The good news is there is no extra cost. That’s right, the vendor does not pay one extra cent. The way it works is that for recommending the agent to the sale, they share the commission. In return, I act as the vendor’s independent voice and provide confidential advice to help make sure the vendor is getting the best deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the fees for buying?
Our fees are negotiable and operate in a similar way to selling. It is calculated on a percentage basis. The higher the transaction price is, the lower the commission but typically our fees will vary between 1 – 2 % of the purchase price ( subject to GST ).
If we choose to find the house ourselves, does that reduce the fees?
Absolutely, providing you establish this from the beginning. If you have the time or there is no rush you can save a significant amount of money by doing the searching yourself.
Will you accept a set fee?
Yes or you can pay by the hour if you want but be careful what you wish for. If we are unable to find what you are looking for, or it takes a while, then it can become quite costly.
Does the fee I pay include bidding or is that extra? and what happens if we miss out, do I have to keep paying the fee?
You only pay one fee, when the contract has been finalised. This includes all bidding and negotiation with the agents no matter how long it takes.
Why should we use an advocate?
Selling is a bias industry, and mistakes are costly. Without independent advice, how do you know who is telling the truth? and who is going to pull you up when you are about to make a huge blunder?
How do you tackle underquoting?
Stick to the facts. The advice we provide is based on more than 30 years of knowledge and experience, not flimsy opinions. The truth does not lie.
How do I know what is a good investment?
There are a number of criteria we take into account but the key driver is compound growth. We will guide you through the facts so that you make the right decision backed by real sales data that is not generally available to the public.
I hate auctions, can you help with the bidding?
Yes, for a modest fee we can act on your behalf.
We are going to be away for the auction, what should we do?
Not a problem. This happens frequently, particularly with clients who live overseas or interstate. As your advocate, we will arrange for us to act as your Power of Attorney to follow your instructions and guide you through the process.
What is an advocate?
An advocate is someone who fights for the rights of others. A property advocate will cut through the sales bias and provide you with independent advice supported by facts not fiction.
Does having someone independent really matter?
Without knowing or having access to the facts how can you make an informed decision?
Why can’t I do my own research?
You can ! There is a plethora of online information and do it yourself schemes available to the general public that you can purchase but sadly, it is not much help. And even if you did have access to the data that agents and advocates subscribe to, how would you know what data to look for let alone analyse it. This is when experience kicks in.
What is the difference between a valuation and evaluation?
A valuation is an estimate of what a property is worth based on comparable sales evidence. An evaluation on the other hand is an interpretation of the worth of a property to a client based on other considerations such as suitability and other personal needs.
Professional
From Rob’s perspective professionalism is a measure of success, not a title. Rob’s clients always come 1st; he keeps them focused even when they lose sight of their goals or are overwhelmed by advice from other so called experts. Rob is a Pro.
Trusted
The term ‘advocate’ is derived from Latin meaning Counsellor, a person who supports and champions for his clients. It requires trust and respect which Rob has buckets . Relationships are built on trust, and his results are outstanding, you can count on that.
Experienced
You can not buy wisdom off the shelf. To know what is ahead takes years of experience. Like Chess, the game changers in Real Estate happen well before the final move is made. With over 30 years experience Rob will help you stay in front.
Direct
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Like the Colosseum, Real Estate is a maze, filled with intricate traps and a diverse network of corridors. Take the wrong path can be costly. Let Rob show you the best route home and avoid those fatal real estate traps.
Rob did a great job securing a property for us that wasn’t even on the market, and at a substantial discount to the vendor’s initial asking price. A straight shooter and really put the work in to get us the right result.
Rob has acted for a number of my clients over the years. His very thorough and professional approach to managing the marketing of their properties has ensured that in all cases, my clients have been exceptionally happy with the price received for their homes, and I was reminded of this recently when he managed the “repositioning” of a client’s property in Albert Park where I have no doubt the price received was at least $150,000 higher that my client’s expectation.
Very helpful indeed in all matters relating to real estate . His sage advice assisted me .
Rob was a sane and knowledgeable voice amongst lots of varied opinions. His vast experience, relaxed approach and focus really helped steer us through the selling process. Having someone of his experience to navigate the information, paper work and keeping the agents focused was invaluable.
I spent over two years looking for a new apartment and during that time, Rob's experience and pragmatic approach were invaluable. He very patiently guided me through the process and offered sound advice at all times. I was delighted with the outcome. Then he helped me sell my old apartment as well! He is a great advocate to have by your side.
Rob shared with us his experience and knowledge of the property market. He was willing to spend time with us to help us understand the process. Rob presented the facts so we were more confident to make decisions. He constantly updated us on how the campaign was going. Rob offered great support and always had our best interest at heart. We would highly recommend him. Thanks Rob for helping to get a great price for our house.
