If you have been wondering how many buyers advocates there are in Australia, the short answer is that estimates place the number of active, dedicated buyers advocates (also called buyers agents) at somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 practitioners nationally, though the precise figure is difficult to pin down due to how licensing is structured across different states. This post unpacks what the data actually shows, how the industry is regulated, which markets have the highest concentration of advocates, and what rapid growth in the sector means for property buyers today.

What Is a Buyers Advocate and Why Does the Definition Matter?

Before sizing the industry, it helps to be precise about what a buyers advocate actually is. A buyers advocate (interchangeably called a buyers agent in most Australian states) is a licensed real estate professional who acts exclusively on behalf of the property buyer, never the vendor. Their role covers everything from suburb research and property shortlisting to auction bidding and negotiation.

The definition matters for industry sizing because the same real estate licence that permits an agent to sell property also permits that agent to act as a buyers advocate in most Australian states. This means raw licence counts from state regulators are a poor proxy for the true number of dedicated buyers advocates. A database showing 50,000 licensed real estate agents in New South Wales, for example, does not mean there are 50,000 buyers advocates in that state. The overwhelming majority of those licence holders focus on vendor-side sales work.

How Are Buyers Advocates Licensed in Australia?

• Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria issues real estate agent licences under the Estate Agents Act 1980. A full agent’s licence is required to act as a buyers advocate.
• New South Wales: NSW Fair Trading oversees licensing. A real estate agent licence or a certificate of registration (under supervision) is required.
• Queensland: The Office of Fair Trading Queensland issues real estate agent licences under the Property Occupations Act 2014.
• Western Australia, South Australia, ACT and Tasmania each have their own state-based regulatory frameworks, all requiring some form of real estate licence to practise as a buyers advocate.

Because licensing is state-based and dual-purpose (covering both selling and buying), there is no single national register that isolates buyers advocates as a distinct category. This is the core reason industry body and analyst estimates vary so widely.

How Many Buyers Advocates Are Operating in Australia Right Now?

The most widely cited estimates suggest there are approximately 3,000 to 5,000 practitioners who identify primarily as buyers advocates or buyers agents across Australia as of 2025 and into 2026. Here is how analysts and industry bodies arrive at that range.

The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA), the peak industry body for the sector, had approximately 170 to 200 member businesses as of recent reporting. REBAA membership is voluntary, requires demonstrated specialisation in buyer representation, and is widely regarded as the benchmark for professional buyers advocates. However, REBAA members represent only a fraction of total practitioners, since many capable advocates operate without association membership.

A broader lens comes from CoreLogic and various state Fair Trading databases, which track total real estate licence holders. Nationally, there are estimated to be more than 100,000 licensed real estate professionals across all states and territories (including property managers, selling agents, and buyers advocates). Independent industry analysts estimate that roughly 3 to 5 per cent of those licence holders dedicate the majority of their professional time to buyer-side representation, yielding the 3,000 to 5,000 estimate.

State-by-State Concentration

• Victoria: Melbourne accounts for one of the highest concentrations of buyers advocates in the country, driven by the city’s complex auction culture and high property prices. Inner-east suburbs, the inner north, and bayside areas are particularly well serviced. Services like buyers advocate Kew representation illustrate just how suburb-specific the profession has become.
• New South Wales: Sydney’s competitive market has produced a large cohort of buyers advocates, particularly focused on the eastern suburbs, lower north shore, and inner west.
• Queensland: Brisbane’s property boom since 2020 has fuelled rapid growth in the Queensland buyers advocate sector, with increasing demand from interstate and overseas investors.
• Western Australia: Perth’s resurgent market has seen growing demand for buyers advocates, though the sector remains smaller per capita than in the eastern states.

How Fast Is the Buyers Advocate Industry Growing in Australia?

The buyers advocate sector has experienced significant growth over the past decade, and particularly since 2020. Several data points illustrate the trajectory.

According to IBISWorld industry research, the buyers agents segment of the broader real estate services industry in Australia has grown at an annualised rate of approximately 6 to 8 per cent per year over the five years to 2025. This outpaces overall real estate services industry growth, which has averaged closer to 3 to 4 per cent annually over the same period.

