If you’re selling a property, it’s pretty easy to figure out if you want to use a real estate agent or not: Either you’re going to hire someone to show your property to prospective buyers, or you’re going to do it yourself.

If you’re buying, however, things aren’t so simple. That’s partly due to a change in the real estate industry in the past couple of decades, as more and more homebuyers use buyer’s agents.

What Is A Buyer’s Agent?

He or she is an agent who works for you – as opposed to when you walk into an open house, where the agent showing the property (often referred to the listing agent) works for the seller. Part of the idea is that buying is a negotiation, and since the seller has someone in her corner, you want someone in your corner, too.

You can go even further than hiring an Licenced Buyer’s Agent, and hire a dedicated buyer’s agent, who is an agent who doesn’t list any property for sale, ever. Those agents, the reasoning goes, get really good at helping buyers because they do it full-time. As Harry Charalambous from Plan Assist puts it, “they wont be pushing you to buy one of their listings.”

The Argument Against: Cut The Middle Man

The argument against buyers’ agents is that, if the seller’s agent can talk to you directly, the deal will go more smoothly because there’s one fewer cook in the kitchen, so to speak. Also, if you’re very close to the seller’s bottom line price, maybe you can get the listing agent to cut her commission a little, since she won’t have to share it with anyone.

The Argument For: All Parties Should Be Educated

I represent both buyers and sellers, and I’m pretty pro-buyer agency overall. I like educating buyers, especially first-timers, as part of my job, and in general, I think it’s helpful for every party in the deal to have their own expert. If you’re the do-it-yourself type, I don’t want to talk you out of really studying the market closely and learning it for yourself. But for those who don’t know the ins and outs of the market and want to make sure they’re doing everything correctly, I think that a buyer’s agent can be a great resource.

A Word Of Caution

Buying property is an important purchase, so if you’re trying to figure out pricing, hire a buyer’s agent, or study it closely yourself—but don’t pin all your hopes on your cousin Laura who spends most of her time doing law, not real estate.

(By Alison Rogers   18/5/11 www.learnvest.com)

Ever had trouble negotiating an option with a property owner?

Harry Charalambous, Buyers Agent and Property Expert, explains how to sweeten a Property Option Agreement to meet the vendor’s needs.

Most days, Harry negotiates and assists property investors in acquiring property using property options.

If you have found an investment or development site that works for you, yet you don’t know how to negotiate an option, call the team at Plan Assist on 02 9449 2333 and have Harry and the team help you secure favourable terms with ease.

2010 is fast approaching, and we have already helped a number of investors map out their plan for next year.

If you are looking to plan your property wealth for the next 20 years, it’s important to work what you want to achieve rather than impulse buy. Remember, property is a long term strategy requiring long term plans, and for a lot of us, it’s the basis of our family’s wealth.

So where do you start?

Here are 5 quick steps to get you started in planning your property investment for 2010:

1. Start with a clear and definite objective – When, why, who for, what do you want to achieve?

2. Have a sound property & financial strategy – What type of property, what price, which lender, how much cash do I need?

3. Take Action – Once you know your market, start shopping for wholesale prices. Find properties that are not on the market and work out how you can buy low, and sell high. Start researching sales prices, or get some help like a Buyer’s Agent.

4. Follow Through with the plan – Look at 100 properties. Your favourite may be No.7, or it may be No. 85. The more you compare, the more you get the feel for what is right for you.

5. Create a supporting environment around you – Build your team of advisors and likeminded supporters. Talk to people in the know, research the areas and use reputable property research companies to gather the information.

Sound like a lot of work? Buying at wholesale prices takes effort, yet there are shortcuts and ways to save you time and eliminate stress.

Plan Assist regularly helps investors with all areas of property purchasing, from planning to completion. It’s our job to coach you through and keep you on track. Call our Acquisition Team today on 02 9449 2333 for a no obligation chat about planning for 2010.

At Plan Assist, we do more than just Home Loans, we make property investors!

Plan Assist help families just like yours find their dream home or obtain their next property investment, even if they have no experience in searching or finding that great bargain.

Our acquisition team, mortgage advisory team and project management team are ready to act on the favourable buyer’s market conditions right now in Sydney.

To find out more about securing your next property purchase, visit our website or call 02 9449 2333 to talk to one of our property specialists.