FAQ'S

1. Why should I use a Buyers Agent when I could do it all myself?

Initially most buyers think they can go and buy a property just as wells as we can. Quite often we have people enquiring, only to see them months down the line engaging our services. Simply put we rally do save people lots of time, thousands of dollars and remove stress and household conflict.

Most people don't think twice when engaging the services of other professionals such as lawyers, accountants and financial planners, so why would you not employ a Buyers Agent when you are about to make what could be the most expensive purchase in your life.

Not only will you be getting access to our highly detailed ' Property Market and Appraisal Report', you also get our years of experience, insider knowledge of the local market and our tried and tested relationships with all the local real estate agents. For a better understanding of we can actually save you time, money and stress go to our 'WHY USE A BUYERS AGENT'

2.What is the difference between a buyers' agent and a selling agent?

We're not estate agents. Quite the opposite in fact: we represent buyers, not sellers. But we do have relationships with all the top selling agents, who know us as a source of serious, reliable buyers, and happily provide us access to their "off-market" properties, as well as those they're actively marketing. Just sales agents are paid by the seller, we are paid by you, the buyer.

Our relationships with estate agents as valued partners are a crucial part of our business. We represent buyers, they represent sellers – clearly, and it's in both our interests to work together as smoothly as possible.

Estate agents know us as a source of reliable, committed buyers with assured budgets. We know all our clients' requirements in great detail, and can be confident whether a property being marketed by a particular estate agent is likely to be of interest. We spend a lot of time liaising with many other industry professionals, (solicitors, architects, surveyors,) so our market information can also be very useful to estate agents.

3.Do you source properties for owner-occupiers as well as investors?

Yes. The main difference is that for Owner Occupiers we limit our search radius to the main suburbs that we specialise in.

4. I heard that using a Buyers Agent could be very expensive?

All of our buyers think the opposite and that is the reason why so many of our buyers not only come back to us, but also refer us to close friends, family and colleagues. In most cases we save our buyers far in excess of our fees. As all of our buyers are so different from one another, each will see value in different areas of our services.

Using Prestige Property Finders, you will make an informed decision and will be confidant that you have bought well, whatever your budget. Engaging a professional Buyers Agent like PPF, is a small investment to make when you consider the time, stress and money you will save!

5. How do real estate agents respond to working with you?

One common myth is that Real Estate Agents do not like Buyers Agents. On the contrary most agents prefer to deal with a professional that they know is an A Grade buyer, the best type of buyer they can get.

At PPF we pride ourselves in our relationships we have built with Sydney real estate agents over the past decade. Estate agents are valued partners. They know our clients are committed buyers with assured budgets, so they continually approach us before a property comes to market.

6. What areas do cover and do you specialise in any particular area?

For investors (residential and commercial), we source investment property Australia-Wide.

We are constantly researching and reviewing the market for "property hot spots" and look for areas that have consistently performed well for capital growth and rental return or have significant potential for capital growth due to key investment principals.

All of our clients have access to our data and research. The Australian property market is constantly evolving, one that is difficult to keep track of unless you are doing it full time.

For homebuyers, prestige buyers and first homebuyers, in Sydney, we specialise in the following areas:

(We also cover other areas on request or we can refer you to our network of trusted buyers agents outside Sydney or in other States)

7. If I engage Prestige Property Finders, will you definitely find me a property?

Yes! We only take on clients that we believe the 'Buyers Brief' is achievable and we’ll let you know before you engage us. Our usual time for a search, from appointment to exchange, is approximately 4-12 weeks. But depending on your specific requirements and market conditions, it can sometimes take longer and likewise shorter. We have previously found homes within 2 weeks that met the buyer's requirements 100%.

8.How do I know I am getting value for money when I engage you?

