An independent Australian journal
Independent Australian guidance for hiring a buyer's agent
Every long-form piece in the journal, newest first. Each sits in a topic hub so you can read across a city, a fee question or a red flag.
Downsizing is two campaigns at once — selling a long-held home and buying a smaller one — often under family pressure and a clock. A licensed buyer's agent can run the purchase file so you are not negotiating against a selling agent while the removalist waits.
3 June 2026
A buyer's agent is a paid professional, not a moral requirement. If you have already found the house, the campaign is quiet, and you can hold a number, the adult decision may be to keep the fee and spend it on inspections and a lawyer.
28 May 2026
Most firms take money before they search. That engagement fee or retainer is often credited against the success fee — and often is not refundable if you never buy. Ask the three questions that decide whether the upfront payment is a deposit or a sunk cost.
21 May 2026
Canberra is a planned city with public-service moves baked into the calendar. Regional Australia adds a second problem: the licence and the kilometres have to match the state you are buying in.
19 May 2026
The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia is a professional association, not a regulator. Membership can be a useful signal. It is not a licence, and it is not a substitute for the public register.
14 May 2026
Distance is the cleanest reason to hire a licensed buyer's agent, provided they are licensed in the state of the property and they do not also act for the seller. Video is not an inspection, and a national brand is not a licence.
14 May 2026
Exchange is not the finish line. Settlement is the day money and keys move — and a buyer's agent who disappears at the handshake has sold you a moment, not a service.
6 May 2026
Adelaide often has tighter stock than the larger capitals, and a lot of what comes up is stone, villa and bungalow housing. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent works in that smaller, sharper market.
5 May 2026
An investment brief is a yield, risk and paperwork brief, not a lifestyle brief. A licensed buyer's agent can search and negotiate on your side of the table, but they are not your accountant, valuer or property manager, and they must not also act for the seller.
28 April 2026
Auctions in Australia generally have no cooling-off period. Private treaty often does — and the length depends on the state. Here is the high-level pattern, and why you still need your conveyancer to confirm the current rule.
22 April 2026
Perth still moves with a resources cycle, and the same budget buys a different life on the coast and in the inner suburbs. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent works in that city.
21 April 2026
Building and pest reports are the buyer's choice in every Australian state — and they are strongly advisable. A licensed buyer's agent should book them, not talk you out of them.
16 April 2026
The buyer's agency authority is the contract that creates the fee. NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria and WA Consumer Protection all stress written authorities and rebate disclosure. Here is how to read the document before you sign it.
9 April 2026
Negotiation is not a personality. It is a file of comparable sales, a written brief, and a willingness to be the unpopular person in the room. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent actually works a private-treaty price — and why auction is a different sport.
8 April 2026
A first home buyer does not automatically need a buyer's agent. You need a licence check, a budget that already includes their GST-inclusive fee, and a clear view of whether you are paying to learn the process or to cover distance, speed and auctions.
8 April 2026
South East Queensland is still a growth story, and a lot of the housing is timber, tin and stumps. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent works in Brisbane and the wider SEQ market.
7 April 2026
Unlicensed operators, guaranteed bargains, pressure to skip inspections, and a success fee that still bites if you find the house yourself — these are not quirks. They are reasons to stop the meeting.
2 April 2026
Off-market stock is a method, not a miracle. A house that never hits Domain can still be fully priced — and it still needs inspections, a licence check and a contract you have actually read.
26 March 2026
Melbourne still splits its selling methods — auction in some streets, private treaty in others — and the paperwork starts with a section 32. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent works in that mix.
24 March 2026
Ask about the licence, the conflict, the GST-inclusive fee, termination, rebates, and what happens if you find the house yourself. A readable answer in writing is the hiring test. Charm in the meeting is not.
22 March 2026
A percentage fee rises with the purchase price. A fixed fee does not. Neither model is automatically fairer. This piece compares the incentives, the GST presentation, and the questions that show whether a quote is actually comparable.
20 March 2026
Every Australian state and territory keeps a public register of licensed real estate agents. Membership of a professional association is not a licence. Here is how to search, what you are looking at, and what a tick in a database does not prove.
18 March 2026
An Australian auction is usually binding the moment the hammer falls. Here is what a licensed buyer's agent actually does in the week before, on the day, and in the hour after you win — or walk away.
12 March 2026
Sydney still runs on Saturday auctions and a price level that sits above the rest of the country. Here is how a licensed buyer's agent actually works in that market — and how to check they are allowed to.
10 March 2026
A buyer's agent is worth the fee when they change a decision you would otherwise get wrong, not when they narrate a purchase you would have made anyway. Work out the dollar cost including GST, then be honest about time, distance, auctions and your own brief.
5 March 2026
A selling agent is paid to get the vendor the best price. A buyer's agent is paid by you to find, test and negotiate a property without that conflict. They must be licensed, and they must not act for both sides on the same dwelling.
18 February 2026
Buyer's agent fees in Australia are not set by law. Industry commentary puts a full-service campaign around 2 to 3 per cent plus GST and an engagement fee, or a flat fee instead. Here is how to read a quote without treating it as an official schedule.
12 February 2026
A buyer's agent is a licensed real estate professional who acts for the person buying, not the person selling. Here is the work they actually do — and the work they cannot do for you.
4 February 2026
Choosing a buyer's agent is a licence, conflict and contract problem before it is a chemistry problem. Check the licence in the state of the property, insist on a single GST-inclusive price, and walk away from anyone who also acts for the seller.
20 January 2026