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Melbourne’s most experienced buyer advocates
Buyer Marketing: Melbourne’s most experienced buyer advocates is a specialised strategic buyers advocate service for property buyers.
With 35+ years of experience in the Melbourne real estate market Buyer Marketing Buyer Advocates unique strengths come from our sheer scale of expertise right across the Melbourne real estate market.
We assist every type of buyer from: first home buyers, investors, expats, developers, upsizers and downsizers.
We are experts in searching, appraising and then negotiating the best outcome possible for our clients.
As your Melbourne Buyers Advocate we are passionate about finding the right property, thoroughly knowing all the aspects of that property and researching that local market, and of course – making the best possible acquisition for our client(s).
Buyers Agent or Buyers Advocate – what’s the difference?
Are you looking for a Buyers Agent or Buyers Advocate in Melbourne, but can’t figure out what the difference is? No problem, here’s all you need to know.
What is a Buyers Advocate?
A Buyers Advocate is an independent professional who specialises in locating, assessing and negotiating the purchase of a property on behalf of a buyer.
Generally speaking, a Buyers Advocate does not work for a Real Estate Agency.
Being 100% independent, a Buyers Advocate is not beholding to &/or biased towards a Real Estate Agency and their respective listings.
For a property buyer, totally independent advice is the best starting point when finding and buying your perfect property.
What does a Buyers Advocate do?
Firstly, a Buyers Advocate does the research, due diligence, and the legwork to locate your ideal property. This also involves sourcing off-market properties.
Then, a Buyers Advocate accurately values the property, organises building and pest inspections, and conducts a review of the Contract of Sale and Section 32 Vendor’s Statement, (which tells potential buyers certain things about the property they should be aware of before signing a contract to purchase), with your Solicitor or Legal Representative.
A Buyers Advocate then negotiates the very best price possible with the most favorable conditions.
How much does a Buyers Advocate cost?
If you’re considering engaging a Buyers Advocate, cost is always an important consideration. It’s vital to understand how much to pay a Buyers Advocate and whether they’re worth the investment.
If a Buyers Advocate isn’t able to clearly justify their experience and worth you may have doubts to run with them. However if you can find a quality Buyers Advocate who can save you time & money their costs are usually justifiable.
Depending on the level of service required, a Buyers Advocate may charge either a fixed fee or a percentage of the purchase price. A Buyers Advocate also charges an additional fee known as an engagement fee. This fee usually varies anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 and is rebated back from the success or acquisition fee.
Why should you use a Buyers Advocate?
There are many reasons why you should use a Buyers Advocate. This might be quite simply saving you time and money. It could quite easily be protecting you from getting carried away with bidding at auction.
An experienced Buyers Advocate also employ tactics at auction to place them in the box seat. A Buyers Advocate is also a licensed Real Estate agent, or should be, therefore this offers further clout when negotiating with a selling agent. Another reason to employ a Buyers Advocate is their access to “off-market” properties.
What is a Buyers Agent?
Traditionally a Buyers Agent is known to work in tandem or alongside a Selling Agent within a Real Estate Agency, often as a company team member.
What does a Buyers Agent do?
A Buyers Agent normally concentrates on the Real Estate Agency’s listed properties and specifically deals with buyer enquiries.
This frees up the Selling Agent’s time so that they can focus on appraising and listing properties.
What are Buyers Agent fees?
A Buyers Agent fee is a percentage taken from the Vendor’s commission paid to the Real Estate Agency.
For example a Real Estate Agent working for a Real Estate agency who acts as a Buyers Agent &/or who introduces a buyer to purchase the vendors property will be rewarded with a fixed percentage from the commission.
What’s the difference between a Buyers Agent and a Buyers Advocate?
A Buyers Agent working for a Real Estate Agency walks a fine line between the property seller (Vendor) their company is acting for and the enquiring buyer, knowing that the buyer may also require assistance to sell their existing home after they have purchased.
This presents complications. For example, a particular seller may have higher expectations than the selling agent, but if they want to achieve a sale, they may find themselves inadvertently negotiating more for the buyer’s interests, and a more realistic lower sale price.
So while a Buyers Agent has to keep the interests of the Real Estate Agency in mind, a Buyers Advocate is not beholding to &/or biased towards a Real Estate Agency and their respective listings.
For a property buyer, totally independent advice is the best starting point when finding and buying your perfect property. Being 100% independent there is peace of mind in the knowledge that a Buyers Advocate works independently of an agency and serves only one person’s interests. Yours.
Your winning edge in property buying
Search
Finding your ideal property begins with a well-planned search. As your Buyers Advocate we'll take a detailed brief from you about your precise wants and needs, conduct a thorough market analysis to measure your criteria against current market conditions and recent comparable sales, then explore all our resources to find the best on-market (public) and off-market (silent) listings ...
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Evaluation
Our evaluation centres on a shortlist of properties that best fit your criteria. As your Buyers Agent we’ll make clear recommendations based on all the market analysis we’ve gathered, insights from our conversations with agents and any important pre-purchase considerations such as building and pest inspections, council development and zoning plans and any restrictions on the property ...