You will definitely get great value or money on our service. We have even had clients say that the benefits were so great it almost felt as though the service was FREE! The savings we negotiate over the seller's price through our in-depth knowledge of the property market and our skills at negotiating, will likely cover far more than what our fees would be. Or maybe just the fact that we found you a property that was off-market, something you would never have found on your own. This is even before we take into account how much stress we remove from your family during buying process. The cherry on the top is the fixed fee service, which works to your advantage, as with the fixed fee structure, you pay the same fee regardless of the price of the property.

To get a greater appreciation of how we save you Money, Time and Stress, look at our information on 'WHY USE A BUYERS AGENT', or browse through a few case studies and testimonials to put you in the shoes of some of our buyers and the benefits they got from using our service.

9. Are your Buyers' Agents fees Tax deductible?

If you are an investor, part of the fees may be deductable. In most cases they are deemed capital expenses. As each person's individual circumstances are different, you will have to consult with your accountant.

Unfortunately if you purchase the property to live in as your primary place of residence you cannot claim the fee as a tax deduction.

10. What is your process, and how long do your normally take to find a property?

Our Prestige 8 Step Process is a very efficient but detailed one. The time taken varies depending your Buyers Brief and other influences such as the state of the property market at the time of searching. One thing is for certain, is that we will e able to find it a lot faster than you would on your own.

Although our agency agreement gives you an initial 6 months, which can be extended, we normally take between 4 and 12 weeks on average. For investors the complete process takes on average 30 to 45days and for owner occupiers the average is between 40 and 70 days.

11. Do you limit the number of properties you will present to me before I make a decision to purchase?

No we do not limit the amount of properties you can review before purchasing. Because we qualify every property against your Buyers Brief before we present any property to you – we save you valuable time in the property search.

Our process allows us to review hundreds of properties before you even get to see one. Almost all buyers will need to see a few great properties before being able to say 'yes', even if the best one was the first one.

12. How do we keep in contact and communicate through the process?

Our buyers have a few things in common, one being very time poor. Because of this we limit our communication to you to maximise your efficiency. If it is not urgent we will almost always email you updates on a regular basis, at least once per week, so that you know exactly what we are dong with regards to your search. In addition to this we do like to chat and so a friendly phone call is not far away, especially if we need more urgent feedback from you.

13. How soon do I need to make up my mind on whether to buy?

Essentially by having engaged our services, you have already decided to buy. Our job and what you are paying for is to give you the right knowledge to confidently say yes. When you are ready you will buy. Our agency agreement is for a 6 month period, but under agreement can be extended; however given our history you will have bought much sooner than that.

14. Do you ever represent any sellers of property?

We never sell property or accept sales commissions from realestate agent's or vendors directly. We work exclusively for our buyers to source a property that far exceeds their expectations. In situations where a brand new or off-plan property is required, Prestige Property Finders can often negotiate rebates or commission and further discounts directly back to you, the buyer. In most cases these benefits far exceed our fees.

in our world many Buyers are also sellers. We know how stressful it can be to buy a house but so can be selling. Take advantage of our years of experience with selling agents to help you select the best one for your home with confidence. We'll help you better understand the current market value of your property and will help you work through the various proposals put forward by the agents.

15. How can you offer 'guarantees' with your service?

It's easy. After working for buyers for over a decade, we know we can deliver. In fact, we guarantee your total service satisfaction, or we'll give you your money back. It's that simple. Our 30-Day Money-back Satisfaction Guarantee allows you the benefit of the doubt, to try before you buy. If we do not demonstrate within the first 30 days that we are able to deliver the service as outlined in our agency agreement, live up to our performance standards detailed in the Buyer's Brief we will refund your fee in full.

We also guarantee to give you personal and professional service and a detailed analysis on each property we evaluate, based on your specific criteria. At our initial meeting, we will listen carefully to find out your exact requirements. We will advise you before you engage us if your property brief is unrealistic. Like all things we recommend that you do not go shopping without money, this process is no different and you will be required to have your finances in order before we start the search process. You may cancel the agreement with notice in writing.

Our confidence in how well we'll perform for you should give you even added confidence along with the fact that we have never had to make a single refund.

