Make a smart property decision

… and get your weekends back!

Buying a home or an investment is a big decision. From inspections, property assessment, advice on the neighbourhood, market assessments, understanding property value, negotiating a price – it can be easy to feel stressed, confused and overwhelmed.

At Select Property Advocates, we work with you to manage the entire process for you and with you.

We know the Melbourne market and with our insights and expertise, we put you in a position to secure the right property at the right price, in the right area and at the right time for you.

With our team of experienced buyer advocates, we will help you:

Assess and source a suitable property based on your needs and budget

Assess and understand the selling agent’s motives

Review and identify a property’s strengths and weaknesses

Negotiate independently for you, from a place of strength

Avoid you buying from emotion (this happens a LOT in the industry). You should never purchase due to being tired of looking, in a rush, or simply jumping at the first place you love without critically assessing it as a financial investment.

We’re so thorough in our support, we’ll even check out the neighbourhood for you!

Buying a property is a big deal.

Make a smart property move. Get your weekends back! Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you to buy today.

Our buyer advocacy service is perfect for:

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First Home Buyers

We’ll work with you to help you understand the market, suburb profiles, growth and rental yield returns and match your needs and budget with the right investment. We’ll help you avoid the common mistakes many other first home buyers make, and purchase a property that’ll get you strong returns in the right location for you.

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Busy Professionals

We know you’re time poor so we do the leg work and bring you the ‘cream of the crop’ based on your specific needs and budget. Whether you’re upsizing to accommodate a growing family or looking to build your property portfolio, we manage things for you end to end.

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Overseas Purchasers

InvestorsWhether purchasing to eventually return to Australia, or because you want to build your property portfolio while living overseas, we can recommend properties based on market insights and your specific needs.

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Investors

We understand the market intimately and can help recommend and source the best investments to help you build your property portfolio based on your financial interests and unique needs. We’ll help you make choices that will see strong returns now and in the future.

Our Packages

We have three key packages, but can tailor a solution depending on your specific needs.

Auction Assistance

Silver

This package is essential for clients who need professional assistance with auction bidding or negotiating on a private sale. Real estate auctions are designed to drive a frenzy of activity and an exaggerated sense of urgency, in order to achieve the best possible price for the vendor. Ensuring you have a clear plan and remain calm on the day is crucial to success.
WE WILL:
Attend auction day
Manage the bidding process live on your behalf
Avoid last minute spontaneous decisions you may regret later by keeping within your agreed budget

Negotiation Masters

Gold

This package is perfect for those who are happy to search for their own property, but would like to ensure once they have selected a property that it’s an informed and sensible decision that meets their needs and requirements. Purchasing a property is such a personal decision but it requires a level head and feet firmly on the ground. Our market insights and strong success as negotiators will ensure you get the right property at the right price.
WE WILL:
Critically review the suburb profile and street
Identify the property’s strengths and weaknesses
Negotiate with the agent to secure the property at the best price and terms for you
Auction bidding
Manage until settlement
Recommend a property manager if it’s an investment property

Complete Search Package

Platinum

This package is our premium and recommended package for the seriously smart buyer. Sit back and let us handle everything for you so you can enjoy the purchasing process. Before we start looking, we start by listening. We get to intimately understand your needs, your aspirations – both personal and commercial. Part of our role is to not only meet your needs but to help you fully unpack these, ensuring you’re really clear on what you’re after, which in turn helps us commence a highly targeted and specific search.
Through this process you can harness our market insights, local knowledge and industry expertise. We do the leg work for you, involving you in the process as little or as much as you like, and support you through to successful selection of the right property for you.
WE WILL:
Undertake suburb and market profile assessments
Recommend appropriate areas for purchase
Undertake all search and shortlisting for you
Contact agents and access ‘off market’ opportunities
Attend both open and private inspections on your behalf
Understand the agent’s motives to assist negotiations
Negotiate with the agent to secure the property at the best price
Negotiate settlement terms for you
Monitor and handle settlement for you
Auction bidding
Recommend a property manager if it’s an investment property

Thank you so much for your professional assistance in the recent sale of our home in Fitzroy North. We are very pleased with the end result – a sale at the maximum of the advertised reserve. I think this was largely due to your excellent work overseeing all aspects of the pre sale (keeping the agent “on the ball”), making sure the house was in peak attractive state for the viewing, giving us feedback regarding likely buyers, etc) as well as being a calm considered presence on Auction Day. All this certainly delivered result with a minimum of stress to us – thank you Carly!

Steve G
Fitzroy North

Carly Susic assistance with the sale of my house was extraordinary. Every detail was anticipated, well covered and the whole potentially emotional process was a seamless and successful one. Her experience, thoroughness and professionalism was greatly appreciated – thanks Carly!

