House buyer agent in Sydney

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Permalink Reply by Anna Scrivenger on September 15, 2011 at 16:31

I lived in Sydney for many years and the first name that springs to mind is Raine & Horne. They are one of the biggest estate agents Down Under and have a good repuattion.
http://www.raineandhorne.com.au/

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Permalink Reply by Skipjimmy on September 15, 2011 at 17:03

Thanks Anna - I was actually looking for someone who will source and noegotiate a property purchase on your behalf who is independent of the estate agents themselves. Any ideas? Many thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Scrivenger on September 15, 2011 at 20:56

Ah, I see. Good idea! Does anyone else know of an agent who can help?

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Permalink Reply by Susan Wareham McGrath on September 16, 2011 at 23:51

Hi Skipjimmy

In Australia, those people are called "buyers' advocates". Here's a link to the results that came up when I Googled "Buyers advocate sydney": http://bit.ly/nN7lr9. Pls note, I haven't had dealings with any of then (in fact, I haven't heard of any of them!), so can't recommend any particular agent for you.

Whether or not they  use an advocate or real estate agent (realtor) in their property  search, I suggest that non-citizens first obtain independent legal advice from an Australian lawyer.  That is because through the Foreign Investment Review Board, (FIRB) the Australian Government has imposed certain restrictions on non-citizens purchasing property in Australia.  

In some cases approval from FIRB must be sought by the purchaser.  In all cases, as FIRB's rules can change with no warning, prospective property purchasers should visit FIRB www.firb.gov.au before entering into any property contracts, to make sure they are able to progress with the property purchase they are interested in.  

One more thing to be aware of - many people are under the impression that purchasing a residential, commercial or investment property in Australia will be enough to guarantee them a visa. This is not true and prospective immigrants should be very wary of anyone who tries to sell them property on that basis.

Best regards

Susan


Susan Wareham McGrath

Registered Migration Agent

MARN 0601990

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