How do I find the right buyer's agent in Melbourne?
Are buyer’s agents necessary?
Are buyers agents just for rich people?
Can you trust buyer’s agents?
How do I become a buyer’s agent in Melbourne?
Looking for a buyer’s agent or advocate in Melbourne?
Like any professional service, it’s vital to team up with the best buyer’s agents in Melbourne so you get the best possible deal on your property purchase. That’s why we compiled this list of top buyer’s agents in the city, based on key factors like feedback from past clients, their experience, and the range of services they offer.
The buyer’s advocates featured service the city’s most popular residential areas, including South Yarra, Melbourne’s eastern and northern suburbs, and Bayside. Whether you're after a house in the best family friendly suburbs in Melbourne or a property in a retirement hot spot, they have the know-how to find your dream property.
If you have more general questions about buyer’s agents, then scroll down to the foot of this article for answers to some key FAQs. We also have guides to the best buyer’s agent in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast that are worth looking at if you have your eye on investing in those markets.
Cate Bakos Property is a team of four buyer’s agents who offer a range of property acquisition services including qualified property investment advice and a comprehensive home finder service. Located in Melbourne’s inner-west, Cate and her team are also experienced in SMSF property investment acquisition.
Cate is a fully licensed buyer’s agent and qualified property investment advisor (PIPA) who started her own business in 2014. She is also the current President of the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA), Australia’s premier industry association for professional buyer’s agents and advocates. Other accolades include REB Buyer’s Agent of the Year finalist in 2020, and she is also a co-contributor to two podcasts: Property Planner, Buyer and Professor, and The Property Diaries Podcast.
Cate Bakos Property currently services Melbourne metro and also has a presence in Geelong. Expect a fixed fee structure if you engage Cate as your buyer’s agent.
Miriam Sandkuhler is the founder and CEO of Property Mavens, a Melbourne based buyer’s agent servicing regional Victorian hotspots and metro Melbourne. Their focus is on, “helping homebuyers, investors, upgraders, and downsizers to buy and sell smart, enabling them to achieve their desired outcomes and seamlessly move forward into the next chapter of their lives.” They have built their reputation on helping their clients to make "smart property decisions.”
Miriam is an Accredited Property Investment Advisor (PIAA) and licensed real estate agent with 25 years experience in the sector. Property Mavens has received numerous industry and small business awards, including being nominated as a finalist in the MyBusiness Awards: Property Business of the Year.
She was also recognised for her performance as the 2021 winner of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria’s (REIV) Buyer’s Agent of the Year, finalist for 2022 REB Buyers Agent of the Year, Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) 2022 Buyers Agent of the Year, and has published a bestselling book on Amazon, Property Prosperity – 7 Steps to Investing like an Expert.
Miriam and her team at Property Mavens service all of metro Melbourne, as well as Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong. Get in touch directly with the agency to discuss their services, expertise, and cost structure.
Melissa Opie of Keyhole Property Investments (KPI) is one of Australia's most awarded buyer’s agents based out of the inner city suburb of Flemington. Her agency has been operating since 2005, and is focused on purchasing property throughout Melbourne. Keyhole Property Investments has transacted over $1 billion worth of real estate for its clients. Melissa is currently in the running for the REB Awards for the best Buyers Agent of Australia 2022, which she has previously won. In terms of other recent accolades, she was recently appointed again to the (REIV) Buyers Agents Chapter as a Committee Member and was elected as a Members Council Delegate for 2022 on behalf of the Committee. The (REIV) Buyers Agent Chapter focusses on raising the standards and practices of buyers agent's in Victoria.
Keyhole Property Investments offers expert advice and guidance in the sourcing and purchasing of property throughout Melbourne - helping you “buy smart”. They have a commitment to, “source and purchase a property that matches your criteria, in the shortest possible time frame, at the lowest possible price.” Several packages are available to suit investors, self managed super fund buyers, residential home buyers, or those entering the market for the first time.
