Frequently Asked Questions
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How will using a Professional Buyers’ Agent benefit me?
Whether you are a residential home buyer or a savvy Investor, YOU will:
- SAVE time, money and stress!
- RECEIVE all the information you need to make an informed decision.
- REDUCE hours of research and travel associated with property purchases.
- BENEFIT from access to properties not yet advertised.
- BE INSULATED from the pressure applied by zealous real estate agents.
- BENEFIT from our current quality research and market analysis
- BE PROTECTED from paying too much for your purchase by referencing selected area past sales and comparable market data.
In addition, Investors will gain access to our extensive network of developers who provide excellent investment opportunities, many of which never get advertised.
You will gain access to inside knowledge of the current investment ‘hot spots’.
Also, Homebuyers will benefit from our local knowledge of the region and our knowledge of the local real estate agents. This will save you many hours of trudging from one property to the next and dealing with a number of agents, sometimes being shown the same properties!
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What is the difference between a Buyers Agent and a Sellers Agent?
The KEY difference is that a Buyers’ Agent works exclusively for you, to get the lowest possible purchase price and the best possible terms and conditions.
A Sellers Agent works in the best interests of the vendor (seller), to get you, the buyer, to pay the highest possible price under conditions suitable to the seller.
Do you source properties for home buyers (owner occupiers), first home buyers, as well as Investors?
YES, and in addition .......if required, we will also look after your FHOG (First Home Buyers Grant)
Will I be able to afford the fees charged by a Buyers Agent?
YES! Your UPFRONT engagement fee is REFUNDED on SETTLEMENT!
Property buyers of all budgets, save time & money by engaging PROPERTYWHIZ to do extensive research and analysis of comparable sales and property market data! That work is paid for in the Upfront Engagement Fee.
Importantly, by negotiating hard to secure the best price, terms and conditions possible for you, the buyer, our flat fee is commonly well absorbed by the overall lower purchase price!
CALL PROPERTYWHIZ! Be there at the cutting edge - Join the thousands who'd rather get on with business or pleasure, than spend inordinate stress filled hours researching property!
This decision will save you much more than our fees! If you can afford the property, you WILL save the money by using our services!
Do you specialise in any particular areas?
YES! South East Queensland is the fastest growing area of Australia.
We know this area very well and concentrate our efforts there.
We are a small personalized company concentrating our resources to give you maximum opportunities in South East Queensland market. However, we do have relationships in other areas and would gladly refer you on to an expert in your chosen region.
When I engage the services of Propertywhiz will you guarantee to find me a property?
Propertywhiz will guarantee to find you a property that meets your requirements!
The decision on whether you purchase or not ........will be entirely your own.
Propertywhiz will ask you to complete 'target property brief', a very detailed list of your requirements and we will listen carefully to find out what it is you are really looking for in a property.
Propertywhiz will advise you before you engage us, if your budget and/ or your target property brief is unrealistic. We will require you to have your finances ready or be pre-approved for a loan before the property search can begin.
Propertywhiz can arrange finance for you, usually at a better rate and conditions, than you can do yourself.
The timeframe will depend on the market conditions, from 1 week up to 6 weeks.
Are Buyers’ Agents fees tax-deductible?
INVESTORS - YES! If you are purchasing a property for investment purposes, the cost of using a Buyers’ Agent is generally tax deductible. You will need to check with your accountant to see if the fee would be tax deductible in your case.
OWNER OCCUPIERS - NO. Unfortunately you cannot claim the fee as a tax deduction if the property purchased is to be your residence.
What is the process and how long will it take?
Our average turnaround time for investors is 30 days and for home buyers it is between 30 to 50 days.
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After the initial meeting, where our services are further explained, questions are answered and the property brief is established, a non refundable engagement fee is paid (this amount varies according to the service you choose).
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Once your finance is pre-approved, the engagement fee is paid, and you are ready to buy, the search begins. We conduct thorough research and then present you with a shortlist of properties which meet your brief.
Any limit to the number of properties you will present to me before I make a purchasing decision?
NO, providing the properties are all in the same general area and your target brief remains the same.
We do the work to qualify every property against your criteria before we present the property to you.
Should you reach a point where you are unable to make a decision, we may need to reformulate your brief and revisit your engagement fee.
