Northern Beaches · Manly and the harbour end
Freshwater buyers agent
Apartments and family houses around the beach where Duke Kahanamoku surfed in 1914. We help you buy here with evidence.
About the suburb
Freshwater at a glance
Freshwater sits about 17 kilometres north-east of the city, in Northern Beaches Council, with the postcode 2096. It was long known as Harbord and was officially renamed in 2008. The name probably comes from the stream of fresh water that once ran down to the beach, along what is now Kooloora Avenue. Freshwater is a few minutes from our office in Manly, and as a Northern Beaches buyers agent it is one of the suburbs we know street by street.
Apartments outnumber houses, and most homes are lived in by their owners. Couples with children are the largest household group, and the most common age group is 30 to 39.
In December 1914 the Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku gave a surfboard demonstration at Freshwater Beach, and his board has been on show at the Freshwater surf club since 1952. A statue of him stands on the headland. The beach sits between Queenscliff and Curl Curl, on the coastal walk from Manly.
The Harbord Beach Hotel, opened in 1928, stands about 200 metres from the sand, and the former Harbord Diggers site is now seniors living with an RSL club beneath. Harbord Public School, founded in 1912, and St John the Baptist Catholic School are here, and Freshwater Senior Campus is next door in Curl Curl.
The trade-offs are worth saying plainly. Much of Freshwater sits on a hillside, so slope, access and drainage vary from street to street. Streets near the beach fill with visitors on summer weekends, and parking is tight. For apartments, strata records, levies and defects come first.
How we work
How we help you buy in Freshwater
In a suburb with both apartments and family houses, the work is knowing which part of it suits you, then judging every option 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 Freshwater house or apartment does not stack up, you will hear it from us first.
Thinking about Freshwater?
Tell us what you are looking for. In half an hour we can tell you honestly what Freshwater offers, which streets and buildings 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: Queenscliff · Curl Curl · Manly · Northern Beaches suburbs and property market: all 42 suburbs
Questions buyers ask
Buying in Freshwater: 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 Freshwater home at the right price, or to tell you plainly to walk away.
Can you tell us what a Freshwater 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 building, 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 Freshwater 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 Freshwater 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 Freshwater right for us, or should we look next door?
Sometimes the better answer is Queenscliff, Curl Curl or Manly. In the first call we test your brief against Freshwater and its neighbours and tell you honestly where it fits best.
Who you will work with
Sarah and Mike, from first call to settlement
Our office is on North Fort Road in Manly, a few minutes from Freshwater. 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.