They are committed to finding you the best property at the most favorable price. With this in mind, if you’re planning to buy property, choosing to work with a buyers agent can be a highly advantageous choice.
What does a buyer’s agent do?
A good buyer’s agent has a wide range of skills and services to help property buyers purchase the home of their dreams. Buyers agent services include:
- Researching and strategising
- Finding and vetting available properties
- Assessing the true market value of a property
- Negotiating, bidding and securing a property at the best price
Research and Strategy
Many home buyers go into the process of buying property without much of a plan. They do an online search, drive through various suburbs looking for open inspections, or talk to family and friends about neighbours who might be selling their home.
In other words, most people go into it totally blind and end up with a final purchase that’s less than ideal. Maybe they end up paying too much, or not really getting what they wanted. That’s where an experienced buyers’ agent can really make the difference.
A buyer’s agent will do all the research and strategising to make sure you have a solid plan from the beginning. They’ll work with you to figure out exactly what you’re looking for and use their expert knowledge and cutting-edge real estate software to make a plan that works.
Finding and Vetting Available Properties
Once the research is complete and there’s a strategy in place, your buyers agent will find and vet available properties – and even off-market properties that other buyers won’t have access to.
Buyers agents have insider knowledge about the best suburbs in your area and what a good property looks like. In other words, they’ll prevent you from buying a faulty structure or placing an offer that’s too high or too low.
Instead of attending countless inspections, your buyer’s agent will shortlist the best properties that fit your requirements, which saves you heaps of time.
Assess True Market Value
The price of a property doesn’t usually reflect its actual market value. Buyers agents know the difference between a good deal and an inflated price.
Of course, the real estate market fluctuates based on supply and demand, but if it’s better for you to wait for the market to settle or if you should get in quick to snap up low prices, your buyers agent can provide trustworthy advice in this regard.
We won’t push you to buy something that’s out of your price range or a home that’s way overpriced. Again, your buyer’s agent is advocating for you, and we won’t settle until you come away with the best possible result.
Negotiation, Auction Bidding and Securing Property
We get it. You’re probably not a real estate expert and you very likely have more important things to do than negotiate with sellers or attend real estate auctions. This is, again, where a buyer’s agent can save you heaps of time and stress.
When you’re ready to place an offer on a property, we’ll take care of all the stressful aspects of negotiating, bidding in an auction, and securing the best price on a home.
Buyers agents are expert negotiators and we know how to handle ourselves in high-stakes situations. For many, negotiating with sales agents and sellers is uncomfortable and one of the most stressful parts of buying property. So, why not allow an experienced buyers’ agent to do it for you?
How much does a buyer’s agent cost?
Understanding a buyer’s agent fee in Brisbane’s local real estate market is important when you’re considering their services. At National Property Buyers Brisbane, the cost depends on the type of service you choose.
We provide two main types of services: full-service, and evaluation and negotiation.
The full-service option, which covers everything from finding your ideal property to negotiating the best price, typically costs more due to its comprehensive nature. Many of our clients find the investment in full-service worthwhile, as it often leads to significant time and cost savings in their property purchase.
Our fee structure is usually based on a percentage of the final property purchase price, typically ranging from 2% to 3% plus GST. This approach aligns our interests with yours, as we aim to secure the best possible deal for you. We believe that a percentage-based fee reflects the value and expertise a skilled buyer’s agent brings to your property journey.
Why should I work with a buyer’s agent?
So, why should you work with a buyers agent like the ones you’ll find on our team here at National Property Buyers Brisbane? To us, the benefits are clear. But, if you still need some convincing, the main reasons to work with a buyers agent include:
- Save time and money
- Experience and local knowledge
- Get the true market value of a property
- Access off-market property
- Stress-free negotiations and auctions
- Work with industry partners
Save Time and Money
One of the biggest advantages of using a buyer’s agent is the significant savings in time and money. A buyers agent not only helps you secure the best price, potentially saving you thousands, but also saves you from spending every weekend at house inspections, and hours online hunting for properties. We streamline the whole buying process, from searching to negotiating, making sure you get the best value for your time and investment.
Leverage Experience and Local Knowledge
Even if you’re not well-versed in real estate, a buyer’s agent fills that gap with their expertise and local market understanding. Our role is to share our extensive knowledge with you, ensuring you make informed decisions.
Whether it’s finding your dream home or investing wisely, our experience and familiarity with the local areas are invaluable tools that can significantly benefit your property journey.
Accurate Property Valuation
Our buyers agents are adept at discerning the true market value of properties, protecting you from overpriced deals. With our experience, they can guide you on when to enter the market, negotiate effectively, and ensure you pay a fair price. This expertise gives you the confidence and peace of mind that you’re making a sound investment.
Access to Off-Market Properties
Working with a buyer’s agent opens doors to off-market properties you wouldn’t find through traditional searches. Our network within the Brisbane property market gives you early access to these hidden gems. This exclusive access can be a game-changer in a competitive market, as it offers you opportunities to secure exceptional properties before they’re widely advertised.
Stress-Free Negotiations and Auctions
Let’s face it – most of us clam up during negotiations and auctions. The whole purpose of them is to induce stress and urgency which is, simply put, uncomfortable – at least for most people.
However, our buyers agents have decades of experience handling negotiations and property auctions. We go into the fire so that you don’t have to. And trust us, having a stress-free property buying experience is worth it.
From moving to organising new schools for the kids to navigating your new suburb, buying a home is stressful enough. Allow our buyers agents to take some of the weight off your shoulders with our negotiation and auction bidding services.
