Buyers' Agent FAQs | North Shore Property Questions Answered

A buyers' agent represents you (the buyer) in a property purchase. We work exclusively for you, not the seller.

What we do:

• Search for properties that match your criteria (on-market and off-market)

• Build relationships with selling agents to access pre-market opportunities

• Conduct property inspections and due diligence

• Provide accurate valuations based on recent comparable sales

• Negotiate the best price and terms on your behalf

• Review contracts and manage the purchase through to settlement

Think of us as your advocate in what's likely one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. While selling agents work to get the highest price for the vendor, we work to secure the best outcome for you.

Because buying property is complex, emotional, and high-stakes. Having a professional on your side levels the playing field.

The main reasons people use buyers' agents are:

Time: Have you got the time to spend every Saturday (and potentially Wednesday and Thursday too) looking at homes? How about if most of the ones you see won't suit you? How many weeks will you do this for?

Negotiation: Are you confident negotiating on one of the biggest purchases you'll make in your life? Selling agents and auctioneers are trained professionals who do this every day. Shouldn't you have a professional on your side too?

Off-market properties: We won't pretend you can't get access to off-market properties yourself, but it takes time, effort and relationships with agents. A good buyers' agent has those existing relationships and is continually nurturing them so we're the first to know when your perfect property comes up. Plus, if you spend the time to create those relationships with agents, they may begin to think you aren’t a serious buyer.

Auctions: Yes, anyone can win an auction if they have the highest budget, but what about strategy? What about keeping the price down or avoiding emotional overpayment? Agents and auctioneers know exactly how to push you and your competition further. A professional on your side can make a significant difference.

Due diligence: We know what to look for in contracts, building reports and council records. We catch red flags that most buyers miss.

This is ultimately a personal decision based on several factors. Buying a home will take a significant commitment of time and energy from you, but these commitments will be much less onerous with a buyers’ agent. At Ralph & Ralph, we believe we will save you time and money on your purchase while offering extremely fair and competitive fees.

Here’s the kicker. A buyers’ agent is a real estate agent. At least, they are a licensed real estate agent (or should be). The difference is we work for the buyer, whilst a selling agent works for the seller (vendor).

Most buyers' agents charge you a percentage of the purchase price (generally 1.5% to 2.5%). Many will also offer a "fixed fee" that relates to the amount you're likely to spend, ensuring it ends up being the same as 1.5% to 2.5%.

At Ralph & Ralph, we lock our fee to your budget upfront, not your final purchase price.

This means we have zero financial incentive to push you to spend more. If your budget is $1.8M and we find your perfect home for $1.5M, we still earn $23,000. The less of your budget we spend, the happier you are.

Our fixed fees:

• Full Service: $23,000 (budgets under $2M) or $33,000 (budgets $2M+)

• Seal The Deal (Negotiation Only): $13,000

• Auction Bidding Only: $1,650

See our full pricing breakdown

Great question. Let's break down what "from $14,000" actually means.

Most buyers' agents advertising low starting fees charge a percentage of your purchase price (typically 1.5% to 2.5%). Their "$14,000" figure only applies to properties under $1M, which barely exist on the North Shore.

Here's the real cost comparison for a $1.5M property as an example:

• Percentage-based agent at 1.5%: $22,500

• Percentage-based agent at 2%: $30,000

• Percentage-based agent at 2.5%: $37,500

• Ralph & Ralph fixed fee: $23,000

For a $2M property:

• Percentage-based agent at 1.5%: $30,000

• Percentage-based agent at 2%: $40,000

• Percentage-based agent at 2.5%: $50,000

• Ralph & Ralph fixed fee: $33,000

Our fixed fee is actually cheaper for most North Shore properties. More importantly, we lock our fee to your budget upfront, so we have zero financial incentive to push you to spend more. Percentage-based agents earn more when you spend more. We don't.

See our full pricing breakdown

It doesn't increase because the work is harder. In fact, properties under $2M often require more work due to strata complexities, body corporate issues and more variables to manage.

The lower fee for budgets under $2M is about accessibility. We want to help as many North Shore families as possible find their perfect home, not just those with the biggest budgets.

Even at $33,000 for budgets over $2M, our fixed fee is still $7,000 to $17,000 cheaper than percentage-based agents charging 1.5% to 2.5% on a $2M+ property.

Remember: our fee is locked to your budget at engagement, not the final purchase price. We have zero incentive to push you higher.

Yes. We're open to discussing alternative fee structures that align our interests with yours.

Our fixed-fee model is the most transparent and client-aligned structure we've found, but we understand every situation is different. If you have an idea for a fee arrangement that genuinely incentivises us to achieve your ideal outcome, we're happy to discuss it.

What we require:

• The structure must be transparent and agreed in writing

• It must align our interests with yours (not create conflicts)

• It must be fair to both parties

Book a free consultation and let's discuss what works best for your situation.

You pay a non-refundable retainer to engage a buyers' agent. If you decide to cancel your search or don't find a property you want to buy, that's all you pay.