Rob helped make the process of selling property easy and understandable, providing advice on selecting agents, contracts and market conditions. His advice was always timely, upfront and helpful. Would recommend to anyone who finds the process daunting.
In selling our home, Rob has provided excellent guidance on timing, pricing and how to shift the strategy on selling our house in a challenging market. He assisted in sale of our home by provided invaluable advice about pricing, market analysis and contractual obligations. We will never sell a house again without first consulting Rob and highly recommend to anyone about to sell to use his services.
As a first time seller in a difficult market Rob's assistance and expertise as an advocate was really invaluable throughout the process. He was able to remove the emotion and pressure from the experience, provided a lot of great insight and advice and always had a logical and rational outlook that comes from his years of experience. I'd recommend Rob highly to anyone looking to sell and will lean on him again when it comes time to buy my next house!
Robert is a very experienced vendor's agent having worked in the industry over many years. His expertise and professionalism ensured that we maximised the sales result for our property. Working with Robert gave us peace of mind that we would get the best outcome, he helped us to navigate the selling process and we always felt he had our best interests at heart. He was a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend
Our family used Rob to sell our mother’s house. It was not a straightforward sale but Rob was able to navigate us through the process seamlessly. We ended up with a much better price than we expected or would have been able to achieve ourselves.We can highly recommend Rob’s professionalism and ability to close the deal.
Whilst the estate agents were very professional & communicative, Rob provided a very useful, informative and neutral third party feedback of the selling process from start to finish.He was a great support throughout the process and would thoroughly recommend him.
Rob worked tirelessly to find the right property for me- in difficult times with lockdowns and a very volatile market. He was delightful to work with and I'm very happy with the outcome. Highly recommend.
Rob did a great job securing a property for us that wasn’t even on the market, and at a substantial discount to the vendor’s initial asking price. A straight shooter and really put the work in to get us the right result.
Rob has acted for a number of my clients over the years. His very thorough and professional approach to managing the marketing of their properties has ensured that in all cases, my clients have been exceptionally happy with the price received for their homes, and I was reminded of this recently when he managed the “repositioning” of a client’s property in Albert Park where I have no doubt the price received was at least $150,000 higher that my client’s expectation.
Very helpful indeed in all matters relating to real estate . His sage advice assisted me .
Rob was a sane and knowledgeable voice amongst lots of varied opinions. His vast experience, relaxed approach and focus really helped steer us through the selling process. Having someone of his experience to navigate the information, paper work and keeping the agents focused was invaluable.
I spent over two years looking for a new apartment and during that time, Rob's experience and pragmatic approach were invaluable. He very patiently guided me through the process and offered sound advice at all times. I was delighted with the outcome. Then he helped me sell my old apartment as well! He is a great advocate to have by your side.
Rob shared with us his experience and knowledge of the property market. He was willing to spend time with us to help us understand the process. Rob presented the facts so we were more confident to make decisions. He constantly updated us on how the campaign was going. Rob offered great support and always had our best interest at heart. We would highly recommend him. Thanks Rob for helping to get a great price for our house.
Rob helped make the process of selling property easy and understandable, providing advice on selecting agents, contracts and market conditions. His advice was always timely, upfront and helpful. Would recommend to anyone who finds the process daunting.
In selling our home, Rob has provided excellent guidance on timing, pricing and how to shift the strategy on selling our house in a challenging market. He assisted in sale of our home by provided invaluable advice about pricing, market analysis and contractual obligations. We will never sell a house again without first consulting Rob and highly recommend to anyone about to sell to use his services.
As a first time seller in a difficult market Rob's assistance and expertise as an advocate was really invaluable throughout the process. He was able to remove the emotion and pressure from the experience, provided a lot of great insight and advice and always had a logical and rational outlook that comes from his years of experience. I'd recommend Rob highly to anyone looking to sell and will lean on him again when it comes time to buy my next house!
Robert is a very experienced vendor's agent having worked in the industry over many years. His expertise and professionalism ensured that we maximised the sales result for our property. Working with Robert gave us peace of mind that we would get the best outcome, he helped us to navigate the selling process and we always felt he had our best interests at heart. He was a pleasure to work with. Highly recommend
Our family used Rob to sell our mother’s house. It was not a straightforward sale but Rob was able to navigate us through the process seamlessly. We ended up with a much better price than we expected or would have been able to achieve ourselves.We can highly recommend Rob’s professionalism and ability to close the deal.
Whilst the estate agents were very professional & communicative, Rob provided a very useful, informative and neutral third party feedback of the selling process from start to finish.He was a great support throughout the process and would thoroughly recommend him.
Rob worked tirelessly to find the right property for me- in difficult times with lockdowns and a very volatile market. He was delightful to work with and I'm very happy with the outcome. Highly recommend.
