Introduction
Buying a home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches or North Shore has never been more complex – and that’s led to a boom in professionals calling themselves your trusted Buyers Agents on the Northern Beaches or Upper and Lower North Shore, promising to guide you through the maze. But can you really trust that person who claims to be your property advocate? This blog digs into the rapid rise of the buyers agent industry, the worrying lack of regulation around it, and how you can tell who’s truly independent and qualified to help you.
The Rapid Rise of the Buyers Agent Industry
Buyers agents (also called buyers advocates) represent the purchaser in real estate transactions – the opposite of the selling agent. Once a niche service, they’re becoming mainstream as property gets more competitive. In the U.S., using a buyers agent is standard (around 50% of buyers use one), whereas in Australia it’s still relatively new. Only about 3% of Australian buyers currently engage a buyers agent, but this share is growing fast. In fact, a recent survey found over 30% of buyers are considering using a buyers agent, signalling surging demand.
Many are turning to Buyers Agents on the Northern Beaches or Upper and Lower North Shore Buyers Agents to access off-market listings, gain local insights, and negotiate effectively.
Why the growth? In a tight market, many properties sell before they even hit the real estate portals. Busy professionals and frustrated house-hunters seek any edge – insider access to off-market listings, local market intel, and sharp negotiation skills. Buyers agents market themselves as the solution to bidding wars and burnout, often claiming they can save you time, stress, and money. As one Northern Beaches Buyers Agents testimonial boasts, clients “save more money than their cost by a significant margin” when using the service. It’s an appealing pitch: pay a fee but potentially save tens of thousands on the purchase price.
However, with rapid growth comes growing pains. The boom has attracted a flood of new operators into the field—some well-qualified, some alarmingly not. Low barriers to entry and high potential payoffs (buyers agents often charge 1-2% of a property price or flat fees in the tens of thousands) mean almost anyone with a real estate licence can set up shop as a buyers agent. The result? A mix of seasoned experts and newcomers with slick marketing but thin experience.
Lack of Regulation
Unlike selling agents (with years of industry practice and oversight), the buyers agency side has flown under the regulatory radar until recently. Industry bodies are sounding the alarm: The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) warns of a “rapid growth” in underqualified, inexperienced buyers agents entering the market. REBAA pointed to “a lack of regulatory oversight and the prevalence of inexperienced operators” who may have a licence on paper but “know very little about buying property.” In other words, just because someone calls themselves a buyers agent doesn’t guarantee they’re competent or ethical.
Part of the problem is inconsistent licensing across states. NSW requires buyers agents to hold a real estate agent’s licence (or be supervised under someone who does), but there have been loopholes. Some operators get a basic Certificate of Registration in one state and use “mutual recognition” to hop to NSW without deep local knowledge. Others have even been caught “renting” a license – effectively paying a licensed person to act as the official licensee for their business while they operate unsupervised. These practices exploit regulatory grey areas and undermine standards.
Moreover, enforcement is weak. For example, NSW Fair Trading established an underquoting task force to police selling agents, but many shady practices can slip through when it comes to buyers agents. There is currently no specific government accreditation just for buyers agents beyond the general real estate licensing. This means the onus is on consumers to vet the person they hire.
Misleading Claims
Some buyers agents are now making outrageous marketing claims that simply cannot be substantiated—and at best, they’re highly misleading. Shockingly, these statements often come from so-called “award-winning” buyers agents, which makes you wonder about the credibility behind those accolades.
Recently, a well-known local “Award Winning” buyers agent was publicly claiming that by choosing their service, clients would:
- “Save $50,000 on average compared to buying alone,”
- “Buy 10x faster on average compared to buying alone,”
- And “Get a $120,000 average return on investment.”
These figures aren’t just optimistic—they’re irresponsible. There’s no independent evidence to support such blanket promises, and every experienced property professional knows that outcomes vary wildly depending on market conditions, property type, negotiation dynamics, and individual buyer circumstances.
Similarly, you’ll often hear sweeping statements such as: “We have access to off-market bargains no one else can get.” Claims like this are designed to create a false sense of exclusivity and urgency. The reality is that whether you’re working with Upper and Lower North Shore Buyers Agents or Buyers Agents on the Northern Beaches, many agents are shown the same off-market properties, and “bargains” are rare in competitive markets like Sydney’s Northern Beaches or North Shore.
These claims are marketing spin at best, and they risk misleading buyers into a false sense of security at worst. No agent, no matter how decorated, can guarantee specific dollar savings, accelerated timelines, or set financial returns. Every property transaction is unique, and anyone suggesting otherwise is prioritising sales tactics over transparency.
The rule is simple: If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.
Misleading Independence
One of the riskiest issues is conflicts of interest. A buyers agent should work only for you, the buyer. They should be paid by you and only by you. Yet some so-called buyers agents take kickbacks from developers or sellers.
Industry veterans have flagged the rise of “fake buyers agents” – operators who charge the buyer and quietly collect a commission from the seller or a developer for bringing the deal. This double-dipping is “misleading and illegal, as real estate agents are not allowed by law to receive money from the buyer and the seller in a real estate transaction.” If an agent ever tries to steer you toward a new development and hints their service to you is “free” because the developer pays them, run for the hills! The chances are they are not truly independent.
How to Spot Who’s Truly Independent and Qualified
Given these concerns, how can a property buyer in the Northern Beaches or North Shore tell if a buyers agent is trustworthy? Here are some key questions and signs to consider:
- Are they a licensed real estate agent (and for how long)?
- Do they work exclusively for buyers?
- What is their fee structure?
- Can they provide recent references or case studies?
- What’s their local knowledge?
- Do they belong to any professional body (such as REBAA)
- Does it all seem just too good to be true?
The Importance of Transparency and Independence
The buyers agents industry in NSW is catching up with its growing pains. NSW is considering tougher licensing rules, which would help. But until stronger regulations are in place, buyers must do their homework on who they hire.
The good news is that there are excellent, genuinely helpful professionals—whether you’re searching for Buyers Agents on the Northern Beaches or Upper and Lower North Shore Buyers Agents. These professionals live by transparency, independence, and expertise.
At Sarah Kaye & Co, we pride ourselves on being truly independent Buyers Agents on the Northern Beaches and Upper and Lower North Shore, delivering transparency and trust in every transaction.
The bottom line: you can trust a buyers agent – but only if you choose the right one.
Please feel free to contact us (Sarah Kaye Buyers Agents P 1800 500 053) if you need some independent and trusted advice. You will also find a lot of helpful material on the topic in an FAQ we have at the bottom of our homepage (sarahkaye.com.au)