Bernadette C gave a glowing testimonial after Melissa sourced, negotiated her families forever home. “Love this lady! Melissa was such a great person to work with to secure our forever home. Honest from the very start, she was so genuine and at the same time the fiercest negotiator. As our buyers’ agent, she understood our needs, saved us time and found us the perfect home off market. We will never buy another property without her and have recommended her to family and friends who have been equally impressed. Thanks again Melissa, we couldn’t have done it without you, you’re a star.”
The buyer’s agency works with clients throughout Melbourne. Contact them directly for their fee structure.
Elite Buyer Agents was founded by Kim Easterbrook, a leading Melbourne buyer’s agent in 2011. Her husband David is also an agent and director of the agency.
Client Rita R shared this recent positive experience: "I knew when I met Kim that I was dealing with the best buyers agent in Melbourne and she didn’t let me down. Both Kim and Ash were extremely patient, professional and focused on getting me the right investment property. Ash went to auction on my behalf and secured the property for a price far below what I was expecting to pay! I couldn’t be happier… I highly recommend Elite Buyers Agents and look forward to engaging their services again in the future. Thank you so much!"
Elite Buyer Agents service Melbourne metro, with a focus on their Bayside location and the neighbouring suburbs. They also have agents covering regional hotspots Geelong and Ballarat. Their fee structure varies depending on the services required, and could be fixed or percentage-based and typically vary from 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the property purchase price. Contact the team to find out more.
BuyerX are area specialists that cover the metro suburbs of Melbourne, and also have a presence in Sydney and Perth. They have quality relationships with the best local real estate agents, giving them access to off-market properties not readily available to the public. This can give you an advantage when buying in Melbourne’s highly competitive marketplace.
Agent Nuno Raimundo leads the inner north Melbourne team, and is known as a top negotiator committed to high-level customer service. He grew up in Melbourne’s inner north, so has a deep understanding of this community and property market. Kelly Eyes works as an Assistant Buyer Agent alongside Nuno. Together, they form a formidable team that's handled over one billion dollars of property transactions.
Christine B gave BuyerX this positive Google review: “Nuno R goes above and beyond what's expected to achieve the best possible result for his clients. His communication is excellent and his negotiating skills are deserving among the best.”
BuyerX covers all metro Melbourne markets and matches you with a local agent depending on the area or suburb you are interested in. To learn more, contact the team via telephone or email.
Property Home Base has one of the biggest teams of Buyers Agents in Melbourne, spanning across Melbourne city and suburbs, to the Mornington Peninsula, up to the Macedon Ranges and down to Geelong and Ballarat.
The team has over 100 years of real estate selling and buying experience. Offering their signature services and low flat fees, the culture and integrity of this company speaks for itself through its Google reviews. If you're looking to invest nationally, they have that covered with their unique A.I. service that is purely data-driven for people who want to “buy by the numbers”.
The agency focuses on helping first-time home buyers, upsizers, downsizers, and investors save time and money. Their USP is their low flat fee approach to pricing, though this can be adapted depending on the level of service you want or need. Their services vary from a ‘do everything’ concierge service to dedicated offerings for first time buyers and investors. Founder and licensed agent Julie DeBondt-Barker maintains that this levels the playing field for buyers.
Property Home Base range of services cover all areas across Melbourne. They also have a ‘Seamless Service’ option if you are selling and buying at the same time.
Client Jospehine P has this positive feedback about her experience with Julie: “We were nervous about buying a home while being overseas, but Julie DeBondt was amazing as she walked us through the process step-by-step, and offered expert advice that helped us through the negotiations to secure the house.”
James Buyers Advocates, otherwise known as James Buy Sell, is a data-driven agency operating out of the Glen Eira area, headed by principals Mal and Gina James. The agency has a strong focus on luxury, off-market properties which they help source for their clients.
They also produce a popular Marketnews newsletter to subscribers, which is a key source of clients for them. It covers key advice into suburbs and properties, with detailed reporting and agent intelligence.
Clients D & P in Eaglemont shared their positive experience: “In hindsight, what we didn’t realise is the luxury market is almost all off market. And beyond that, Mal and Gini made properties that were not for sale, be for sale. Which is an impressive thing to watch.”
