Buyers advocates typically charge $15,000-$25,000 per transaction, or 1.5-2.5% of purchase price. The question is whether their value — in access, negotiation, and time-saving — exceeds that cost for your specific situation.
What a Buyers Advocate Actually Does
- Searches on-market and off-market listings on your behalf
- Attends inspections, conducts due diligence
- Bids at auction or negotiates private sale on your behalf
- Uses agent relationships to access pre-market and off-market stock
- Provides suburb analysis and investment strategy advice
What DIY Buying Requires
- Monitoring REA, Domain, and off-market portals daily
- Building direct relationships with selling agents in target suburbs
- Learning auction bidding strategy and negotiation tactics
- Conducting your own due diligence (building reports, comparable sales, title searches)
- Managing the emotional pressure of bidding and negotiating directly
The Fee Comparison
| Option | Cost | Off-Market Access | Time Required | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buyers advocate (full service) | $15k-$25k | High (agent relationships) | Low (they do the work) | Time-poor, competitive markets, investors |
| DIY with off-market portal | Free (Collings portal) | Medium (portal listings) | Medium (you do research) | Engaged buyers, investors, self-directed |
| DIY without portal | Free | Low (public listings only) | High | Non-competitive markets |
The Free Alternative Worth Knowing About
The Collings Property Portal gives self-directed buyers access to off-market listings, suburb intelligence, GeeVee AI analysis, and investment tools — for free. It is not a replacement for a buyers advocate in ultra-competitive scenarios, but for most buyers it provides the data and access that previously required paying an agent $20,000.
Access free: collings.com.au/portal
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