113: The Politics of Buyer's Agents - Michelle Tucker and Linda Johnson

The Politics of Everything

Buying property is expensive especially in Australia's biggest cities and regional areas now surging too (thanks Covid), with purchasers paying stamp duty, conveyancing, and legal fees, not to mention the huge deposit required.

So, would you really want to pay more for something you could do yourself? Well, recently I did. For the first time ever, my husband and I engaged a buyer’s agent to find us a Coastal family home that had some non-negotiables, a set time frame, and a strict budget – so the agency we used Spring Buyer’s Agency is run by Michelle Tucker and Linda Johnson, and they were worth every cent – having found us the right property in 8 days.

As background, Linda brings a diverse and varied skill set to Spring Buyers Agency, having operated in multiple roles in her 23 years’ experience within the Real Estate industry. Beginning in residential sales, she was mentored by an industry leader and spent 10 years as a successful selling agent in one of Australia’s most iconic and desirable locations - Bondi Beach. She held senior leadership positions, functioning as Director of Operations with Raine & Horne Bondi Beach, Head of Residential Sales with LJ Hooker Lower North Shore, and was General Manager with the Australian operation of LINK Franchising, the largest business brokerage firm in the world. Linda also achieved her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2016.

Michelle’s 15 years’ experience within the property industry is built on an intimate understanding of market conditions and a drive to achieve outstanding results. Beginning her career with LJ Hooker Terrigal, she worked as a specialist property developer on the Central Coast. Most recently, as Head of Projects for McGrath Central Coast, Michelle managed all medium to large scale off-plan development projects.

Buyer’s agents work for buyers to find a suitable property according to the buyer’s brief and often negotiate the purchase on behalf of the buyer. Depending on the service needed, they may charge a set fee, starting from as little as $100 to attend an auction for you. For a full search, inspection, and negotiation service, they may charge a percentage of the property’s sale price, which can be up to 3 percent, plus GST.

When houses in my home city of Sydney now selling well over $1.5 million, that adds up to a lot of money when you pay another service. So, is it worth it?

Like all my guests, I wanted to remind you that they are not being paid nor vice versa.

We cover in this podcast:

1. What is a buyer’s agent and how did you become one?
2. How did the sector grow and who uses a buyer’s agent? Is it just for wealthy people?
3. What has been the hardest thing about being a buyer’s agent – are you ever been unsuccessful for a client for whatever reason?
4. How do you ensure they get a great property and not pay too much or feel obligated to say yes faster than normal market conditions?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message on The Politics of Buyer’s Agents?

To connect more with Linda and Michelle:

Website:

https://www.springbuyersagency.com.au/