Invest
Selling property? Here’s why you might consider a seller’s advocate
Seller’s advocacy is an emerging trend in the selling of property – but how exactly can it help uncertain vendors?
Selling property? Here’s why you might consider a seller’s advocate
Seller’s advocacy is an emerging trend in the selling of property – but how exactly can it help uncertain vendors?
According to Innovative Property Advocates’ Kathryn Fantov, a seller’s advocate works exclusively for the seller, providing “professional, independent support and unbiased advice” through the journey of selling property.
“The main difference is that unlike a real estate agent who deals with both buyer and seller during a negotiation, a seller’s advocate deals only with the seller, so there is never a conflict of interest,” she explained.
Often described as a “buffer” or a “barrier” between the seller and the agent, Ms Fantov said the service works to protect potential sellers from any pressure tactics being applied by agents.
A seller’s advocate will help a potential seller through every aspect of offloading their property, from choosing a real estate agent, to assisting with the sales process, and according to Ms Fantov, bring “a whole new level of transparency to the process”.
She called seller’s advocacy “a growing service industry that provides property sellers with more confidence and control over the outcome” of their home sale.
As the concept grows in popularity, Ms Fantov said the service “is changing the way people sell”.
Acknowledging the sale of a house, home or unit as “an extremely stressful time” for many individuals, the advocate said “most people are not experienced in the sales process and rely solely on the advice of the real estate agent on how to get the best price”.
As a former real estate agent herself, she said she has seen many instances where the interests of the seller were not the main priority: “Being a real estate agent is extremely fast paced and often the opportunity to transact a quick sale is the real estate agent’s focus rather than working a bit harder and longer to achieve a few thousand, tens or hundreds of thousands dollars more.”
But these days, “sellers are increasingly looking at better ways to have more control over the process to achieve better financial outcomes, and seller’s advocacy is a way this can be achieved with no added cost”.
“Engaging a seller’s advocate does not cost the seller any extra as we are paid a small portion of the agent’s commission upon settlement,” Ms Fantov explained.
She believes seller’s advocacy will become more important in the future, especially for individuals looking to downsize, time-poor professionals, anyone who is dealing with a deceased estate where there are multiple parties involved, separating couples and “anyone who generally has lack of experience in dealing with, or a mistrust of, real estate agents”.
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Property
Young buyers poised for a comeback as 5% First Home Guarantee takes effect
In a move set to reshape the Australian property landscape, the government’s revamped First Home Guarantee is poised to open the doors of homeownership to a new generation of young AustraliansRead more
Property
AFG Securities waives settlement fees for first-home buyers, signalling strategic shift
In a strategic move aimed at easing the financial burden on first-home buyers, AFG Securities has announced the elimination of settlement fees on select loans, potentially saving customers up to $699Read more
Property
From trust woes to wealth: Australian agencies' secret to boosting prices
In Australia’s residential market, trust is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a pricing variable. Persistent distrust of real estate agents is depressing vendor outcomes and inviting regulatory heat, but ...Read more
Property
Reality check for first home buyers: Affordable suburbs with 5% deposit
In a significant development for Australian first home buyers, a new property search tool from Aussie Home Loans is set to transform the way prospective homeowners approach the market. As the Federal ...Read more
Property
Trust as a performance multiplier in Australia's real estate market
In Australia’s A$10–11 trillion housing market, trust is emerging as a crucial factor that sellers and agencies can no longer afford to overlook. Traditionally viewed as a soft metric, trust is now ...Read more
Property
LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie makes a splash with Belmont buy as real estate consolidation looms
LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie’s acquisition of the Belmont office, including its rent roll, is less about shopfronts and more about balance‑sheet resilience. In a market where listings ebb and flow with ...Read more
Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more
Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more
Property
Young buyers poised for a comeback as 5% First Home Guarantee takes effect
In a move set to reshape the Australian property landscape, the government’s revamped First Home Guarantee is poised to open the doors of homeownership to a new generation of young AustraliansRead more
Property
AFG Securities waives settlement fees for first-home buyers, signalling strategic shift
In a strategic move aimed at easing the financial burden on first-home buyers, AFG Securities has announced the elimination of settlement fees on select loans, potentially saving customers up to $699Read more
Property
From trust woes to wealth: Australian agencies' secret to boosting prices
In Australia’s residential market, trust is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a pricing variable. Persistent distrust of real estate agents is depressing vendor outcomes and inviting regulatory heat, but ...Read more
Property
Reality check for first home buyers: Affordable suburbs with 5% deposit
In a significant development for Australian first home buyers, a new property search tool from Aussie Home Loans is set to transform the way prospective homeowners approach the market. As the Federal ...Read more
Property
Trust as a performance multiplier in Australia's real estate market
In Australia’s A$10–11 trillion housing market, trust is emerging as a crucial factor that sellers and agencies can no longer afford to overlook. Traditionally viewed as a soft metric, trust is now ...Read more
Property
LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie makes a splash with Belmont buy as real estate consolidation looms
LJ Hooker Lake Macquarie’s acquisition of the Belmont office, including its rent roll, is less about shopfronts and more about balance‑sheet resilience. In a market where listings ebb and flow with ...Read more
Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more
Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more
