I work rotating shifts. When do we actually talk?

Evenings, mostly. The booking calendar runs later slots specifically so you're not using a break to have this conversation. Pick whatever suits - if nothing fits your roster, message me and we'll find a time that does.

$15,000 plus GST, in two parts: a $4,000 + GST retainer to begin the search, and an $11,000 + GST success fee payable when your purchase is secured. It's a fixed fee, not a percentage of the purchase price - so there is no incentive for me to push you into a more expensive property. You know the full cost before we start.

Do I need finance approved before we start?

Not approved, but you do need a clear picture - and for healthcare income that conversation is worth having properly. Before the strategy call, speak to a broker who understands salary packaging, penalty rates and shift allowances. If you don't have one, I'll introduce you at no cost and no obligation. This single step is the difference between a search that ends in a settlement and one that stalls after the contract.

Do I have to attend inspections?

No. I inspect on your behalf and send video walkthroughs with a written assessment, so you can make the call from home after a shift rather than spending a rostered day off driving to opens. If you want to see a property before contract, we'll arrange it around your roster.

How long until I've bought something?

Most engagements run from strategy call to signed contract in weeks rather than months, but it depends on your brief and on stock. A tightly defined search in an active market moves fast; a narrow brief in a thin market takes longer. I'd rather wait for the right asset than fill a deadline with the wrong one.

I'm on a public health salary. Is $15,000 worth it?

That's the right question to ask. Overpaying by 3% on a $700,000 purchase is $21,000 - more than the fee, on one transaction. Buying in the wrong location costs considerably more over a decade. If after the strategy call you'd rather run the search yourself, the buying brief is yours to keep and I'll tell you honestly whether you need me.

Am I dealing with you, or with staff?

Me. Haus Haven is deliberately small - I take on a limited number of clients at a time so every search, inspection and negotiation is run by the person who built the framework. When that capacity is full, I say so rather than stretching thin.

Is a buyers agent worth it for healthcare workers?

3 Oct

Written By Luke Murphy

Short answer: For most shift workers, yes, because the hardest part of buying an investment property is time. Open homes, agent calls, due diligence and negotiation all happen during business hours and weekends, which is exactly when you're rostered on or recovering from nights.

What a buyers agent actually does

Works out what the property needs to do for you, and your budget
Picks the suburb on data like supply, days on market, vacancy and rent
Finds properties, including ones that never hit the open market
Inspects in person and runs the checks
Negotiates the price and terms, then manages the process to settlement

Why it suits healthcare workers

I was a sonographer. I know you can't duck out for a Saturday open home or read a contract on your break. Most of my clients never inspect a property themselves. They get the findings, and they make the final call.

When it's not worth it

If you've got plenty of time, know the market well, and are buying in your own suburb, you may not need one. A buyers agent is also not worth it if they get paid by developers. Ask every buyers agent whether they take commissions from sellers or developers.

Questions people ask

Do I have to live near the property?
No. I search Australia wide and go where the numbers stack up.

Do I still make the decision?
Yes. You approve every offer.

When should I talk to one?
Before you've picked a suburb, so the choice is made on data.

Luke Murphy is a buyers agent for healthcare workers, working Australia wide. General information only, not financial advice.

Luke Murphy

Is a buyers agent worth it for healthcare workers?

What a buyers agent actually does

Why it suits healthcare workers

When it's not worth it

Questions people ask

How much does a buyers agent cost in Australia?

Should a healthcare worker buy for cash flow or growth?