As a property investor, you need to make the most informed decisions possible when purchasing a townhouse. Whether you intend to purchase it as part of an existing townhouse development, or you’re looking for an experienced townhouse builder to for a new development, a buyer’s advocate can save you a lot of time, money and heartache.
What does a buyer’s advocate do?
A buyer’s advocate should ideally tailor their services to suit your specific needs. For example, if you’re a young couple looking for your first home, a buyer’s advocate listens to your needs and helps you find the best available properties. They are also invaluable for property investors who may not have local knowledge of the area they want to invest in. Buyer’s advocates can undertake a complete cost analysis to determine the best townhouse opportunities to maximise your investment. Ultimately, their service is all about meeting your needs, whatever stage of your property investment journey you’re on.
The benefits of using a buyer’s advocate
Let’s go into a little more detail about the benefits you can gain by enlisting the help of a buyer’s advocate. As you’ll see, it’s a lot more than just finding a property at a good price.
Gain invaluable local market knowledge
For the best property investment opportunities, you usually need to look far beyond the area you live in. You may even have plans to invest in a townhouse interstate. Buyer’s agents have extensive local market knowledge, allowing them to find the perfect property for your needs. In addition, they typically have access to off-market properties, giving you a greater chance of a quick purchase.
Buyer’s advocates are objective
Even as a property investor, it’s difficult to not be led by your heart when building or buying a townhouse. Buyer’s advocates, however, are steadfast in their determination to support your goals and help you maximise your investment. They find the most cost-effective townhouses in growth areas and align their search with your specific goals. They’re completely objective, allowing for clear investment decision making.
Cost and investment analysis
Every property investor has different goals when they build or buy a townhouse. They may be looking for long-term growth, high rental yields, or the opportunity to quickly sell for a profit. Whatever your financial goals are when it comes to buying a property, your buyer’s advocate performs an extensive cost analysis based on a range of market factors. They take care of the dollars and cents so you can make an informed decision.
Expert negotiation skills and auctions
Not every property investor is a skilled negotiator, and nor do they need to be. Buyer’s advocates can negotiate pricing with real estate agents, developers, builders and any other stakeholders. If the townhouse you’re interested in goes to auction, they can also be present and bid on your behalf.
Finding luxury, high-end townhouses
Whether you’re an investor or you just want a high-end, luxury townhouse to live in, a buyer’s agent can help. They often have access to new developments before they go to market, or at the very least, they can put you in touch with quality townhouse builders who do exceptional work. Often, townhouses can be quite cookie-cutter in design, so if you want something unique, a buyer’s agent can find those market gems.
What does a buyer’s advocate cost?
Typically, a buyer’s agent’s fees can vary depending on the extent of the work they do for you.
For example, a full-service including search, analysis, negotiation, bidding at auction and everything in between, you might be charged between 1 – 3% of the property price. Whilst other buyer’s advocates charge a fixed fee for such a service. If you’ve already found the townhouse you want, but you just require appraisal and negotiation services, or if you only need a buyer’s agent to bid for you at an auction, it’s usually just a flat fee.
All buyer’s agents should provide clear and transparent pricing during your initial consultation.
Can you benefit from using a buyer’s advocate?
As you can see, there are a wide range of benefits to using a buyer’s advocate. They can help you locate the ideal townhouse for your needs, whether you’re an investor or looking for a home. Their negotiation skills can save you plenty when it comes to purchasing, and essentially, they take the stress out of buying a townhouse. Of course, you need to weigh up the buyer’s advocate cost and whether your savings are comparable, but in most cases, a buyer’s agent usually pays for themselves, especially when you take into consideration the time, effort and stress saved.