Amanda H
Bentleigh

Dear Michelle. I am writing to thank you for your assistance with the recent sale of my house.
It was a great pleasure to work with you. I wanted to work with an advocate to reduce the stress of trying to sell my home and make all of the decisions alone and I am glad I make the decision to work with you. It really helped to have someone who I knew was on my side to talk to and I appreciated your understanding, warmth and solid advice. It made a potentially very challenging time much more pleasant and easy. I would happily recommend you to anyone thinking of working with an advocate and I wish you all the best in the future.

Margaret P
St Kilda

Dear Carly, You are such a good advertisement for your profession. Thank you for your skill, judgement and integrity. (Oh, and for all that running around). All I can do now is refer, but that is a compliment.

Gabrielle H
Port Melbourne

Well in the calm after the storm, both Nicole and I are feeling very happy about our recent purchase. We both very much appreciate the hard work and professionalism that you showed. For us it is a great outcome and we feel like we have got the right next house for us at a price that was realistic for the area. One of the best aspects of our dealings with you was that we could tell early on that this process was as much about you talking us down from the wire and not buying houses that were not right – this gave us great confidence that we were getting professional and impartial advice and that for you it was not just about getting us the first available sale.

Simon & Nicole H
Bentleigh

Dear Carly. Thank you so much for all you have done for us – for our questions speedily answered together with your quiet advice and especially for your patience.
All of this has resulted in finding us a good rental and finally a beautiful home.

Margaret and Denis D
Mornington

Result at last Carly. Thanks for your very professional advice and support, will keep in touch for settlement.

Judy H
Hampton (Selling), Mentone (Buying)

I placed my Melbourne property on the market via a well known and reputable agency in 2013. Unfortunately it didn’t sell at the time and I felt that it would be wise to have a vendor’s advocate by my side the next time I listed it. I met Carly in February this year (2017) and I held on to two of her recommendations; ‘trust the auction process’ and ‘sell when you feel ready.’ I appreciated Carly’s easy-going style and decided to list for a May auction. She informed me what to expect during the campaign and was a real support when I needed to bounce ideas or concerns off her. My house sold for $325K above reserve on the day of the auction itself. I am thankful for Carly’s professional help and highly recommend her in this service.

Veronica S
Doncaster

I wanted to sell my house but the prospect of selecting, marketing, negotiating put me off. On the recommendation of a business acquaintance I asked Carly Susic to be my vendor advocate. The result was excellent. Ms Susic outlined the process to me and worked through it as if to a project plan. Throughout, she advised, suggested and listened. She reported progress and milestones. I did none of the running around. Ms Susic did it all. Best, I sensed I was dealing with an ethical professional.
The experience was calm and the outcome successful. So much so that I’ve recommend Ms Susic to a family member looking to sell.

G Hickey
Docklands and Kew

Carly’s expertise and professionalism were invaluable in securing a property for us recently. The peace of mind that Carly offers to her clients is second to none – her local knowledge, and desire to achieve the best result for her client, meant she completely exceeded our expectations. We would definitely recommend, and use Carly’s services again in the future.

Carsten and Melissa
Cowes

Carly was nothing but helpful when I approached her to assist us in buying our property. This was our forever home and we knew we wanted professional advice and assistance to get it absolutely right for us! We found Carly took the initiative from the outset by gathering as much information on our desired property and the surrounding areas. She then prepared a detailed properly report of sales in our particular area of choice. This was really helpful and cemented our view on the area we wanted to buy in. We were looking for a particular lifestyle which Carly’s report mirrored. Carly ensured that she was with us for any property viewings, grew the relationship with the selling agent and provided valuable feedback on some things we hadn’t considered or even taken notice of. We very much let this purchase be ruled by our hearts and Carly kept our feet firmly on the ground to prevent us from making any major decisions without using our heads! We couldn’t wait until the auction to buy our home as we were so keen and 2 days before the auction Carly negotiated on our behalf with the vendors to secure our dream house! Even on settlement day Carly made sure she was in the loop of communications to ensure the day ran as smoothly as possible. Carly still touches base now and again to make sure we’re doing ok and we are! We’re now thinking of investing in more property and are very much looking forward to working with Carly again.

