You found the property. You did the hard work — the weekend open homes, the online research, the suburb comparisons. Now you are standing at the most critical moment in the entire process: making an offer and negotiating the right price. And you are wondering: do I need a buyers agent, or is there a better option?
The answer for most people is: you do not need a full buyers agent. You need a property advisor.
The Problem With Paying for a Full Buyers Advocacy Service
Buyers advocates charge between $15,000 and $25,000 (or 1.5–2.5% of the purchase price) for a full-service engagement that includes searching for, shortlisting and securing a property on your behalf. If you have already found the property yourself, you are paying for a service you do not need.
What you actually need at this stage is:
- An independent assessment of whether the property is fairly priced
- Comparable sales analysis to establish your target price and walk-away point
- A negotiation strategy that gives you the best chance of buying at the right price
- Professional offer preparation and agent negotiation on your behalf
- Contract review and guidance before you sign
That is exactly what Collings Property Advisory provides — for a flat fee of $4,500 + GST.
What Happens If You Try to Do This Yourself?
Most buyers who negotiate without professional support make one or more of these common mistakes:
- Showing their hand too early — revealing their maximum budget to the selling agent
- Anchoring on the advertised price range — which agents often set deliberately below true market value to generate competition
- Making an emotional offer — paying a premium because they love the property, not because the numbers justify it
- Missing due diligence steps — skipping building inspections, title searches or easement checks in the rush to secure the property
- Settling for the agent’s terms — on deposit, settlement period and conditions — without pushing for terms that suit your situation
How Does Collings Property Advisory Help?
When you engage Collings for buyer advisory, here is what we do:
- Property Assessment — we inspect the property and identify any issues that affect value
- Comparable Sales Analysis — we pull recent comparable sales to establish a true market value range
- Investment Analysis — for investors, we model rental yield, cashflow and capital growth potential
- Negotiation Strategy — we develop a strategy that maximises your chances of buying at or below market value
- Offer Preparation — we prepare your offer with the right conditions, price, deposit and settlement terms
- Agent Negotiations — we negotiate with the selling agent on your behalf
- Contract Support — we guide you through the contract of sale and explain every clause
- Auction Strategy — if the property goes to auction, we prepare your bidding strategy and can represent you at auction
Property Advisor vs Buyers Agent — What Is the Difference?
| Service | When to Use It | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Collings Property Advisory | You found the property yourself and need negotiation support | $4,500 + GST (fixed) |
| Buyers Advocate (full service) | You want someone to search for and secure a property on your behalf | $15,000–$25,000+ |
| DIY | You are confident negotiating against professional selling agents | $0 but high risk |
FAQs
I found a property myself — do I need a buyers agent?
No. If you have found the property, you do not need a full buyers advocacy service. You need a property advisor who can help you negotiate, assess value and guide you through the purchase process. Collings Property Advisory does exactly that for $4,500 + GST.
Can a property advisor negotiate on my behalf?
Yes. Collings Property Advisory negotiates directly with the selling agent on your behalf. We do not simply advise you on what to offer — we are active participants in the negotiation.
What if the property goes to auction?
Our advisory service includes auction strategy preparation. We will advise on your maximum bid, bidding tactics and how to position yourself as a serious buyer before auction day. We can also attend and bid on your behalf.
How quickly can Collings help me?
We can typically engage within 24–48 hours of your initial enquiry. The full advisory process — from initial consultation to exchange — typically takes 3–7 days depending on the negotiation timeline.
Why Collings?
Collings is not a traditional real estate agency. We are a property intelligence platform — built around GeeVee, the off-market portal and now Property Advisory. We have deep knowledge of Melbourne’s property markets and access to real-time comparable sales data, off-market transaction history and investment analysis tools that individual buyers cannot easily replicate on their own.
Our fixed fee means our interests are aligned with yours. We are not paid more if you pay more. We have one job: to help you buy at the right price with the right conditions.
Get Started
Found a property you want to buy? Contact Collings Property Advisory today for a fixed-fee advisory consultation.
$4,500 + GST Fixed Fee
Phone: 03 9486 0000 | Email: advisory@collings.com.au | collings.com.au/property-advisory
Find your next property with Collings
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