At Ralph & Ralph:

• Full Service retainer: $3,000

• Seal The Deal retainer: $3,000

• Auction Bidding: $1,650 (no retainer, full fee upfront)

You only pay the success fee when you successfully purchase a property. If we don't find your perfect home or you decide to pause your search, you don't owe us anything beyond the retainer.

We'll never push you to buy just to earn our success fee. Your satisfaction matters more than closing a deal quickly.

Full Buyers' Agent Service ($23,000 or $33,000 depending on budget):

Complete end-to-end service. We handle everything: property search (on-market and off-market), inspections, valuations, due diligence, negotiation, contract review and settlement support. You do nothing except approve properties to inspect and make the final purchase decision.

Best for: Families who want a completely hands-off experience or don't have time to search themselves.

Seal The Deal - Negotiation Only ($13,000):

You find the property. We handle the rest. Once you've identified a property you want to buy, we step in to conduct due diligence, provide valuation, negotiate the best price and terms, and manage the contract through to settlement.

Best for: Buyers who enjoy the search process but want professional negotiation and due diligence.

Auction Bidding Only ($1,650):

You've done all the work. You just need a professional bidder on auction day. We'll discuss strategy and bid on your behalf.

Best for: Confident buyers who want a professional on the auction floor but have handled everything else themselves.

Not sure which service suits you? Book a free consultation and we'll help you decide.

Yes. That's exactly what our Seal The Deal (Negotiation Only) service is for.

If you've found a property you want to buy, we can step in to:

• Conduct thorough due diligence (contract review, building/pest, council checks, etc.)

• Provide an accurate valuation based on recent comparable sales

• Negotiate the best price and terms on your behalf

• Manage the contract through to settlement

This service is perfect for buyers who enjoy the search process but want professional expertise for the negotiation and due diligence stages.

Found a property at auction? We also offer an Auction Bidding Only service for $1,650.

Finding property isn’t a science. There is no trick to it. Buyers’ agents will look on agency websites, listing sites (i.e. Domain and RealEstate.com.au) and in all the publicly available places. We will also ask agents what they have coming to market, receive emails from every agent we have met (having been added to their database) and receive calls from the agents we are closest with. Sometimes, if a client is very interested in a particular property, we will approach owners directly to see if they might be interested in selling.

As professional buyers, buyers’ agents can bid at auctions on your behalf. As a cheeky aside, most of us actually enjoy doing it. It is important to remember that anyone can bid (and win) at an auction (and anyone can bid on your behalf) as long as you provide the authority to bid form. You can also give the auctioneer legal approval to sign the contract on your behalf. No one else can sign for you without a Power of Attorney.

Whilst you will win an auction most of the time simply by having the highest budget, there are strategies in trying to keep the price down. Everything at an auction is emotional and tense deliberately. Agents and auctioneers know exactly how to push you and your competition further so a professional on your side can make a significant difference. At Ralph & Ralph, we will also evaluate the property to give you a guide as to where we see value and what we expect it to sell for in advance.

It depends on your criteria, budget and market conditions, but most clients secure their perfect home within 6 to 12 weeks of engagement.

Some clients find their perfect home in the first week. Others take longer because they're waiting for the right property to come to market.

We never rush you into the wrong home just to close the deal. If a property isn't right, we'll tell you to walk away and keep searching. Your satisfaction matters more than our timeline.

There are many ways to assess the value of a property and good buyers' agents will use multiple methods.

At Ralph & Ralph, we assess value using:

Recent comparable sales: We analyse similar properties that have recently sold in the same area, adjusting for differences in size, condition, aspect and features.

Market conditions: We factor in current buyer demand, auction clearance rates, days on market and whether it's a buyer's or seller's market.

Property-specific factors: North aspect, street appeal, layout, condition, land size, zoning, flood risk, noise, and proximity to schools, transport and amenities.

Agent behaviour: If a property is listed significantly below or above comparable sales, we investigate why. Is the agent underquoting to generate competition? Is there a hidden issue?

Our own database: We track sale prices versus guide prices, agent behaviour and market trends across the North Shore to refine our valuations.

This allows us to state a value with confidence and provide you with an expected sale price range. If something doesn't add up (such as a property listed far below market value), we investigate further to help you determine if it's worth the risk.

Not all buyers' agents are created equal. Some will simply pay whatever an agent asks. Others will negotiate aggressively without understanding the property's true value.

At Ralph & Ralph, we use a multi-step process:

1. Thorough valuation: We assess the property using recent comparable sales, market conditions and property-specific factors.

2. Determine maximum price: We establish what we believe is the most you should pay, then consult with you to align on strategy.

3. Strategic negotiation: We negotiate to save you as much as possible while ensuring you don't miss out on your perfect home.

4. Walk-away advice: If a vendor's expectations exceed the property's value and your budget, we'll tell you to walk away. Even if it delays our success fee.