Work with Industry Partners
Last but not least, when you work with a buyers agent, you’ll also have access to our wide network of industry partners. There’s a lot that goes into property ownership that expands beyond what your buyer’s agent can do. So, you’ll want the absolute best support for all the odds and ends of buying a home.
From contractors to building inspectors and everything in between, we know the best in the business and we can refer you to our industry partners who are each experts in their respective fields.
All in all, there’s still a lot to get done once you’ve signed on the dotted line and been given the keys or settled on an investment property. The highly qualified referrals from your buyers agent’s network can help.
How to choose the best buyer’s agent?
Now that you know what a buyers agent is, what they do, and why you should work with one, it’s time to go over how to choose the best buyers agent for you.
This stage takes a fair amount of time and research but by asking the right questions and having a plan, you can find the buyers’ agent that matches your needs and is the right fit.
This stage isn’t something you’ll want to rush as choosing the right buyers’ agent will make a huge difference to the success of your property buying experience. So, let’s explore some of the things you should consider before choosing your buyer’s agent.
Ask about their experience.
The first thing you should enquire about when choosing a buyer’s agent is their experience in the real estate industry. Of course, skills and expertise are absolutely essential and you should certainly verify the credentials of any buyers’ agent you consider working with. However, their experience matters in terms of real-world insights.
A lot of buyers agents in Brisbane and throughout southeast Queensland are relatively new to the industry. While real estate agents have been around for ages, buyers agents are still quite a new offering in the world of property buying.
So, while someone may have the skills to be a buyers agent, they don’t necessarily have the priceless experience of someone with decades under their belt as a buyers agent.
Set up a consultation.
To really get a feel for your potential buyers agent, set up a consultation and meet with them in person or over the phone. This is where you’ll be able to ask all your burning questions and get to know the person on the other end.
At the end of the day, your buyer’s agent will be guiding you through one of the most important decisions of your life. You’ll want to ensure that you not only get along with them as a person, but that they share your core values.
For some, buying property is all about getting rich through quick investments. But you might want to buy a forever home for your family or invest more conservatively by taking on less risk.
In other words, not all buyers agents are in it for the same reasons, so setting up a consultation with a potential buyers agent is key to making sure you’re fully on the same page before the process begins.
Talk to their past clients.
Lastly, to get an unbiased opinion about your potential buyers agent, talk to their past clients and check out customer reviews.
Google reviews are a great place to look up what other people are saying about that particular buyer’s agent. But you can also request to speak to some of their former clients who are happy to share their experience.
Getting third party testimonials are helpful because if someone who has no vested interest in promoting a company decides to offer a gleaming review, that’s really saying something about the quality of a service.
So, to get a crystal clear idea of what you’ll receive when working with a buyers agent, talk to people who have been in your shoes. It’ll certainly help when you make your final decision.
The National Property Buyers Difference
We bring a much-needed human touch to property buying that’s often overlooked in the technological era we live in. Sure, we use the latest technology as well and we’re not against it, but we’re passionate about making sure we never lose the human element of relationship-building with our clients.
We don’t rely on virtual inspections or digital images when vetting properties for you. We walk the floorboards and get a feel for the space. Again, offering the human experience in everything we do – that’s the National Property Buyers difference.
Buyers Agent FAQs
What is the difference between a buyer’s agent and a buyer’s advocate?
There is no difference between a buyer’s agent and a buyer’s advocate. They are two different terms that mean the exact same thing. In some areas, like Brisbane, ‘buyer’s agent’ is the most common term. However, in other areas of Australia, buyer’s advocate is the term used.
Here, at National Property Buyers Brisbane, we use both terms interchangeably. So, we are, in fact, both buyers agents and buyers advocates. We advocate on behalf of the buyer and provide a wide range of real estate services for home buyers and property investors in the southeast Queensland region.
Contact our buyers agents/buyers advocates today!
Is a buyer’s agent worth it?
Absolutely, a buyer’s agent is often a valuable asset in the property buying process. Their expertise not only simplifies the journey but also ensures that you make a well-informed decision. They bring to the table their deep understanding of the market, negotiation skills, and access to off-market properties, potentially saving you significant time and money. Furthermore, their sole commitment to your interests can provide peace of mind and confidence, especially in competitive markets.
Contact one of our experienced buyers agents today to learn about the true value we can bring to your property search.
Do buyers agents earn commission?
Technically, yes – a buyers agent generally structures their fees as 2%-3% + GST of the final negotiated price of the property you end up purchasing. However, since your buyers agent fee comes from your purchase, you won’t have to pay upfront. And for a round-the-clock advocate who’s working for you – and only you, you’ll get the best price on your property which will be well worth the fee.
You might see buyers agents charging flat fees for their services, but generally, these buyers agents have far less experience and need cash fast. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for and going with a buyers agent who structures their fees at 2%-3% of the final price is almost always your best bet.
Contact one of our experienced buyers agents today and learn more about our buyers agent Brisbane fees.
How do I find a good buyer’s agent?
Finding a good buyer’s agent requires a decent amount of time and effort. Not all buyers agents are created equal and even if all the buyers agents in your area have the required credentials, many of them in southeast Queensland are new to being buyers agents and don’t necessarily have the experience to get you the best deal on a home or investment property.
The expert buyers agents at National Property Buyers Brisbane have decades of experience as buyers agents. We know the Brisbane real estate market inside and out with insights that only years and years of experience can offer.
Contact our buyers agents today and get a feel for the difference. Call 07 3844 7376 now!