Independent Vendor Advocacy in Brisbane
Selling the family home is a big step and you should not have to manage it alone
For most people I work with, the sale of the family home is the largest financial transaction of their lives and it lands at an already busy moment: choosing where to live next, sorting decades of belongings and keeping the family across it all. Choosing an agent, judging an appraisal and reading a marketing proposal are hard to do well when you have not sold a home in twenty or thirty years.
As your vendor advocate, I sit on your side of the table for the whole campaign. I help you choose the right agent, negotiate the commission, shape the marketing and weigh the offers, so the sale runs well and you can give your attention to the move itself.
I am a Registered Property Valuer, Licensed Buyer's Agent and Town Planner with 25+ years in the Brisbane and South East Queensland property market. Valuing homes is my profession, which means the advice you receive on price is grounded in evidence rather than enthusiasm.
Or call me on (07) 3366 1116
Who I help
Selling to downsize
You are moving to a smaller home, a retirement village or a land lease community. The house needs to be sold well to fund what comes next.
Supporting a parent
You are an adult child coordinating a parent's move. You want someone experienced to run the sale process properly, keep everyone informed and take the pressure off your family.
Selling after a change
Circumstances have changed and the home needs to be sold within a sensible timeframe. You want a steady hand so that speed does not come at the cost of a good result.
What a vendor advocate does
A vendor advocate works for you. The selling agent works for the sale. The selling agent still runs the campaign and negotiates with buyers. My job is to make sure every decision along the way serves your interests.
I help you:
Shortlist and compare local agents on evidence: their results in your suburb, their process and how they handle campaigns like yours
Attend agent appraisals with you and test the price reasoning against my own valuation experience
Negotiate the agent's commission and the marketing budget on your behalf
Review the marketing plan, the photography and the campaign strategy before anything is signed
Prepare the home for sale: repairs worth doing, presentation and styling decisions and the ones not worth the money
Monitor the campaign week by week, assess offers as they arrive and support you through the negotiation to settlement
You stay in control of every decision. I make sure each one is made with clear information and no pressure.
How the fee works
I charge you a fixed fee, quoted and agreed in writing before anything starts. I take nothing from the selling agent.
Most vendor advocates work the other way, paid out of the agent's commission so the service appears to cost you nothing. It is common and it is legal. It also means the person advising you on which agent to appoint is being paid by an agent. I would rather not be in that position and I would rather you did not have to wonder about it.
One practical consequence worth knowing. Because I am not taking a share of the commission, anything I negotiate off it stays with you.
Why independent advice matters
Most people selling to downsize take their advice from the selling agents themselves and every agent will naturally make the case for their own appointment. An independent advocate changes that. I have no listing to win and no favourite agency. My only interest is the sale running well for you.
Selling is also rarely the whole story. Most of the people I work through a sale with are managing a bigger transition and it sits alongside independent downsizing advice or retirement village guidance. Having one adviser across both sides keeps the timing of the sale and the move working together.
FAQs
What does a vendor advocate actually do?
1
A vendor advocate is an experienced property professional who represents the seller through the sale of their home. I help you choose the agent, negotiate the commission, review the marketing and assess the offers. The agent sells the property. I make sure the process serves you.
What does vendor advocacy cost?
2
There is a fixed fee, quoted and agreed in writing before any work begins. You pay it and nobody else does. I take no part of the selling agent's commission, which is how most vendor advocates are paid, because I do not think anyone can advise you on choosing an agent while an agent is paying them.
Do you sell the house yourself?
3
No. The sale is run by a licensed real estate agent chosen with you through a structured comparison. My role is to represent your interests before and during the campaign, from the first appraisal through to settlement day.
Can you help with the move as well as the sale?
4
Yes. Most people combine vendor advocacy with downsizing advice or retirement village guidance, so the sale of the current home and the move to the next one are planned together. Timing matters and having both sides coordinated removes a lot of the strain.
When should I involve a vendor advocate?
5
Ideally before you speak to any selling agents. The biggest gains come early: choosing the right agent, settling the commission and agreeing the campaign strategy. If a campaign is already under way, I can still review it and support you through offers and negotiation.
Or call me on (07) 3366 1116
“I have spent 25 years valuing and buying homes in Brisbane. The one thing I would say to anyone selling a home they have lived in for decades is that the agent works for the sale, not for you. Someone should be working for you.”
Sam Price, Director, Hazel & Fred