When will you contact me after you have found a suitable property?
ASAP! As agreed in your brief, as soon as we find a property, match your criteria, physically inspect & take photographs and are sure that the property is suitable, we will then present it to you.
You may indicate a timeframe most desired when we discuss your brief and we will work to achieve the result.
How long will I have to make a decision?
You can take as long as you like to decide on a property.
However, if you are clear on what you want, the decision will most often be straightforward. There will be times when decisions will need to be made more quickly to secure the lowest price and most favourable contract conditions! But.......you will never be pressured into buying something you do not want or do not feel comfortable about.
Do you ever represent the vendor?
YES. On occasions when we are asked to source an ‘'OFF THE PLAN - HOUSE & LAND PACKAGES' or other development properties.
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In which case we do not make a charge to you, our client.
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These properties are rarely advertised, as the Developers rely on us to market them, for which they pay us a fee.
Also, where our client is planning to sell their Residential home, we provide assistance with selecting the best local agent and negotiating the best terms for the marketing strategy, on their behalf.
How will I know I am not paying too much for a property?
Propertywhiz will take the emotion out of the process which in itself will ensure that you do not pay too much.
Propertywhiz has access to the most current data where we conduct extensive due diligence for our clients on recent sales.
Propertywhiz will inspect each property; write a report on the positives and negatives of each short listed property and using this information, together with our own expert opinion on the state of the market, you can rest assured that you will not be paying too much.
The fact is our clients usually find they are buying at a price significantly lower than they could have achieved by themselves!
What happens if I change my mind on an area or type of property once I engage you?
Propertywhiz will always be working in your best interests and we realise that ideas about the type of property you want may change. When we initially receive your brief, we will work hard to ensure that your criteria are achievable and realistic. If it is not, we will advise you immediately so the likelihood of changing your mind is reduced.
Propertywhiz may have to review our fee should you change your initial brief significantly, once we commence our search, to cover the time already spent searching.
Propertywhiz work with you to make sure you are completely happy with your property purchase, even if you do change your mind!
What if I find a property myself after I have engaged your services?
Keen property purchasers will still keep an eye on the property market, even while we are looking for you. If you do identify a property, it is likely that we have eliminated it because this property wouldn’t be in line with your criteria, or alternatively, we may have already found it and short listed it! Once Propertywhiz is engaged to find you a property, full fees are payable, so we would continue to provide our full service regardless!
Does a Buyers’ Agent need to have a Real Estate background and Qualifications?
Qualifications are a must in this new and bustling millennium. Robert Duncan, of Propertywhiz has a full Real Estate License, is a qualified Finance Broker, a member of MFAA (Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia), a member of COSL (Credit Ombudsman Service Limited) and is currently a Bachelor of Laws student. He has many years experience in the Business world, both in Australia and overseas.
I live and work Overseas / Interstate – how can we work together?
Propertywhiz willingly assists overseas buyers and expatriates, some of whom are returning to Australia after a military or diplomatic posting.
We communicate via phone or email regularly. Once the target brief is established and refined and you have provided evidence of finance or finance approval, the search begins, as with all of our Australian clients.
The only difference is that you may not get the chance to physically inspect the property, although this is strongly encouraged. We will provide you with extensive market analysis as well as digital photos of the property and its location. All features of the property, both good and bad, would be communicated and you would be making an informed decision.
Do you have Professional Indemnity Insurance?
YES! Propertywhiz has professional indemnity insurance (PI) in both Real Estate & Finance to $2 million.
OUR GUARANTEE
Propertywhiz guarantees not to waste your valuable time and money sourcing inappropriate properties.
We will endeavour to eliminate the stress associated with property selection and buying!
We will save you months of heartbreaking worry and endless time consuming searches!
We will use all our resources and negotiate the lowest possible purchase price for you, our valued client!
We will conduct all our business in an ethical, professional and respectful manner!
We will do the very best we can for you to achieve your brief!
How do I get started?
Propertywhiz is at your service! ...........Contact today!
E: email, complete our property search form; and/or,
Telephone on T: +61 7 5538 5562 (Office) and/or,
Fax on F: +61 7 5538 5572 (Office) and/or
Local call .......... 1300 595 595
Propertywhiz team will provide a calm & caring friendly experience, as you build your property portfolio!
