Comparing agent fees and service scope for a Sydney flat

[sasha_young]

The proposals are now in for the Sydney new-build flat, expected to sell for about A$516,800, and the fee spread is less useful than I expected. The low quote leaves several tasks out; the expensive package promises photography, screening of buyers, negotiation and support through closing.

I want to compare what happens when a sale becomes difficult, not just when it proceeds smoothly. What should each agent be asked to measure or confirm in writing? My list includes who qualifies buyers, who records and presents offers, response times, conflict disclosure, responsibility after the listing goes live, and support if an accepted offer falls apart. Recent comparable sales matter, but only if the agent explains their involvement and why the properties are genuinely comparable.

 

[loft.balanced]

First clarify the fee basis: fixed or percentage, what triggers payment, and which marketing or photography costs sit outside it. Then ask each agent to map the process from enquiry to closing, naming the person responsible at every step. A promised response time is more useful if they explain who covers absences and how offers are recorded and communicated.

 

[SmallChart]

I wouldn’t give recent comparable sales too much weight unless the flats are genuinely similar and the agent explains their role in those transactions. The more revealing questions may be what “buyer qualification” actually involves, how they handle an offer that starts to unravel, and whether negotiation is done by the named contact or handed off. Put the same questions to all bidders in writing; otherwise the packages remain difficult to compare.