Purchasing power
You wouldn’t think twice about engaging a professional when you sell your home, but what about when you’re in the market to buy?
Finding a new home or investment property is an exciting experience but for some buyers it can be stressful. It can be tricky negotiating with a professional estate agent over hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it is often hard to know when you’ve driven the vendor down to their lowest price.
After all, there’s a lot at stake and many buyers are as afraid of missing out as they are of paying above the odds for a property. This is just one of the reasons that a growing number of Australians are turning to the services of a buyer’s agent.
Buyer’s agents help homebuyers in the purchasing process and have gained in popularity over the past few years as more Australians recognise the value of drafting in a professional to negotiate on their behalf.
Much the same as a real estate agent represents the vendor, a buyer’s agent represents the buyer in terms of finding the right property and negotiating the best price. A good buyer’s agent will have considerable local market knowledge as well as a proven track record in real estate negotiation.
You can engage a buyer’s agent to take care of the whole purchasing process or simply just to bid on your behalf at auction. Charges for the services of a buyer’s agent can vary from a flat fee to a percentage of the property purchase price depending on the level of assistance they provide.
If you’re interested in engaging a professional to help you with your next purchase it’s always best to look for a referral. Ask family or friends for a recommendation; also feel free to give me a call if you’d like my help.
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INSIDE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY – WITH RETHINK INVESTING: Crunching the numbers
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INVESTING INSIGHTS WITH RIGHT PROPERTY GROUP: Going back to basics
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Q&A session with Paul Glossop
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A broker’s perspective on current opportunities for savvy investors