Our budget-locked fee structure is key here. We earn the same no matter what you spend on a property. We have zero financial incentive to push you higher. Our only incentive is your satisfaction, because our business runs on referrals from thrilled clients.

Buyers' agents work exclusively for the buyer. At Ralph & Ralph, we pride ourselves on getting the best possible deal on the right property for our clients. We won't push you into the imperfect home and we will make sure that when we find the perfect home, we get it at the best possible price for you.

How we get paid:

Unlike selling agents (who are paid by the vendor from the sale proceeds), buyers' agents are paid directly by you, the buyer.

We charge a retainer fee upfront (this shows you're serious, just like a vendor paying for marketing or handing over keys to an agent). We then charge a success fee when you successfully purchase a property.

Our fee structure is different from most buyers' agents: We lock our fee to your budget at engagement, not the final purchase price. This means we have zero financial incentive to push you to spend more.

There is a variety of off-market properties, but basically they are properties that are not listed for sale publicly. Effectively this includes a range of off-market types:

• Pre-Market. These are properties agents send to their database for buyers and buyers’ agents to inspect prior to a proper campaign launch. Sometimes agents will send these to a large number of buyers’ agents and potential buyers and sometimes to the buyers they consider to be most serious.

• Testing the market. These are the properties that are only being shown privately to test what someone may pay for the property. They may or may not even sell but are available for the best connected buyers or buyers’ agents.

• Genuine off-market. These are the properties being sold without being listed and without any open homes. These are only shown to the most serious buyers and buyers’ agents.

Yes. Every buyers' agent will be able to help find off-market properties. Agents send them to us, call us, or tell us about such properties because they know we have clients who are ready to buy.

At Ralph & Ralph, we don't just show you off-market properties. We genuinely value them to avoid the trap of overpaying.

Many buyers assume "off-market" means "better deal," but that's not always true. Some vendors test the market off-market to see if they can get an inflated price without the scrutiny of a public campaign.

We assess every off-market property the same way we assess on-market properties: thorough due diligence, accurate valuation based on recent comparable sales and honest advice about whether it's worth pursuing.

We specialise in Sydney's North Shore, where Andrew has lived for the majority of his life.

Upper North Shore: Killara, Lindfield and Roseville

Lower North Shore: Willoughby, Chatswood, Artarmon, Northbridge, Castlecrag, Castle Cove, Roseville Chase and Middle Cove

We focus on these suburbs because we know them intimately. Which streets flood. Which have the best north aspect. Which school catchments are most sought-after. Which have the tightest community feel.

This isn't just market data. It's lived experience. Andrew was born and raised in Castle Cove and now raises his own children in Willoughby.

If you're looking outside these areas, we're happy to refer you to a trusted buyers' agent who specialises in that region.

Yes. A buyers’ agent in NSW must be a licensed real estate agent. You can check licences here.

Buyers’ agents are registered and licensed real estate agents. They must comply with the same regulations as real estate agents but are not regulated separately right now.

It is important to remember that you are about to make one of the biggest purchases you will make in your life. Getting this choice right is important so you should do your homework. At Ralph & Ralph, we suggest that you ensure you connect with your buyers’ agent and feel that they fully understand you, your life, your reasons for buying and what you are looking for. You should be confident they have your best interests at heart and will buy you the home that is perfect for you (not just the one that gets them paid and fits the basic criteria you give them).

Absolutely. First-home buyers often benefit the most from using a buyers' agent.

Why?

• You're navigating an unfamiliar process for the first time

• You're competing against experienced investors and upgraders

• You're emotionally invested (it's your first home!)

• You may not know which suburbs offer the best value

• You're more vulnerable to overpaying or missing red flags

Our budget-locked fee structure is particularly valuable for first-home buyers. We have zero incentive to push you to spend more than you're comfortable with. If your budget is $1.2M and we find your perfect home for $1.1M, we still earn $23,000.

Many of our clients are young families buying their first home on the North Shore. We understand the emotional weight of this decision and treat your purchase with the same care we'd bring to finding our own family's home.

Absolutely not. Everyone can benefit from using a good buyers’ agent. Whether it is to save you money in a negotiation, to find you the property you couldn’t find yourself or simply to take most of the pain and stress out of buying a home, having a professional on your side can be the best decision you ever make.

Vendor advocacy is the process whereby a real estate professional helps guide vendors (sellers) through the selling process. This normally will include helping select the right agent to sell the property, overseeing marketing and strategy. The focus is on alleviating stress and anxiety whilst helping ensure a maximum sale price.

When you hire Ralph & Ralph as your vendor advocate, we ensure that you get the best agent for your property. We then work with that agent so you can get the highest possible price, meet all your needs and make sure the process is as smooth and stress free as possible.

At Ralph & Ralph, it is the small details that matter. We work for many buyers, making us the agent of those buyers, so that is where the apostrophe belongs.

P.S. Maybe this isn’t frequently asked, but you have to have some fun sometimes.