Google Trends data confirms rising consumer interest, with searches for “buyers agent” and “buyers advocate” in Australia tracking consistently higher year on year since 2019, with a particularly sharp spike during the 2020 to 2022 property boom when competition for properties intensified dramatically.

The proportion of Australian property transactions involving a buyers advocate is estimated by REBAA and independent analysts at between 3 and 7 per cent of all residential purchases nationally, with Melbourne and Sydney markets skewing toward the higher end of that range. In premium inner-city postcodes, anecdotal evidence from agents and auctioneers suggests the figure could be as high as 15 to 20 per cent of competitive auction campaigns.

Why Is Demand Growing So Quickly?

1. Rising property prices: As median house prices in major capitals have climbed well above $1 million (CoreLogic data puts the Sydney median house price above $1.4 million and Melbourne above $900,000 as of late 2025), buyers are increasingly willing to engage professional help to compete effectively.
2. Information asymmetry: Vendors have professional representation in every sale. More buyers are recognising the imbalance and seeking their own advocate. Understanding the distinction is explained well in a comparison of a buyers advocate vs real estate agent and what each party’s obligations actually are.
3. Time scarcity: Dual-income households and interstate or overseas buyers lack the time to attend open for inspections, research comparable sales, and bid at auction every weekend.
4. Off-market access: Experienced buyers advocates maintain networks that provide access to properties before they are publicly listed, a significant advantage in tight markets.

What Does Industry Size Mean for Buyers Choosing an Advocate?

Knowing there are thousands of practitioners operating under the buyers advocate banner in Australia raises an important quality question. Not all advocates have the same depth of experience, suburb specialisation, or professional standing.

When evaluating a buyers advocate, buyers should look for:

• A current real estate agent’s licence in the relevant state (not just a certificate of registration)
• Membership of REBAA or PIPA (Property Investment Professionals of Australia), which require members to meet ethical and professional standards
• Demonstrated, verifiable suburb expertise rather than a claim to cover all of Australia
• A clear conflict-of-interest policy, particularly around referral fees from developers or third parties
• Transparent engagement terms provided in writing before any commitment is made

For buyers considering whether professional representation is right for them, the guide on whether you should use a buyers advocate is a useful starting point for assessing fit before approaching any firm.

It is also worth noting that geography matters enormously. A buyers advocate who specialises in inner-north Melbourne suburbs will typically have a far deeper network and more relevant comparable sales data for that market than a generalist operating across multiple cities. Local specialisation, such as dedicated best buyers advocate Melbourne services, reflects the reality that suburb-level knowledge is often the most valuable asset an advocate brings to a transaction.

Is the Buyers Advocate Industry Regulated Consistently Across Australia?

Regulation of buyers advocates in Australia is improving but remains inconsistent across state lines. All states require some form of real estate licence to act as a buyers advocate for remuneration, and most prohibit unlicensed individuals from doing so. However, the depth of ongoing professional development requirements, the scope of consumer protection mechanisms, and the oversight of trust account obligations vary between jurisdictions.

Consumer Affairs Victoria, for example, maintains robust disciplinary processes for licensed agents, and buyers can verify a licence holder’s status and any recorded complaints through the public register. NSW Fair Trading operates a similar public register. These tools are important for buyers doing due diligence before engaging an advocate.

The National Cabinet’s push toward harmonised property licensing, discussed intermittently since 2022, could eventually create more consistent standards nationally. Until that occurs, buyers engaging an advocate interstate should verify local licensing requirements independently.

In practical terms, the variation in regulation across states means the quality floor for buyers advocates is not uniformly high. Professional association membership, client references, and a demonstrated track record remain the most reliable indicators of quality in the absence of a single national standard.

Conclusion

Australia’s buyers advocate industry is estimated to include between 3,000 and 5,000 active practitioners, growing at roughly 6 to 8 per cent annually, with Victoria and New South Wales accounting for the largest concentrations of specialists. The sector’s growth reflects genuine market demand driven by rising prices, competitive auction conditions, and a widening recognition among buyers that professional representation on their side of the transaction is a strategic advantage. For anyone navigating Australia’s property market, understanding the size, structure, and quality variation within the buyers advocate profession is a sound first step toward making an informed decision about engagement.