Stuart and Michelle
Mordialloc

Engaging Carly to find us our family home was the best decision we have made….ever! Her professionalism on the one hand and her down to earth, friendly nature on the other, made her the perfect ally when taking on the monumental mission of finding a family home with a three and six year old in tow. She went above and beyond her scope of work. Not only was she our ‘buyers agent’, attending open for inspections, speaking to frustrating and sometimes cunning real estate agents and then translating it to the ‘truth’ and protecting us from the shameful practice of under quoting that is so prevalent in Melbourne; She also organized trades for us, spoke to the council about overlays and building restrictions, looked after our kids when we needed 20 minutes of quiet to think, and sat with us, just listening to my verbal diarrhea about everything and nothing when it was crunch time to make an offer. She just did whatever had to be done and she always did it with a smile and warmth. Not once did we ever feel pressured to make any decisions and there was always transparency and most importantly all the information we needed to make an informed decision.

Ramya and Justin
Bentleigh

Michelle. You knew exactly what I was looking for even when, at times, I wasn’t so sure myself! Every one of your messages ended with “Call me if you need to chat about anything” This meant you were the first person I contacted if I needed someone I could trust to advise me about any of the many new situations I was presented with. Your advice was always thoughtful and you were on hand anytime I needed it. Without your assistance I have no doubt I would still be renting and spending my weekends looking through places that were never going to sell within my price range. Thank you for your personal, yet highly professional, service.

Paula
Glen Iris

I would like to express my gratitude for all the hard work Carly put into selling my home. Because of Carly excellent knowledge of the real estate business & the Melbourne Market, she was able to negotiate all aspects of selling my home. This made it totally stress free for me! Carly kept me informed of all developments along the way. Her diligence, pleasant and professional conduct throughout my campaign, made the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Carly helped me achieve a fantastic result on auction day.

Angela and John
Moorabbin

Dear Carly. Thanks for your valuable support throughout the purchasing of our new home. It took all the stress away from us as we knew we were in capable hands.

Shirley & Roger H
Rosebud

Buyer Advocate FAQs

What is a buyer advocate?

A buyer’s advocate (sometimes referred to as a buyer’s agent) is an independent licensed professional who helps with the process of searching, evaluating, negotiating and selecting a property to buy. They are not a real estate agent. They do not sell real estate.
A real estate agent typically represents a seller. A buyer’s agent typically represents you – the buyer. This ensures your interests are protected and allows you to have a third party independently negotiate on your behalf during the purchase process.

How can a buyer advocate help me?

As buyer advocates, we typically have access to a far wider range of properties than you might normally find in your own search (some properties may not even be advertised). We are a time-saving way to search and select a property – that doesn’t mean by any means we rush the process – but we do a lot of the leg work for you. Thanks to our intimate market knowledge, we understand how to hone into the right areas and potential properties based on your specific individual needs.

Most buyers are seeking strong capital growth and a solid return down the track for their investment – our market insight means we not only search for a property based on your brief, but often optimise and improve on what you’re looking for based on your individual needs. We know where and what to purchase in order to yield strong growth and rental returns, and will help you negotiate from a position of strength to get the best possible price for the property you select.

What does it cost to engage Select Property Advocates as my buyer advocate?

We have a range of packages depending on your needs. Select Property Advocates is proud to offer a totally personalised service, so if there is something specific you need in terms of support you are always welcome to contact us and we can provide you a quote.

Can Select Property Advocates assist me to purchase my first home?

Absolutely! We have worked for a number of first home buyers. We specialise in helping first home buyers enter and navigate the property market, and can advise you on options for purchase based on your budget and property aspirations. We work with you to search, select and negotiate the right property. We can also help provide you advice on how to secure financial support, understand market trends and how to maximise your investment when purchasing a property for the first time.

Can Select Property Advocates bid for me at an auction?

Absolutely! A key part of our service offering as a buyer’s advocate is to assist you to negotiate and bid during auction, if you are purchasing in this manner. We understand it can be daunting to participate in an auction, and we act as a trusted, calm and independent partner who will help you avoid making any spontaneous bids you may later regret!

Can Select Property Advocates help me access off market properties for sale?

Yes we certainly can, although it’s worth noting that in our 35 + years of combined experience, it is our belief the term ‘off market’ is pretty overused in the industry these days. There’s a number of property advocates out there who will promise ‘off market’ properties – and they are often not ‘off market’ at all. An off market property in the true sense of the term is a property that is not advertised, not listed, not promoted through any commercial avenues. We do have access in our networks to off market properties from time to time, and can assist you gaining access to these when they come available if they are the right match for you.

Which suburbs are the best for me to purchase in Melbourne?

We get asked this question all the time! The Select Property Advocates team has an intimate and detailed knowledge of the property market in Melbourne and can advise you where the best suburbs are to look to purchase, depending on your needs.

Select Property Advocates does not take a ‘one size fits all’ approached to our service, and we will always recommend areas based on your specific lifestyle, financial and personal requirements.