I haven’t sent a newsletter in a while because the past few weeks have been full—working with three clients who each ended up buying. Most of my time has been spent inspecting properties, doing pricing research, negotiating, and helping them work through all the bits in between. Over the next few newsletters, I’ll share each of their stories. If you’ve ever been curious about what it’s actually like to work with a buyer’s agent, this will give you a bit of an idea.
This particular client bought a home in the Inner West before auction. From the outset, there were signs it had potential. I’d been watching it closely and had a feeling it might end up being a good buy with the right prep and timing.
One of the things I try to do early on with a client is help them work out what’s really important. A lot of people come in with a well-thought-out brief, but once you’re actually in the market, it’s easy to focus on features that won’t hold long-term value, or to dismiss properties that need a bit of creative thinking. I help break it down: what’s non-negotiable—things like location, natural light, land size, potential—and what might be flexible. Could the layout be changed? Could we improve condition or function with a reasonable budget? What would that cost? What would the process involve? I want clients to feel clear not just about the vision, but how to get there—whether that means lining up builders before purchase, checking on planning constraints, or just making sure any changes are financially worth it.
In this case, the property was strong. But based on early agent feedback, we weren’t the frontrunners. Rather than waste time and money, we put it on the back burner. No reports, no emotional investment. I kept tabs on things in the background—quietly checking on zoning, flight paths, anything that might affect value. At the same time, I worked with the client to explore what the home could become. We got a sense of renovation costs and adjusted the budget so we’d be ready to move if the window opened.
As the auction got closer, the agent mentioned the vendor might look at offers. Because we’d already done the thinking, we weren’t scrambling. We knew what we’d pay, and we weren’t guessing. It wasn’t a mad rush—it was steady and clear. The vendor wanted certainty. We were able to offer that.
The result was a great Inner West property at a price that left room for the improvements we’d planned. We could have written this one off too early, but staying close to it paid off. Just a reminder that good buying isn’t always about jumping—it’s about timing, preparation, and knowing when something makes sense for you.