Here's an uncomfortable truth about the buyer's agent industry in Australia.
Anyone can call themselves one. The barrier to entry is low, the marketing all sounds the same, and every single one of them will tell you they're the best in the business.
Some are genuinely brilliant. Some will cost you tens of thousands of dollars in bad advice. And from the outside, they look identical.
So how do you tell them apart?
Red flag 1: They cover everywhere
If an agent says they buy in Brisbane, Perth, regional NSW and Tasmania, be careful. Nobody knows six markets at street level.
A good buyer's agent knows their patch cold. Recent sales, which streets flood, which buildings have strata problems. A generalist is guessing.
Red flag 2: They dodge the fee conversation
Ask what they charge in the first conversation. If the answer is vague, or they want to "get to know your situation first", that's a sales tactic, not a service.
Good agents are upfront. Whatever the fee structure, fixed fee or percentage based, you should get clear inclusions and no surprises. See our breakdown of what a buyer's agent should actually cost for realistic numbers.
Red flag 3: They can't name recent purchases
Ask them, what have you bought in this area in the last three months? A specialist answers instantly. A pretender changes the subject.
Red flag 4: Everything is urgent
If every property they show you "won't last the weekend", they're using selling agent tactics on you. The whole point of a buyer's agent is having someone who tells you to slow down and walk away when the deal isn't right.
Red flag 5: They're paid by anyone other than you
Some operators take kickbacks from developers or selling agents. That's not a buyer's agent, that's a salesperson wearing a different badge. Your agent should be paid by you and only you.
The honest problem
Here's the thing. Even knowing all this, checking it yourself takes hours of calls and you still can't fully verify what they tell you.
That's the exact problem Converta exists for. We're on the buyer's side, not the agent's. We vet buyer's agents, then match you with one who actually specialises in your budget, your suburbs, and what you're buying.
It's free, there's no obligation, and your matched agent calls you within 24 hours. If they're not right, you owe nothing and walk away.
Better than picking a name off Google and hoping.