06 Apr Why a Buyers Agent is essential in the current market
A Buyers Agent was once considered something that only very wealthy people could afford. However, all of that is changing as more and more people are turning to buyers agents to give them a competitive edge in securing the property of their dreams.
The current market has only served to increase the demand for buyers agents. I currently receive around 10 new enquiries every week – many of which I need to turn down as I am already engaged by another buyer looking for exactly what that buyer was after.
It is important for anyone looking to purchase a property, to understand that while buyers are important to real estate agents when they are selling property they are acting for the seller and will always put the sellers wishes first. So, when a real estate agent doesn’t return your numerous calls in this current climate – it’s not because they are neglecting you – it’s simply that they have to deal with buyers who have the greatest likelihood of purchasing the property their seller has listed, at the best possible price. And in the current market, they are receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls every week and as a buyer, you are competing with every single one of those enquiries.
As buyers’ agents, we do not compete with real estate agents – we work with them. A good buyers agent will have relationships with numerous real estate agents that is built on respect and trust. They will know that when we say we have a buyer looking for a specific property in a specific suburb or street, that my buyer is serious and in a position to transact quickly.
We can act swiftly and often before a property comes to market because when we approach a real estate agent, we have already done our research and have everything ready to proceed should the right property become available.
Many of my clients are interstate and simply do not have the time to continually fly up to Noosa to inspect properties and so I take a comprehensive brief and do all the work for them. I know what their budget is, what inclusions the property must have, what is and is not negotiable and the exact locations (sometimes down to the side of the street) they wish to purchase in.
When we specialise in an area as I do, we pretty much know every property (especially the prestige properties) and can guide people early on if their expectations are unrealistic and can offer other suggestions on areas they may not have considered.
It is important to note that a buyer’s agent will not generally take on more than one client looking for a specific property in a specific price range. The reason for this is you need to show your client everything that meets their brief and for that reason, you cannot have clients competing for the same property.
In addition, a buyer’s agent should be completely independent and never accept commissions from real estate agents or vendors – they must always act in the interests of the buyer that engaged them.
While engaging a buyer’s agent is not for everyone, for those who want to have a professional by their side acting on their behalf in the search of their dream property, it’s an investment that more and more people are choosing to make and it’s giving them an edge over their competition.