How much does a buyer's agent cost?
Brightside charges a flat $18,000 for the full service. Half when we start, half when the property is yours (unconditional exchange). That's it. No tiers, no add-ons, no commissions from anyone else.
What the $18,000 covers
Everything from the first chat to the front door. Strategy and the plan. The search, including early or private access where we can get it. Inspections, in person. The shortlist. Due diligence: contract review coordination, the strata report, building and pest, comparable sales. Negotiation, or bidding for you at auction. Then exchange, settlement and keys. Bek leads the whole thing, start to finish. No handballing.
How it's paid
- 50 percent on engagement, when we begin working together.
- 50 percent on unconditional exchange, once the property is secured.
Our agreement runs for six months and then simply rolls on at no extra cost until you've bought. There's no cap on the number of properties we'll look at for you.
Higher-value purchases
For some higher-value purchases, clients choose a percentage-based structure instead of the flat fee. We'll talk that through at the first chat if it applies to you.
Why one fee and not tiers
Plenty of buyer's agents offer a cheaper search-only or negotiation-only option. We used to as well. We stopped, because the cheaper version always left out the part that actually protects you: the contract you didn't read, the strata report you skipped, the negotiation you did yourself at 9pm on a Thursday. One full service means nothing gets left out.
Is it worth it?
Honest answer: it depends what you'd pay without us. A good negotiation on a $1m property can easily save 2 to 5 percent. That's $20,000 to $50,000. One Parramatta buyer paid $175,000 under the asking price. Then there's the thing you can't see: the $2 million loan in a sinking fund that the listing never mentioned, or the building defect that only turns up in the strata minutes. And you get your weekends back.
What we never charge
No commissions or referral fees from selling agents, developers, brokers or anyone else. We don't pay them and we don't accept them. Our only client is you.
Good questions
Do I pay if you don't find me a property?
The engagement payment covers the work of the search. Most clients are in a property within 6 to 12 weeks, and the agreement rolls on past six months at no extra cost if it takes longer.
Is the fee a percentage of the purchase price?
No. It's a flat $18,000 for most purchases, which means we have no reason to push your budget higher. Some higher-value purchases use a percentage structure by agreement.
Are there extra costs?
Not from us. You'll pay the usual third parties directly: your conveyancer, the building and pest inspector, the strata report, and your lender's costs. We'll tell you what to expect before anything is ordered.
Can I just hire you to bid at auction?
Auction-bidding-only engagements are something we do take on. Ask us.
What does a buyer's agent actually do for the money?
Here's the full answer, in plain English.
Most clients start with a simple conversation. Let's have a chat, or call Bek on 0430 287 861.