Before you sign with any buyer’s agent in Melbourne, there are seven questions worth asking, and a few answers that should make you walk away. A good agent will answer all of them plainly. Hesitation, vagueness or pressure on any of them is the real red flag. Here is the checklist we would use ourselves.
1. Are you fully licensed, and how long have you worked in Melbourne real estate?
You want a full estate agent licence, not a representative certificate, and genuine local experience. Melbourne is a suburb-by-suburb market, and someone who has recently pivoted from an unrelated career does not have the relationships or the reference points yet. Ask how long, and in which pockets of the city.
2. Do you ever act for sellers too?
The answer you want is no. A true buyer’s agent works only for buyers, with no listings and no split loyalties. Anyone taking money from both sides of a deal has a conflict you do not want in your corner.
3. How are you paid, and do you take any commissions or referral fees?
Fees should be transparent and paid by you alone. Be wary of any agent who accepts kickbacks from developers, mortgage brokers or selling agents, because that quietly steers their advice. Ask them to confirm in writing that they take no payment from anyone but you.
4. What is your access to off-market properties?
Ask for specifics, not a slogan. What share of their purchases came from off-market or pre-market listings last year? A real number, backed by recent examples, tells you whether the agent genuinely has the agent network they claim.
5. Can you show me recent, comparable purchases?
Testimonials are easy. Ask for recent buys in your price range and area, and what they paid versus the guide or the value. Evidence beats a five-star wall every time.
6. Who actually does the work, me or an assistant?
In some firms the person who sells you the service is not the person who inspects, assesses and negotiates. Confirm who will be on the ground for your purchase, and how many other buyers they are handling at once.
7. What happens if I am not happy?
Ask about the agreement length, exclusivity, and how you exit if it is not working. A confident agent has clear, fair terms. Long lock-ins with no way out are a warning sign.
The red flags, in short
No licence or a very thin track record. Taking commissions from both sides or from third parties. Vague, sloganeering answers about off-market access. Pressure to sign quickly. And guarantees that sound too good to be true, because no honest agent can promise a specific saving before they have seen the property.
Once you know what to ask, the next step is weighing up the answers. Our guide on how to choose the right buyer’s agent in Melbourne walks through that, and you can always talk to our team to see how we would answer these ourselves.
Buyer’s agent questions FAQs
What questions should I ask a buyers agent before hiring?
Ask whether they are fully licensed and how long they have worked locally, whether they ever act for sellers, how they are paid and whether they take any commissions, their real off-market access, for recent comparable purchases, who does the actual work, and how you exit if unhappy.
What are the red flags with a buyers agent?
Thin experience or no full licence, taking commissions from both sides or from third parties, vague answers about off-market access, pressure to sign quickly, and guaranteed savings promised before seeing the property.
Should a buyers agent ever take a commission from a developer or broker?
No. A genuine buyer’s agent is paid only by you. Payments from developers, brokers or selling agents create a conflict of interest that can steer their advice away from your best result.
How do I check a buyers agent’s track record?
Ask for recent purchases in your price range and area, including what they paid against the price guide or valuation, and check their professional memberships such as REIV, REBAA and PIPA. Real examples matter more than testimonials.