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Acquisition
Acquisition involves putting our well-honed negotiating skills to work to secure your ideal property. As your Buyer Advocate we don’t just arrive on auction day and hope for the best! On or off market, auction or private sale, we act with clarity and integrity to protect your interests, tackling even the toughest negotiations to deliver you the best possible terms and sale price …
Learn moreLatest News
REIV Auction Results 2023 – Melbourne Property Market
REIV Auction Results for Saturday the 25th & Sunday the 26th of November 2023 – a clearance rate of 69%…
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Underquoting and Quoting – what is the difference?
The once frequent practice of underquoting, in order to unfairly attract buyers, is hopefully behind us. Consumer Affairs introduced new…
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Auction results & clearance rates – how can they help you when buying a home?
Melbourne auction results are published by newspapers and property industry websites. In fact, you don’t even need to leave this…
Read moreTestimonials
“My fiancé and I have had an excellent experience buying our first home. We couldn’t have secured our dream first home without Peters guidance and expertise. What would have been an incredibly stressful and overwhelming process for my fiancé should we have tried to do this alone, felt so easy and stress free. Not once during the entire process did either of us feel stressed or worried. The thought of going through this process alone terrified us. However we had full confidence that with Peters help we would find the perfect property, in the perfect location for the perfect price and we did! We had also only been working with Peter for less than 4 weeks before we secured our dream first home! Peter is extremely hard working, thorough, knowledgable and professional whilst also being very relatable and down to earth. This was important to us as we did not know anything about this process and needed to be gently guided through the process. We felt at ease every step of the way! Thank you so much again Peter. It really means the world to both Jamie and I to have bought our first home and we are extremely grateful for your help. You’re really good at what you do Pete!! I would highly recommend your services to anyone looking to buy a property, but particularly to first home buyers. Your service and support during this time was invaluable and extremely appreciated.”
J Eddey & J Hollywood, Cockatoo
“Working with Peter to buy my first home was one of the best decisions I made. I instantly felt at ease and had a great rapport from our first meeting and really did trust that he had my best interests at heart. In a very competitive market I was struggle but Peter was an absolute gun and through some incredible negotiations locked down my dream home within a month of us starting the search. It was a collaborative effort and even though I chopped and changed locations we got it spot on in the end! I’m over the moon. Thank you Peter!”
S Woods, Chelsea
“I engaged Peter’s services as a first home buyer who was nervous about purchasing on my own. The experience that Peter brought to the table really put me at ease and made the whole process seem very effortless. He provided me with all the information I needed, walked me through each step, guided me when I wasn’t sure and really listened to my needs and concerns. Having Peter communicate and negotiate with real estate agents on my behalf also took a lot of pressure off of me. He knew what questions to ask and, if needed, when to keep pushing. About a month after contacting Peter, I purchased a property that I absolutely love. I really don’t think I would have done so without all of his help and assistance. I highly recommend his services.”
J Nguyen, Noble Park
“Peters‘a services were crucial is securing our first home. We can’t thank you enough Foxy!”
A Beasley & D Giannini, Coburg
“Peter made the process of buying an investment property so much easier, in fact I have no doubt we’d still be looking if we tried to do it ourselves. Peter’s enthusiasm, integrity and industry knowledge meant the process was stress free for us, especially not having to negotiate with the vendors agent to secure the purchase. We’d highly recommend his services for anyone looking to buy.”
A & M Harrison, Brunswick
“We did have a wonderful experience with Peter finding our home, in Bentleigh, in a very competitive and tough market. Peter had given us advice and at the same time being careful and always taking into account our feedback. We were new into de realestate market and his vision and experience of the field were proven invalueable. It will require a bit a trust and sometimes a bit of mind shifting but Peter will get you there. 5 stars for his services.”
V & E Rodriguez, Bentleigh
“We are first home buyers during the crazy house buying season post covid where house prices were sky rocketing. Peter was honest and open about our options and inspected all the houses we suggested. He was even better than the real estate agent in looking after us! It only took us a month after engaging him to find our first home and it was within budget and within our tight criteria too. Always on time and in constant communication, even through to our final inspection which happened during the fourth lockdown. Will definitely recommend to anyone who wants to be led through the whole process without the stress of negotiating or time to go to hundreds of inspections.”
H & H Mallen, Noble Park
“Peter. What a life saver. We were first time buyers, and to every question, Peter had a wealth of knowledge to share. He came with us to inspections, called or emailed every day with updates, negotiated offers with agents, and looked after us every step of the way. He even found an off marked property, in the middle of the housing boom, and negotiated a better price than we had dreamed of. What made us trust Peter was when he told us no. Steering our hopeful eyes away from structurally unsound places. Steering hopeful hearts away from negotiations that had exceeded our budget. Steering us into our dream home at the end. Thanks Peter!”
