How to Choose the Right Buyer's Agent (and Avoid Costly Mistakes)

A buyer's agent works exclusively for you, the buyer — unlike a selling agent, whose legal obligation is to get the best price for the vendor. That distinction alone is worth understanding before you engage anyone.

Not every buyer's agent operates the same way. Some specialise in a single suburb or region and know it intimately. Others work across an entire city or state, which can be useful for interstate buyers but may mean less depth in any one pocket.

Before engaging a buyer's agent, it's worth asking: how are they paid (flat fee vs. percentage of purchase price), what's included in their service, and can they show verifiable examples of properties they've secured for past clients.

The right buyer's agent for a first home buyer looking locally is often a very different fit to the right one for an SMSF investor buying interstate — matching the specialist to your specific situation is most of the work.