16. How can I know I am not paying too much for a property?

This is one of the main reasons you would engage Prestige Property Finders in the first place. We are there to make sure that you do not overpay, either through private treaty or auction. Before you even get to make an offer, we would have furnished you with a very thorough and up to date 'Property and Market Research Appraisal'. This comprehensive report will give you the satisfaction, knowledge and confidence that you are paying a fair market price or below.

Most people don't think twice when engaging the services of other professionals such as lawyers, accountants and financial planners, so why would you not employ a Buyers Agent when you are about to make what could be the most expensive purchase in your life.

17. What happens if I change my mind on an area or a type of property once I engage you?

Our service is designed to be flexible and we appreciate that in the course of working with us you may gain new insights to areas you may not have know about before, that is our job, end hence many buyers do actually change the suburb profile from one they initially thought of. That is normal for us and we are happy to oblige your wishes.

If circumstances dictate that you need to change your entire buyers brief and start from scratch, depending on the time and resources used, we may need to apply a new engagement fee. This fee is still deductable from your success fee and in no way influences you final fixed fee.

18. Can I still look for properties after I have engaged your services for the Comprehensive search?

Many buyers cannot seem to give up the thrill of looking on the Internet for properties after they have engaged our services. Although we don't recommend you doing this, you are more than welcome to. From our years of experience we know that most of the properties you will send to us, will be flawed, and more importantly do not meet your buyers brief or our standards. We stick strictly to our process and method of searching to make sure we cover 100% of the market.

If you do happen to identify a property that we haven’t seen (in all likely hood this will be outside of the parameters of the brief), then just let us know and we can provide a full appraisal and due diligence to advise you accordingly. Once Prestige Property Finder is engaged to find you a property, full fees are payable, even if you find a property (or negotiate) on your own.

Trying to do it all on your own, in a rush and under pressure could cost you far more money than our fees.

19. Does a buyers' agent need to have a real estate background?

We believe it’s in your interest to work with a buyer’s agent with the skill-set within the property industry as well as commercial experience. It takes a lot more than knowing how to sell, to make a great Buyers Agent. We have both.

All our key people are licensed Real Estate Agents above and beyond any other professional qualifications they hold.

20. I live and work overseas – how can you service my needs from this distance?

Well over 50% of our clients don't live in Australia and for 80% of those only get to step through the doors for the first time on their next trip to Australia. All presently surprised.

Over the past decade we have perfected our communication with overseas buyers to give you absolute confidence that you are making a sound purchasing decision. We will also be advising you on the best possible strategy and provide for you a thorough 'Market and Property Research Report' to give you the certainty and confidence to move forward.

For our distance challenged buyers who prefer to talk 'face to face', we are happy to video conference call in addition to all other forms of communication. In addition to our regular support, we provide additional images and videos on each property reviewed for homeowners.

21. Do you have professional indemnity insurance?

Yes

22. Are you a member of any professional industry association?

Yes. We hold a full membership of the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales, the peak body governing the activities of Buyers Agents in Australia and also an active member of the Buyers Agents Chapter of the Institute.

The institute as well as the members of the Chapter continually strives to the raise the level of professionalism and code of ethics by which the members must abide. We also follow the practice guidelines and code of ethics of The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association (REBAA).

23. What if my property and real estate knowledge is limited?

Then you have come to the right place. The more limited your knowledge the more you require professional services to give you a greater level of assurance when making such an important purchasing decision.

As part of our Prestige Comprehensive Service, we actually educate you on the way to make sure that you yourself, is making an informed decision. Many of our buyers come back to us because of how much they actually learn.

24. Now that I have decided to engage you, how do I get started?

The first thing to do if you have not already, is to fill in the Wish List on the contact us page, submit the form directly or print it out and fax it to us. With this information we can then prepare for our first meeting or in the case of overseas buyers a telephone or video conference call. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that we can work together to find you your perfect property.