How to make house-hunting easier

While some people love house-hunting, others see it as exhausting and overwhelming. If you’d rather have your wisdom teeth removed than visit another open home, don’t worry - there are other options out there for you!

One option is to seek a buyer’s agent, often also known as a buyer advocate, to handle everything. Another option is to use an off-market platform to find your dream home. Not sure what either of those terms mean? Or how they differ? Then read on!

What’s a buyer’s agent?

A buyer’s agent is a real estate professional who offers assistance with the house-hunting and buying process. Their key focus is on the home buyer, not the seller.

Buyer’s agents usually offer two types of services:

• Full service - The agent will research properties based on your criteria, then negotiate the home purchase on your behalf. This could be via a private sale or auction. They can look for a specific property or a whole portfolio - it just depends on your requirements.

• Bidding assistance - Agents can be utilised to bid on your behalf at property auctions. You might be physically unable to be there (i.e. currently living interstate or overseas) or don’t have the bidding confidence!

What fees are involved?

If you’re seeking the full service, there might be an engagement fee before the agent begins the property search. You can also expect to pay either a flat fee or a percentage of the property purchase price.

If you’re just using a buyer’s agent to bid at an action, there’s usually a lower fee.

What are the benefits?

You can save a lot of time in the house-hunting process. Buyer’s agents are very knowledgeable when it comes to buying property. They can leverage their network to connect you with great opportunities - and know what questions to ask and where to get the information they need. So they can help you make the right decision when it comes to the buying stage!

What’s an off-market platform?

To begin with, you need to know what off-market property is. In real estate, ‘off the market’ refers to housing not yet listed across mainstream real estate platforms. In most instances, finding these gems involves building strong relationships with real estate agents servicing the relevant area.

But then there’s the off-market platform, Listing Loop, which makes the whole process much easier.

Listing Loop offers a first in the Australian real estate industry by offering a unique approach to addressing off-market real estate transactions. We help buyers become “the first to know” about off-market properties that match their purchase criteria. Put simply, Listing Loop is like a matchmaking site for real estate.

What are the benefits?

Listing Loop helps you to avoid the competition. The house-hunting experience is a lot more personalised because you can arrange private viewings, rather than push your way through Open Home crowds. The process is also a lot smoother as houses matching your criteria are emailed to you directly - so you can sort through them in your own time.

What fees are involved?

It’s completely free to sign up. Just choose an Agent Assist to help you with the process and away you go!

So, what’s the difference between an off-market platform and a buyer’s agent?

Ultimately, they both have the same purpose - to make house-hunting a lot more bearable.

With Listing Loop, you can sign up for free and get started immediately by accessing all the off-market properties that match your criteria. Your free Listing Loop Agent Assist is there to support you as much or as little as you like.

We're here to help

Ready to find the perfect home - without the stress? We're always happy to help with all the dramas and stressors of house buying and selling.

And if you're particularly tired of house-hunting, we've even partnered with buyer advocates who can check out homes for you and organise sales assessments and negotiations.

Our off-market and pre-market marketplace gives you VIP access to properties so you can get in first.

Just sign up at Listing Loop or download our app.