The People You'll Meet

Buying property involves a fair few different characters. Let’s meet some of the different people you will bump shoulders with on your way, and how each of them can help you find the place of your dreams.

Remember, any advice provided on this website is of a general nature only and does not take into account your personal needs, objectives and financial circumstances. You should consider whether it is appropriate for your situation.

When you're ready to crack on with the actual buying of the new home, you'll quickly realise that it's a team effort. Here are some people you might get to know as you continue on your journey, and some you mightn’t need to get to know.

Real estate agents

When you start poking around at some places, you'll be meeting your fair share of real estate agents.

They work for the people who are selling their home, not you, so keep that in mind. But their particular set of skills can help you as a buyer, too. They've got eyes on heaps of different properties, including ones that might not be cleaned up for sale yet. They also tend to know the local area inside out, so they'll be able to answer questions you have about your preferred location.

Let them know what you're looking for. When you feel like you're a serious buyer who knows what they want, let them know: they might hook you up with off-market properties before other people have a chance to see them.

Mortgage Brokers

There’s a few reasons why people might feel compelled to speak with a broker when looking for a home loan: they're not familiar with the lingo, want to avoid mistakes, or think they'll get a better range of loan options.

Here's what they don't tell you: brokers rely on the assumption that you need them. The truth is, you don't.

Brokers don't work for just one lender—they might even be owned by or have major shareholders that are lenders themselves. They use an approved panel of lenders to provide a shortlist that suits your needs, but they don't scan the entire market to find the best option for you.

Plus, they get paid commissions by lenders, meaning they're unlikely to shortlist options that don't pay them. And those commissions? They're paid by lenders initially, but often by you over the long run (see our article on what a comparison rate is to learn more).

Loan Officers

Loan officers work for banks and other lenders, aiming to find the best loan for you at the place they work. But why rely on someone else when you can manage everything yourself? That's where Up Home comes in—an easy, transparent home loan you can manage right from your phone. With Up, you don't need a broker. You just need the confidence to do it yourself. And if you ever need a hand, our Home Guides are here to help you every step of the way. Just shoot them a message in-app via Talk to Us.

Accountants and Financial Advisors

When you want to set your loan up, your lender might ask for documentation like tax returns, pay slips, proof of earnings or bank balances, and an accountant can help you sort out this type of thing in advance. This is especially useful if you're self-employed or have an irregular income.

A financial advisor can look at your whole money situation and come up with a strategy about how you can have more of it. That could include buying property, but it covers much more ground than that. If your circumstances are likely to change, or you have extra money to play with after getting an absolute deal on your home, they can help you figure out what to do with it in the long term. And it's great to know that kind of info upfront.

Building Inspectors

Building and pest inspectors are people you hire to check over a property before you sign a contract to buy it. They go under the house, inside the roof and all kinds of other claustrophobic spaces with spiders in them.

They're looking for anything that might make your new place a nightmare - structural issues, safety hazards, termites and so on. It's important to get this done properly. Inspectors know exactly what they're looking for and can access parts of the house others can’t.

It can be frustrating to pay for an inspection on a property you might not buy, but it'd be a lot more frustrating if you bought a home that was also the home to a termite colony.

In some states, the seller has to pay for an inspection and make it available to anyone who wants to read it. In others, you have to pay for your own. You can sometimes save a few $$ by chatting to the real estate agent: they might be willing to hook you up with another potential buyer so you can go halves with them.

Conveyancers and solicitors

Want to make an offer? You'll need to chat with a conveyancer or solicitor: you literally can't buy a property without one. Once you find the place you want to buy, and win an auction or have an offer accepted, you'll need someone to check the contract and legally make it yours.

Many legal property transfers can be done (conveyed) by a conveyancer. Unlike a solicitor, they're not a lawyer, but have special qualities and a particular set of skills. If your contract is more complex - for example, multiple titles, overlays, conditions - you might need a solicitor instead.

Whoever you choose, they'll also help out by reading your contract of sale and making sure it's all above board before you sign, which is especially important if you've never seen one before. They literally do this all day, and they'll be able to call you up and talk through anything that looks shifty.

Buyer's Agents

A buyer's agent is someone you can employ if you so choose to find the perfect property based on your criteria. Unlike the real estate agent, they work for you. Because you pay them, they have a vested interest in finding the right home, not just any home.

Buyer's agents have existing relationships with real estate agents, so they might be able to find properties you can't find on your own. For example, they can often get wind of off-market properties before anyone else does, and the agents tend to pay attention to them when they call. But they can also go see places for you, bid at auction, negotiate a deal or educate you on elements of the buying process.

Agents sound fancy and certainly do add to your costs, but they work with all kinds of property hunters, including first-time owners, and can be a great investment for finding the perfect home.