Northern Beaches · The Forest
Frenchs Forest buyers agent
Family houses at the crossroads of the Forest, near the hospital and the main roads. We help you buy here with evidence.
Photo: Трансаэро, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
About the suburb
Frenchs Forest at a glance
Frenchs Forest sits about 20 kilometres north of the city, in Northern Beaches Council, at the heart of the Forest District. Before 1788 this was the country of the Garigal clan of the Dharug language group. The suburb carries the name of James French, a police constable who took up land here. We are a Northern Beaches buyers agent working from Manly, and the Forest is as much our patch as the coast.
It is mostly a suburb of family houses, with some apartments, and most homes are lived in by their owners. Couples with children are the largest household group, and the most common age group is 40 to 49.
The area stayed largely rural until the mid-1900s. The Wakehurst Parkway opened in 1946, and its corner with Warringah Road became known as 'The Blinking Light'. Northern Beaches Hospital opened in 2019, and a new town centre with shops and high-rise housing is planned. Garigal National Park and Manly Dam Reserve are close by.
Warringah Road, Forest Way and the Wakehurst Parkway, three of the main roads in and out of the Northern Beaches, all meet here. Buses run to Chatswood, Warringah Mall, Dee Why and the city. Forestway Shopping Centre has an Aldi, a Woolworths and over 50 specialty stores, and schools include Frenchs Forest Public School, Mimosa Public School, Davidson High School and The Forest High School.
The trade-offs are worth saying plainly. Homes near the main roads and the hospital trade convenience for traffic and noise. The planned town centre will change some streets more than others, so check what is approved near any home you like. Blocks backing onto bush need a bushfire check.
How we work
How we help you buy in Frenchs Forest
In a suburb of family houses that rarely come up, the work is finding the right one before it is advertised, then judging it on evidence. On average, a search with us looks like this.
Director-led, start to finish
We are independent Northern Beaches buyers agents, based in Manly. You deal with Sarah and Mike directly. No juniors, no hand-offs. Over 75% of the homes we buy are secured off-market.
A fixed fee, agreed upfront
Our fee is set before we start and is not a percentage of the price, so we are never better off when you pay more.
We will tell you when to walk away
We are as proud of the houses we talk clients out of as the ones we buy. If a Frenchs Forest house does not stack up, you will hear it from us first.
Thinking about Frenchs Forest?
Tell us what you are looking for. In half an hour we can tell you honestly what Frenchs Forest offers, which streets to look at first, and whether a nearby suburb might suit you better.
Prefer to write? Send us your brief and we will get back to you. Not ready yet? Join our newsletter.
Nearby: Forestville · Belrose · Davidson · Northern Beaches suburbs and property market: all 42 suburbs
Questions buyers ask
Buying in Frenchs Forest: your questions answered
Is a buyers agent the same as a real estate agent?
No. A real estate agent is paid by the seller, and their job is to get the seller the highest price. We are paid only by you, and our job is to help you buy the right Frenchs Forest home at the right price, or to tell you plainly to walk away.
Can you tell us what a Frenchs Forest home is worth before we bid?
Yes. For every home on your shortlist we prepare a price assessment from recent comparable sales in the same street or pocket, so you bid against evidence rather than the agent's guide. It is our advice as your buyers agent, not a formal valuation, and we will tell you plainly when a guide looks out of line.
Can you find Frenchs Forest homes before they are advertised?
Often, yes. Over 75% of the homes we buy are secured off-market, through our relationships with selling agents across the Northern Beaches. Where good homes rarely come up, hearing about one early can make all the difference.
We are overseas or interstate. Can you buy in Frenchs Forest for us?
Yes. We regularly buy for expat, overseas and interstate clients, sometimes sight unseen. We inspect and film each home for you, run the checks, and negotiate or bid on your behalf. If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, get advice on the foreign investment rules first; we can point you to it.
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
A $5,500 engagement fee (including GST) and a fixed success fee, both agreed in writing before we start, so there is never a percentage tied to the price you pay. You get at least 100 hours of director time, and a search takes 6 to 8 weeks on average. The detail is on our services and fees page.
Is Frenchs Forest right for us, or should we look next door?
Sometimes the better answer is Forestville, Belrose or Davidson. In the first call we test your brief against Frenchs Forest and its neighbours and tell you honestly where it fits best.
Who you will work with
Sarah and Mike, from first call to settlement
We are based in Manly and work right across the Northern Beaches, including the Forest suburbs. You will deal with the two of us directly, never a junior.
Sarah Kaye
Founder
Sarah was a top-tier selling agent before she crossed to the buyer's side. She knows how a campaign is run, what a guide is really telling you, and where an agent has room to move.
Mike Kaye
Co-founder and director
A former Accenture global partner and Australian Army officer, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mike studied surveying, town planning, valuation and land law, and leads the research behind every price we put to you.