In terms of pricing, their fees depend on if you source the property and they negotiate (1 per cent +GST), or if they source and close the deal (2 per cent +GST. They cover all of metro Melbourne, with a strong focus on the south-east and Bayside suburbs.
Advantage Property Consulting are independent buyer's agents who work exclusively for buyers to help them find the right and protect you from overpaying or being outplayed by other buyers. They “live and breathe the Melbourne market,” with the goal of “taking the stress out of smarter property buying.”
In terms of awards, the agency has been recognised by the REIV, as a finalist in the 2020 Buyers Agent of the Year category.
Client Mellisa F had this positive feedback from her experience with agency founder and Director, Frank Valentic: “I was looking to upsize my home and didn't want to go through the rigromal of searching. I decided to go the full service, so every Friday l would meet Frank and we'd visit about five properties to get a feel for the market. It was great as l didn't have to combat the general public with stock standard open for inspections.”
Contact them directly to discuss your needs so they can give you their fee structure.
Zac has been involved in Melbourne real estate his entire life, learning early and often from his family's strong involvement in property development.
He has been a fully licenses estate agent since 2001. His expertise lies in residential sales for larger franchisee firms, small boutique agencies, property and asset management, corporate real estate advisory services, commercial real estate and project management.
The team at Your Australian Property Buyers Agents is continuously helping a wide range of Melbourne clients who are upsizing, downsizing or investing in property all over Melbourne, at all price points!
Contact Zac Newbold and his team today to organise your confidential and complimentary Property Strategy Session to discuss your objectives and outline the process in clear and simple terms.
Emily Wallace is an independent Bayside based buyers advocate in Melbourne, which is the same as a buyer’s agent. Her USP is her range of industry contacts, which she leverages to give her clients access to off-market properties.
This alone is a major drawcard for working with Emily, considering this widened pool of properties means you can increase your chances of finding your perfect home.
Her agency is also a first home and family home buyer specialist, and additionally helps buyers who are relocating to Melbourne to make the move stress-free.
In terms of accolades, Emily was recognised as Newcomer of the Year in the 2020 REB Women in Real Estate Awards. You can also listen to her insights and expertise on the local market as co-host of the My Millennial Property podcast.
Emily and her team cover the Melbourne metro property market. If you’re interested to learn more or discuss her fee and pricing structure, contact her directly.
Wendy has 25+ years real estate experience as an independent buyer and seller’s advocate. This background means you get an advocate who is experienced and a voice you can trust.
This is what clients Craig and Mirella had to say about their experience: “It was so much easier working with a buyer’s advocate. We’ve been looking for four years, we’ve been doing it ourselves and it was so much easier dealing with Wendy at Chamberlain’s. Experience, knowledge, relationships, and contacts – she had them all. It just made it so much easier for us. We are so very happy!”
Wendy has a flat fee for her services, with all the pricing available on her website. If you're interested in her services, it's best to reach out to her directly.
Let’s now look at some tips for hiring a buyer’s agent or advocate in Melbourne. Like any professional service, you want to ensure the buyer’s agent or advocate you choose is right for you.
Start by asking them key questions, like:
Final thoughts
If you are looking to partner with a buyer’s agent for your Melbourne property purchase, then you will be in a better position after reading this. Besides offering a comprehensive list of some of the best buyer’s advocates in the business, we have also answered some key questions for you around this topic. If you’re looking to purchase a property, don’t forget to check out the other resources on Doorsteps, including the latest property price predictions, financial advice for buying a house, and our detailed home buying guide. Still have questions about Melbourne buyer's agents? Read the FAQs below.
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Disclaimer: Doorsteps Finance Pty Ltd ACN 648 541 879 (credit representative no.531036) is authorised under Doorsteps Solutions Pty Ltd ACN 654 334 246, Australian Credit Licence 537369. Any credit application made through Doorsteps Finance Pty Ltd is subject to approval, terms and conditions, fees and charges.
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