19 September 2026

How to Choose a Buyers Agent in Melbourne: A Complete Guide

Melbourne's property market moves fast, and a good buyers agent can save you from an expensive mistake. But "buyers agent" isn't a single, standardised service - the fee structure, scope of work and level of independence vary a lot from one agent to the next. Here's what to actually check before you engage one.

What a buyers agent does

A buyers agent (sometimes called a buyer's advocate) is a licensed professional engaged by the buyer, not the seller. Their job is to research the market, identify properties that fit your brief, carry out due diligence and negotiate or bid on your behalf. This is the reverse of a selling agent, who is legally obligated to get the best outcome for the vendor - not you.

Because the incentives are different, the two roles shouldn't be confused. A selling agent showing you through an open home is doing their job well when they get you to pay more. A buyers agent is doing their job well when they help you pay the right price, or walk away from the wrong property altogether.

Full service vs negotiation-only

Most buyers agents offer some version of two engagement types. A full-service engagement covers the whole process: defining the brief, searching and shortlisting, inspections, due diligence, and negotiation or auction bidding through to settlement. A negotiation-only (or auction-only) engagement is narrower - you've already found the property, and the agent steps in just to negotiate or bid. It costs less, but you lose the research and due diligence work that often protects you from the bigger risk: buying the wrong property in the first place.

Questions worth asking before you sign

• Are you licensed, and in which states? Licensing requirements differ across Australia.
• How is your fee structured - a fixed engagement fee, a percentage of the purchase price, or a mix of both?
• Do you take any commission, referral fee or kickback from selling agents, developers or lenders? Independence only holds if the answer is a clear no.
• What does the engagement actually include - is due diligence (building and pest, contract review, comparable sales) part of the fee, or billed separately?
• How do you source off-market properties, and can you show examples of past purchases in the area you're searching?
• Will the same person work with me throughout, or does the file get handed between team members?

Red flags

Be cautious of anyone who won't put their fee structure in writing before you engage them, who is vague about whether they accept referral fees from agents or developers, or who pushes you toward a decision on a tight timeline. A buyers agent working only for you should be comfortable giving you an honest answer even when it's not the answer that gets them paid - including telling you a property, or a whole market, isn't right for you.

How Acquira Property works

We're a flat-fee buyers agent based in Melbourne's south-east, and we set out our fee structure upfront before any work begins - no commissions or referral kickbacks from vendors, developers or agents. If you want the detail on how we work in Melbourne specifically, see our Melbourne buyers agent page, or book a free, no-obligation call and we'll walk you through it.

This article is general information only and doesn't take into account your personal circumstances. It isn't financial, taxation or legal advice - speak with a qualified professional before making a property decision.