You do not need a buyer's agent to buy an investment property in Australia: many investors research, negotiate and settle on their own. Whether one helps you depends on what they actually do, how much time and local knowledge you already have, and which parts of the process you would rather hand to someone else. This guide sets out what a buyer's agent covers, what stays with you either way, and how to run a thorough search yourself.
What a buyer's agent does
A buyer's agent acts for the buyer, the opposite of a selling agent, who acts for the seller. Within that role, what is actually on offer varies by agent:
- Searching for properties that fit your brief, including ones not publicly advertised, through the agent's own networks.
- Appraisal: working out what a property is realistically worth against recent sales of similar properties.
- Coordinating due diligence, such as arranging a building and pest inspection and reviewing the contract alongside your conveyancer or solicitor.
- Negotiating the price, or bidding at auction, on your instructions.
- Acting for you as the buyer throughout the transaction, rather than for the seller or the selling agent.
Not every buyer's agent offers all of this. Some run a full search-to-settlement service; others only appraise and negotiate a property you have already found. Get what is included, and excluded, in writing before you engage anyone.
How buyer's agents are licensed and paid
Buyer's agents are generally licensed under their state's real estate or property agent laws. The licensing body, the category and what it takes to hold a licence differ by state, so check the current requirements with your state's fair trading, consumer affairs or property services regulator.
How they are paid also varies. The three common structures are a fixed fee for a defined scope of work, a percentage of the purchase price, or an engagement fee plus a success fee once a property is secured. Which structure an agent uses, and exactly what it includes, is something you agree with them directly and get in writing before you start.
When each approach tends to help
A buyer's agent tends to help most when you are buying interstate and cannot inspect properties or attend auctions yourself, when work leaves you little time to research and inspect consistently, when you are bidding at auction and want someone experienced running that specific process, or when you are looking in a market you do not know well and want local relationships working for you.
Doing it yourself tends to work well when you already know the area, when you can commit time to research over weeks rather than days, and when you follow a clear, repeatable process rather than reacting property by property. The two are not exclusive: some investors use a buyer's agent for the search and negotiate themselves, or search themselves and bring an agent in only for auction bidding.
The work involved, either way
Some tasks always stay with you. Others can be handed to a buyer's agent if you engage one for that part of the process.
| Task | If you engage a buyer's agent | Doing it yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Setting your budget, must-haves and deal-breakers | You decide; the agent works within it | You decide |
| Searching listings and properties that are not publicly advertised | Often the agent, within your brief | You |
| Appraisal against recent sales of similar properties | The agent provides one | You research it, or engage a valuer |
| Building and pest inspection | The agent arranges it; you pay the inspector | You arrange it; you pay the inspector |
| Reviewing the contract | Your conveyancer or solicitor, either way | Your conveyancer or solicitor, either way |
| Negotiation or auction bidding | The agent, on your instructions | You |
| Arranging finance | You and your broker or lender, either way | You and your broker or lender, either way |
| Final decision to buy | You, always | You, always |
The professionals you engage directly, your conveyancer, your building and pest inspector, and your broker, do the same work whichever path you take. What changes is who searches, appraises and negotiates.
Questions to ask before engaging a buyer's agent
- What is included and excluded, in writing?
- How is the fee worked out, and when is it paid?
- Who are they acting for?
- What licence, experience and insurance do they hold?
- Do they receive referral fees, or have other conflicts of interest, with any seller or selling agent?
- How do they find properties that are not publicly advertised, and how recently have they bought one for a client?
- Which checks will still be up to you?
Check the licence and any required insurance with your state regulator before you engage anyone.
Doing it yourself well
A clear process matters more than any single trick. A workable one:
- Set your budget, target area and must-haves before you start looking, and write them down.
- Track listings and auction results in your target area regularly, so you build a feel for what things actually sell for.
- Work out a comparable price range for any property you are serious about, then weigh it against the asking price.
- Inspect in person, more than once if you can, and at different times of day.
- Bring in the professionals before you commit: a conveyancer or solicitor to review the contract, a building and pest inspector, and a broker if you need finance.
- Keep records (recent sales of similar properties, inspection reports, contract notes) so you are working from evidence rather than memory when you decide.
Example: working out a comparable price range. Say three similar units sold recently nearby: 75 square metres for $650,000, 70 square metres for $610,000, and 80 square metres for $690,000. Divide price by size for each: $650,000 ÷ 75 = $8,667 a square metre; $610,000 ÷ 70 = $8,714 a square metre; $690,000 ÷ 80 = $8,625 a square metre. That is a narrow range, roughly $8,600 to $8,700 a square metre. Apply it to a 78 square metre unit you are assessing: 78 × $8,625 = $672,750 and 78 × $8,714 = $679,692, so roughly $673,000 to $680,000. That gives you a starting range to weigh against the asking price. It is not a valuation: a qualified valuer, or more recent sales of similar properties, can test it further.
Where Virtual Buyers Agent fits
Virtual Buyers Agent starts once you have found a property, whichever path got you there. It keeps that property's details, numbers and next steps together in one place. It does not search for properties, inspect them, negotiate or act for you: none of the work in the table above moves to it. You can use it on your own, working through your own checklist and numbers, or alongside a buyer's agent, recording what they find next to your own figures and checks.
For financial advice about your own situation, see Moneysmart's guide to financial advice.
Reviewed 28 September 2026.