These times of immense global turmoil and change are making home soil increasingly attractive to expats. At Rose Buyers agent we’ve noticed inquiry from overseas buyers picking up a good three months earlier than it did last year. And this time, inquiries are coming not only from common expat destinations like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai but also Europe, America, Canada and also New Zealand.

Fortunately, like buyers in general, there’s now greater awareness among expats around buyer’s agents and the benefits of using our services in conjunction with our network of agents. It’s just as well. The property market is in a constant state of flux and it’s heartening to see more and more home hunters realising they need a buyer’s agent not just for the convenience but inside knowledge too. “Right now, for instance we’re steering prospective buyers towards well-renovated properties,” says Rose Buyers Agents CEO Simon Rose. “This is simply because of rising building costs and the apparent shortage of tradespeople and builders – a situation that is really becoming a problem for a lot of people and something of which an expat on the other side of the world, engrossed in their own working life, may not be aware.”

With prices and competition on the rise (cases like the Petersham home that sold at auction last Saturday for half a million dollars above reserve are not isolated incidents these days) RBA is also ensuring clients are fully aware that using both a buyer’s agent and real estate agent is a surefire way to avoid overpaying. The year is flying by and the prospect of interest rates falling is coming closer all the time. This means it’s increasingly imperative they use property industry experts when entering what is one of the most dynamic periods in the Sydney market - and one that will only continue to gain momentum.

“Moving countries combined with the need to buy a property would raise anyone’s adrenaline levels,” Mr Rose says. “Add to this the emotion of buying a home and it really can become overwhelming. We’re reaching out to expats as much as we can as it’s so important for them, in this current market especially, to make a purchase based on solid fundamentals rather than emotion and a desire to put down roots back home as fast as possible.
“What’s more with the rise in buyer agent numbers there has been a corresponding lift in pre-market offers which in turn makes it harder for buyers especially in the upper end of the market to secure the property they want.

“For this reason alone it’s a must that buyer’s agents and agents really drive home the benefits of engaging industry professionals and therefore being on the front foot, equipped with the ability to find the right style of property and then go on to secure it.”