Services / Owner-Occupiers
Melbourne Buyer's Agent for Home Buyers
Buying a home is a major financial decision, but it is also a personal one. The right property needs to suit your lifestyle, preferred location, budget and future plans.
Allan Buyer's Agents helps home buyers in Melbourne and Victoria find, assess, negotiate and purchase property, with Daniel Allan guiding the process. A buyer's agent — also called a buyer's advocate — represents you, rather than the seller. Support can cover the full search or a specific property you have already found.
Who we help
Our owner-occupier service may suit first-home buyers, families upgrading, buyers downsizing, interstate buyers moving to Victoria, busy professionals, people who have been searching without success or buyers who want support dealing with selling agents and assessing value.
Choose the buying support you need
You do not have to start with a full property search. The scope depends on where you are in the buying process and what you need help with.
- Full search and acquisition: develop your brief, search and shortlist, assess suitable homes, coordinate due diligence and negotiate or bid at auction, with support through to settlement.
- Appraisal and negotiation: if you have found a home, review comparable sales and the asking price, then handle the negotiation on your behalf.
- Property assessment and due diligence: a focused review of a home's suitability, value and risks, with relevant specialist checks coordinated as required.
- Auction bidding: representation using a bidding strategy and price limit agreed with you before the auction.
Our guide to what a buyer's agent does explains these different types of engagement and the questions to ask before choosing representation.
Building the brief
A focused search starts with a clear brief. We take the time to understand your budget, preferred areas, property type, bedroom and bathroom requirements, land and parking needs, school or transport requirements, lifestyle preferences, renovation tolerance and future plans.
We also separate the things you genuinely need from the features that would be nice to have. That helps keep the search realistic and prevents good properties from being overlooked for the wrong reasons.
Finding suitable properties
We review suitable advertised properties and speak with local selling agents about relevant pre-market and off-market opportunities.
Off-market does not automatically mean better. Every property still needs to be assessed on its location, condition, value and suitability for your brief.
Where required, we can inspect properties, shortlist options and give you direct feedback about the strengths, weaknesses and compromises.
Assessing the home
A listing can make almost any home look appealing. Our job is to look past the marketing and assess the property as a purchase.
We may consider the street and immediate position, land size and shape, layout, natural light, property condition, building quality, parking, noise, neighbouring properties, renovation or maintenance requirements, access to transport, schools and amenities, comparable sales, market value, planning controls and future resale appeal.
Balancing emotion and value
It is normal to become emotionally attached to a home. We are not there to remove the personal side of the decision. We are there to make sure the practical and financial side is not forgotten.
We help you consider whether the property really suits your needs, whether the price is supported by comparable sales, whether the compromises are reasonable and whether there are issues that may affect how easy the property is to live in or sell later.
Sometimes a property feels right but does not make sense at the price being asked. We will tell you when we think that is the case.
Due diligence
Before you commit, we help coordinate the checks relevant to the property. Depending on the purchase, this may include contract review by your conveyancer or solicitor, building and pest inspections, strata information, planning and overlay checks, flood and bushfire information, insurance enquiries and a review of comparable sales.
The purpose is to make sure you know what you are buying before the contract becomes unconditional.
Our role is to identify and coordinate relevant checks, not replace your conveyancer, solicitor, building inspector or other qualified advisers. Legal, building, lending and tax advice should come from the appropriate professional.
Read our Victorian property due diligence checklist for the documents, inspections and property-specific questions to consider before buying.
Negotiation
The selling agent is engaged by the vendor. We represent you.
Before negotiating, we consider comparable sales, current market conditions, the likely level of competition, the method of sale, the property's strengths and weaknesses and your agreed purchasing limit.
We then deal with the selling agent on your behalf and work through the negotiation without letting emotion or pressure dictate the decision.
Auction bidding
If the property is going to auction, we can represent you on the day. Before the auction we agree on the bidding limit and strategy. We then bid on your behalf and handle any post-auction negotiation if required.
The agreed purchasing limit is set before the auction and respected throughout the process.
The owner-occupier buying process
- 01
Initial Consultation
We discuss your budget, preferred areas, timeframe and the type of home you are looking for.
- 02
Property Brief
We create a clear list of must-haves, preferences and acceptable compromises.
- 03
Search and Shortlisting
We identify and review suitable properties.
- 04
Inspection and Assessment
Strong options are inspected and assessed for condition, value and suitability.
- 05
Due Diligence
Relevant checks are completed before you decide whether to proceed.
- 06
Negotiation or Auction
We negotiate privately or bid at auction on your behalf.
- 07
Settlement Support
We help coordinate the next steps through to settlement.
Why Allan Buyer's Agents
Daniel Allan has been a property investor since 2011 and has assisted with close to 300 client property purchases throughout his buyer's agent career.
The service is direct, practical and honest. If Daniel believes a property is overpriced, unsuitable or carries risks that should not be ignored, he will tell you.
The goal is not simply to help you buy a property. It is to help you buy the right property for your circumstances.
Questions about buying a home in Melbourne
Choosing representation is a practical decision. It helps to be clear about the scope, costs and what you need to arrange before committing to a purchase.
How much does a buyer's agent cost?
Our fee is $15,000 plus GST. Ask for the scope, payment stages, inclusions and exclusions in writing before engaging, including what happens if you do not buy. Also clarify any separate costs for inspections and professional advice.
Before engaging, ask for the fee structure, payment stages, inclusions and exclusions in writing, including what happens if you do not buy. Also clarify any separate costs for inspections and professional advice.
Can you help if I have already found a home?
Yes. You can discuss appraisal and negotiation, a focused property assessment or auction bidding without starting a full search. Tell Daniel the property address, method of sale, any deadline and where you are up to with finance and contract review.
Do you guarantee an off-market home or a lower purchase price?
No. Suitable advertised, pre-market and off-market properties can all be considered, but availability and the outcome of negotiations are not guaranteed. The focus is on suitability, evidence of value and an agreed purchasing limit — not buying simply because a property is off-market.
Which Melbourne suburbs should I consider?
The search starts with your brief, not a fixed list of suburbs. Your budget, commute, space requirements, access to amenities and willingness to renovate help narrow the options. A suburb that suits another buyer may not suit you. If you are moving to Victoria, explain what you need day to day as well as the type of home you want.
What should I prepare for the first call?
Bring your approximate budget, preferred areas, timeframe and key requirements. If you have spoken with a broker or lender, share where your finance is up to; if you have found a property, include the listing. You can still enquire if your brief is not yet settled — the first conversation helps clarify the support you need.
If you are buying an investment rather than a home to live in, see our investor buying service for the different market and property considerations.
Discuss Your Home Search
Request a call with Daniel about buying a home in Melbourne or Victoria. Share your budget, preferred areas and where you need help — from a full search to a property you have already found.