Frequently Asked Questions
General questions
A buyer’s agent is a qualified licensed real estate professional who 100% represents the interests of property buyers. We search for, evaluate, shortlist and negotiate the purchase of property on behalf of our clients, managing the entire acquisition process until the property is successfully secured.
A buyer’s agent may also be referred to as a buyer advocate or property acquisition specialist.
Real estate agents represent sellers. As buyer’s agent we work exclusively for you, the buyer, ensuring your interests are prioritised throughout the entire buying process. Both real estate agents and buyer’s agents need to hold appropriate licences through the Real Estate Authority and work within the same legal framework. In New Zealand, you cannot be both, ensuring the responsibility to respective clients (sellers and purchases) is absolutely clear.
A buyer’s agent can save you time, money, and stress by leveraging our market knowledge, negotiation skills, and industry connections. We provide objective advice, access to off-market properties, manage property due diligence and navigate New Zealand’s unique property market to help you secure your next home or investment.
Our job as your buyer’s agent is to use our time doing the research by utilising our industry knowledge, networks, experience and negotiation skills to successfully secure your property purchase. We help you avoid costly mistakes and save money by identifying properties that represent good value or potential.
Due diligence is the process of thoroughly checking a property before purchase. This typically includes reviewing LIM reports, building inspections, rental appraisals, zoning, title, and legal documentation. Proper due diligence helps identify risks early and protects you from unexpected issues.
In most cases, overseas buyers must hold New Zealand residency to purchase residential property. There are limited exceptions, such as the Active Investor Plus Visa. We recommend obtaining tailored immigration and legal advice, and we can help align your property strategy with your visa pathway.
Yes, through our networks we have access to off-market/pre-market properties and highly motivated sellers, giving you a competitive advantage in finding your ideal property.
Off-market opportunities come through our established relationships with selling agents, developers, and industry professionals. These properties are often sold discreetly and may never be publicly advertised, giving our clients access to opportunities others don’t see.
Property investors should budget for ongoing costs such as rates, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and compliance requirements. Understanding these costs upfront is essential for assessing cash flow and long-term performance.
We charge a small engagement fee which ensures a commitment from you, and then kick-start the property research process. Upon successful purchase we charge a success fee which is agreed up front with you at the very beginning.
The savings gained by using a buyer’s agent generally far outweighs the fees, achieving better outcomes than buyers negotiating on their own.
The first step is a conversation. We’ll discuss your goals, timeframe, budget, and preferences, then outline how we can support you through the buying process. From there, we create a clear brief and tailored strategy.
How a buyers agent can help
An astute buyer’s agent will save you loads of time. They work hard for you doing thorough property searches, inspections, shortlisting only the most suitable properties for your consideration. Our role as buyers’ agents is to streamline the entire buying process for our clients so you can make informed decisions quickly.
Absolutely. We can be there to support you through the process, or represent you if you can’t or don’t want to attend. We’re not emotionally involved, know the process and will make sure a fair price is paid, or negotiate post-auction if the property is passed in.
Yes. We regularly represent clients at auctions, providing guidance on value, bidding strategy, and execution. Auction environments can be high-pressure — having an experienced professional act on your behalf can make a significant difference.
Absolutely, as your buyer’s agent we will provide valuable insights into local markets, property values, and New Zealand-specific property laws and processes.
Yes. We regularly assist offshore and expatriate buyers by acting as their local representative on the ground. We manage inspections, due diligence, negotiations, and reporting, ensuring you can buy with confidence even if you’re not physically in New Zealand.
Yes, as your buyer’s agent we will assist in coordinating the full due-diligence process. This includes arranging property inspections, reviewing relevant documents, liaising with professionals such as lawyers, council staff, planners, surveyors, builders, trade staff and engineers.
When it comes to conducting a thorough property assessment, our goal is to take the pressure off our clients by managing that process. While we handle coordination, please note any costs associated with investigations are the responsibility of the buyer. Our role is to streamline the process for our clients so they can make informed decisions based on the findings.
As your buyer’s agent we can provide strategies to make your offer more attractive, act quickly on new listings, and use our networks to find you opportunities before they hit the open market.
Yes. Buyers’ agents often facilitate a private sale and we are happy to present and match your property to prospective buyers we are working with.. We represent the buyer throughout the entire process and any applicable fees and commission is paid by the buyer.
Yes. We work extensively with clients purchasing residential investment property, helping define strategy, assess risk, analyse locations, and identify properties aligned with long-term capital growth or rental yield objectives. Our role goes beyond finding a property — we help you make informed investment decisions.
We assist with a wide range of residential investment properties, including standalone houses, townhouses, apartments, multi-unit properties, renovation opportunities, and long-term hold investments. We also advise on commercial property where it suits an investor’s broader strategy.
We negotiate property purchases daily and understand pricing, market conditions, and seller motivation. This experience allows us to negotiate strategically on price, conditions, and settlement terms — most often achieving better outcomes than buyers negotiating alone.
Yes. We assist clients with commercial investments such as offices, retail, industrial property, tourism accommodation, and mixed-use assets where these align with the client’s goals.
