Before you hire a buyers agent, check their licence on your state’s public register, then ask five things in writing: who else pays you, how is your fee built, who actually inspects and negotiates, what have you bought in my target area recently, and how do I get out of the agreement. The answers to those decide more than any sales pitch.
Print this page and take it into the call. It works on any agent, including our buyers agent service, and for each question it gives you what a good answer sounds like and what should end the conversation.
Step one: check the licence yourself
Do this before the first call. It takes five minutes and it is free.
In NSW, acting as agent in a property purchase for reward is a licensed real estate function under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (section 3A), and Queensland’s Property Occupations Act 2014 (section 26) expressly authorises a real estate agent licence holder to buy property as an agent for others. The other states regulate agents under their own Acts. The register is the quickest way to confirm the person or business you are talking to is covered.
| State | Regulator | Where to search |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Fair Trading | Verify NSW licence check (verify.licence.nsw.gov.au) |
| Victoria | Consumer Affairs Victoria | Estate agents public register |
| Queensland | Office of Fair Trading | Check a property licence (qld.gov.au) |
| Western Australia | Consumer Protection (WA) | Consumer Protection licence and registration search |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services | Find a licence holder (cbs.sa.gov.au) |
Search by the agent’s name, the business name and the ABN. Write down four things: who holds the licence (the person, the company or both), the licence number, its status and expiry, and any conditions or disciplinary history the register shows. If the agent is buying for you in a state where neither they nor their business appears, ask who holds the licence for that purchase. A clear answer is fine. A vague one is not.
The money questions
“Other than my fee, does your business receive any payment, commission, rebate or benefit from any seller, developer, project marketer or referral partner in connection with my purchase?”
Ask it in exactly those words, and ask for the answer in writing. An agent paid by the other side may still work hard for you, but they are not structurally only your agent, and the property they steer you towards is more likely to be the one that pays them. In NSW, the rules of conduct for all agents say an agent must not act where doing so puts their interests in conflict with a client’s (Schedule 1, rule 11 of the Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2022), and an agent who refers you to a service provider must disclose any rebate or benefit they receive for it (rule 12).
| Good answer | Walk away if |
|---|---|
| “No.” In writing, without hesitation. | They sell house-and-land packages, list property for sale, or describe developer payments as “industry standard” |
“Is your fee fixed or a percentage, and what is the split between the upfront fee and the success fee?”
A percentage fee rises with the price you pay; a fixed fee does not. Both are legitimate. Know which one you are signing.
“What happens if I find the property myself, or we don’t buy?”
Some agreements charge the success fee even when you find the property. Ask how much of the upfront fee is refundable and how long the agreement runs.
| Good answer | Walk away if |
|---|---|
| A written list of what the fee covers and what it does not (building and pest, strata searches, conveyancing are usually extra, per property investigated) | “We’ll sort that out later” |
More detail on structures: what a Sydney buyers agent costs and what you get and our Perth fee guide.
The work questions
“What have you bought in my target area in the last 12 months, and can you show me?” Ask for the suburb, the property type and the month. An agent who has not bought where you want to buy is learning on your money.
“Who inspects the property, and who negotiates?” The person you meet on the call, a junior, or a local contractor? Any of these can work. You should know which.
“How do you decide what a property is worth?” You want comparable sales for similar properties, adjusted for the differences, not the asking price and not gut feel.
“How do you measure your results?” If an agent tells you how far under market they buy, ask how that is measured. Any figure an agent gives you should come with its basis: how many purchases, valued how, by whom, over what period. A good agent will explain how they measure their results.
“How do you choose suburbs?” The answer should start with your budget and your strategy, not a hotspot. Here is how we build a suburb shortlist.
The exit questions
How long is the agreement? Can you end it early, and what does that cost? Is it exclusive, so you cannot use another agent or buy on your own during the term? Get every answer from the agreement itself, not the conversation.
Red flags that end the interview
- Guaranteed returns, guaranteed growth, or a promise that every purchase will come in under market value. Nobody controls the market.
- Pressure to sign on the first call.
- Every property they suggest is in one estate or from one developer.
- No licence on the register, or a licence held by someone you have not been told about.
- Generic suburb talk with no recent sales they can point to.
- They will not put the conflict answer in writing.
And the questions for the selling agent
Once you are looking at a property, you will deal with the agent selling it, who works for the seller. Useful questions: Can I see the contract now? Has the price guide changed during the campaign? Are there offers, and is there a deadline? Are there any building or strata reports already done? In NSW, a selling agent’s estimate of the likely selling price must remain reasonable and be revised in writing if it stops being so (Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, section 72A). For the full picture, see how a buyers agent differs from a selling agent.
How House Finder answers these
We would rather you ask us all of them.
- Commissions: we take no commissions from sellers or selling agents. We act for buyers only, and only for investors.
- Fees: fixed upfront, and set by the service you need (a full-service package or negotiation-only support) and where you are buying. Ask us for the figure in writing.
- Who inspects: our strategists inspect on the ground and send 100+ photos and videos of each property, focusing on defects, before the building and pest inspection.
- Where we buy: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
- Results: we often get properties for up to 20% less than market value because of the trusted relationships we have built with selling agents over time.
- Track record: more than 4,000 properties and more than 2,000 clients, with a 5.0 rating across 400+ Google reviews. Past purchases do not predict future ones, and property values can fall.
Book a strategy call and bring this list.
About the author. Simon Loo is the founder of House Finder and was named Buyers Agent of the Year, Residential Investment, at the Australian Buyers Agent Awards 2026. General information only; not financial, credit, legal or tax advice.
FAQ
What questions should I ask a buyers agent before hiring them?
Ask who else pays them in connection with your purchase, whether the fee is fixed or a percentage, what happens if you find the property yourself or do not buy, what they have bought in your target area in the last 12 months, who inspects and negotiates, and how you can end the agreement. Check their licence on your state’s public register first.
How do I check a buyers agent’s licence?
Search the agent’s name, business name or ABN on the state register: Verify NSW (NSW Fair Trading), the estate agents public register (Consumer Affairs Victoria), Check a property licence (Queensland Office of Fair Trading), the Consumer Protection licence search (WA), or Find a licence holder (Consumer and Business Services, SA).
How do I know if a buyers agent has a conflict of interest?
Ask in writing whether their business receives any payment, commission, rebate or benefit from any seller, developer, project marketer or referral partner connected to your purchase. An agent who also lists property for sale or markets house-and-land packages is being paid by the other side of the market.
Should a buyers agent charge a fixed fee or a percentage?
Both are common and legitimate. A fixed fee stays the same whatever you pay; a percentage fee rises with the purchase price. Compare the structure, what is included, the refundable portion and the exit terms, not just the headline number.
What are the red flags when choosing a buyers agent?
Guaranteed returns or discounts, pressure to sign quickly, properties that all come from one developer, no licence on the state register, no recent purchases in your target area, and a refusal to answer the conflict-of-interest question in writing.
Can a buyers agent guarantee a price below market value?
No. Prices are set by the market and the seller. Ask any agent who quotes results for the basis behind them: how many purchases, how they were valued, by whom and over what period.