D Cowan & R Maier, Cheltenham
“It is with great pleasure that I recommend Peter’s services as a buyer’s advocate. Peter’s help in purchasing our home was game changing. Before he officially started working for us, we did some initial research and turned up to house inspections. Very quickly – in an overheated, extremely competitive market – it became evident that we were completely out of our depth and made mince meat of by the agents. I have no doubt that the purchase of my home would not have happened without his help, or that I would have paid way too much. I have worked with advocates in the past, and Peter stands out as the most experienced, knowledgeable and highly skilled. He was available virtually around the clock during critical times, consulting closely on a regular basis. His feedback and guidance in the process was well balanced. He provided expert guidance where needed, while being careful not to influence me in decisions of personal taste, listening to and respecting my preferences. His ability to perform under pressure (indeed he seems to thrive on it!), and ability to handle my anxieties under pressure, were exceptional. On top of this, he is personally engaging, and a highly skilled negotiator. His passion and energy for his work are contagious, and his calm guidance and breezy good humour in the midst of a stressful process helped carry me through moments of doubt and despair. Perhaps the most impressive moment was the way he handled my sudden and unexpected “cold feet” at the eleventh hour. It became clear to me at that point that he was not trying to make a quick sale but truly wanted to get a result that I was happy and comfortable with. In a field of sharks, he impresses as a man of integrity. I would not hesitate to recommend him to my closest friends and family.”
V Halik, Safety Beach
“Peter helped us acquire a wonderful first home within 9 days of us engaging him. He took into account our long list of criteria, was highly responsive and made the time to attend a last minute inspection. Peter calmly guided us through the negotiation process and attended the property with one hour’s notice to finalise the contract. Thank you Peter for making the process so smooth!”
B & T Toholka, South Yarra
“I cannot speak highly enough of our experience with Peter. He was an absolute pleasure to operate with and his direction and guidance was invaluable, helping to alleviate much of our anxiety and uncertainty. Peter was constantly on hand to answer any of our queries and we felt he completely understood what we were looking for. Ultimately, we found the perfect home thanks to Peter. We will definitely be looking to seek his services again in the future and would certainly recommend him to anyone considering to employ a Buyers Advocate.”
J Moss & H Lewitan, Prahran
“I am writing to say, that I found Peter Fox, my Buyers advocate, to be very professional and knowledgeable, he certainly knows his job. He found me, my perfect home. And with his bargaining powers,I was able to purchase the property, for a price that I was very happy with. Having Peter always on hand, gave so much confidence. I am so glad that Peter was on the house buying journey, with me.”
M Allnutt, Aspendale
“Thank-you Peter for your professional help in purchasing 1 Princess Street Richmond, all settled first meal on the floor. Thank you so much for your help in getting us our little dream home, wouldn’t have happened without you! Kind regards, Jon & Nic.”
J Tyler & N Garland, Richmond
“Peter’s professionalism in assisting us buying our house was invaluable. As someone who does not like “swimming with the sharks”, I was very happy with the way Peter engaged the Vendor agent and brought the purchase to fruition quickly and painlessly. For us it was money well spent.”
N & C Croft, Croydon
“My experience with Peter was that he was easy to deal with, motivated and excited by the chase! He helped streamline the process and take the stress out of bidding at auction!”
F Newman, Northcote
“Peter Fox helped us buy a property in Fitzroy North through a process of “Expressions of Interest”. He was very professional and made the job of purchasing the property so much easier than it would otherwise have been. I believe without Peter’s skills we wouldn’t have been successful in our purchase. I would recommend anybody buying a house to speak to Peter first.”
R Stock & J Beltz, Fitzroy
“It was a pleasure working with Peter Fox from Buyer Marketing. He listened attentively and researched the areas that I wanted to buy my investment home. I gave his some starting research of my own and we went together on a journey of due diligence, where it became very clear to me what my budget could afford and clarified what was not possible. Given the choices available and during negotiations and initial offers he changed my mind on going too far in price, and diverted me quickly to the best offer on hand. Once the decision was made, he told me we had to work quickly. His vast experience was evident. There were now other interested parties and he was right to urge me to move quickly and with confidence. This house was one I actually found first, and I was the first person to see this house. The value I got from Peter was the confidence that Peter and I walked the same path together and did all our research and came to the best decision and moved quickly when we had to secure the house. I would highly recommend Peter if you are looking for a Buyers Advocate, due to his many years of experience and his attention to detail, where other very high profile Buyers Advocates that I spoke to before Peter, first were not listening to my needs, were not as experienced, and had little knowledge of the areas I was interested in, as if these locations were already way too close to the city to be in my price range. Peter just worked all around.”
C Sobieralski, Richmond
FREE eBOOK
Want to get the best outcome with your property purchase?
Enter your details below to download our Essential FREE Property Buyers Guide and learn our 4 steps to success!
1. Search – how to find the ideal property to match your needs
2. Evaluation – what you need to evaluate with your potential purchase
3. Acquisition – secure your property with minimum fuss and for the best price
4. Legal & financial requirements – how to ensure all is in order with the property and sale documentation
Buyer Marketing – Melbourne’s most experienced buyer advocates will not disclose any of your personal information.