House Hunt: How To Locate Your Next Home - March 2023

By Rich Harvey, CEO & Founder, propertybuyer.com.au

Moving into your ideal home is hugely satisfying. There’s something special about the first time you open the door and step inside to enjoy this space you can now call your own.

But this won’t happen if you can’t find the right property in the first place.

As buyers’ advocates, we are constantly on the hunt for excellent listings, so we know a thing or two about unearthing all the possible purchasing options in the market – both the obvious and the hidden.

Here are the sources we professionals utilise when searching for a client’s next home.

Listing portals

The most obvious starting place is listings portals, with realestate.com.au and domain.com.au being the most frequently used across various states and territories.

Any agent worth their salt who is undergoing a full-scale marketing programme will have their seller’s property listed on either of the big two portals.

That said, there are myriad secondary portals out there too such as Loop, Allhomes and Realestateview.

While they are all fairly user friendly, the secret to getting the most out of a portal is being specific with your search criteria. If your search is too wide, you’ll be inundated with listings and sifting through them will be time-consuming and exhausting.

Also – learn how to effectively use saved searches and alert functions on the sites. That way you can be in constant “search” mode.

Selling agents and owners

This is the buyers’ advocate’s number one source for great deals.

Our extensive agent network has been built overdecades. The relationships we have with selling agents ensure we’re the first to hear about a listing, especially off-market opportunities.

Agents love dealing with us because the relationship is symbiotic. Selling agents know our clients are mostly pre-qualified for finance, have a grasp of what they want and don’t want in a home and are ready to act. There will be no time wasting when they deal with a buyers’ advocate.

In return, we get to hear about upcoming listings before any other buyers.

I also recommend following agents in your area of interest on their social streams and office web pages. They will often announce upcoming listings on their socials or through the office website before they hit the portals.

We also receive calls directly from owners who are looking to sell, but don’t want to use a real estate agency. They want to avoid the hassle and cost of listing with an agent (and expensive avoid marketing fees) and, instead, send us an email to see if we have a suitable buyer. Having a high profile and trusted name in the marketplace helps us immensely when it comes to sourcing properties in this way.

Word of mouth

Buyers’ advocate networks extend well beyond selling agents too.

We utilise a range of affiliated professionals in our day-to-day operations, be they conveyancers or solicitors through to town planners, finance brokers, property managers and body corporate managers.

All the professionals we deal with can come across properties that are potential listings. Several times a month we receive calls from other specialists with a heads up about an owner who’s thinking of selling.

If the home could suit one of our clients, we’ll reach out to that owner and start discussions that could lead to a contract.

Past clients

Nothing is more pleasing than having past clients make contact when they choose to sell. It’s a real endorsement of our integrity and professionalism.

Sellers who know and trust us will let us know when they’re thinking of selling. Many reach out when they’re ready to upgrade. While looking for their next home, we may know of a buyer who would suit their current abode too if they want to offload it.

Of course, we’re always careful to ensure any selling party receives independent advice before proceeding with a deal.

Community networks

There are plenty of opportunities to learn about listings when you’re engaged with the community. It is very much a grassroots source of potential deals.

Any occasion where you’re interacting with the community can lead to hearing about a possible purchase. School fetes, sporting events or even chats with local retailers. It’s amazing what can be unearthed during a seemingly casual discussion.

Direct contact

Whilst its rarely successful, making direct contact with a property owner and asking whether they’d consider selling is an option.

In this instance we may have a buyer who knows exactly what they’re looking for in terms of location and property type. Their criteria may limit the search to just a handful homes in a particular street or suburb, for example. Once we’ve identified these properties, it’s possible to make initiate contact with the owner and ask whether they’d sell. It doesn’t often work but when it does come together, the deal can be outstanding.

We also occasionally reach out to a broader area via a letterbox drop or other direct campaign. Again, not always the best return on effort, but still an option if the scope of work allows it.

There are multiple ways to source properties and build rapport with sellers to unearth and secure the best deals. Of course, they all take time, effort and experience.

If you’d like to hear about listings that will meet your needs and may not be on the open market, then talk to our team at Propertybuyer. We have the inside running and can save you time, stress and money in the real estate hunt.

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