With a hectic business, Al Brown is not a man whose shoes you’ll find on the front porch of the weekend ‘open home’ circuit. So when it came time to find a new Auckland residence, the celebrity chef enlisted the services of longtime friend and buyer’s agent Angela Clatworthy. But just how does a buyer’s agent differ from a regular real estate agent? Here, Brown gives his take on the five biggest points of difference.
A buyer’s agent acts solely in the best interests of the buyer
In most cases, a real estate agent is acting for the vendor, which can feel very impersonal. Whereas hiring a buyer’s agent instead “feels like you’ve got one person who is going all over the city just for you,” Al explains, “and that’s worth its weight in gold.”
It’s more intimate
When you engage with a buyer’s agent, it’s important to begin with a detailed brief on everything you find important, whether that be small things like hobbies, or bigger things like family. “The buyers’ agent gets to know who you are and what you want,” Al says. “To send someone out on your behalf who you trust to know what you like and what your values are who then comes back and says ‘Al, this is what I found…’ and they are all properties that align with what you are looking for, it’s so much more efficient.”
They keep your head in the game
Finding a new home is an emotional journey. How much money can you spend? What if you fall in love with something you just can’t afford? Not to mention the disappointment that stems from someone swooping in on a great property before you. “It can definitely be a bit of a roller coaster. Luckily Ange, with her upbeat personality, can smooth over the ups and downs a little bit… and if you miss out on something, it’s not the end of the world.”
It’s quicker and more efficient
The biggest draw card of having a buyer’s agent is that it eliminates time-wasting — they may spend more time with the client at first but this makes it far quicker and more efficient in the long run. “If they spend time in the beginning, getting to know what the person’s like, getting the brief right, they can get out there and do the legwork more efficiently.”
They do all the tough stuff
“I make gravy for a living… it’s a big deal for me having to go through the purchasing process.” Explains Al, before describing how a buyers agent can help with the tricky parts, “there are a whole lot of things you have to feel comfortable with and I don’t particularly like confrontation. I find it very hard to negotiate. So to have this intermediary, this personal relationship with someone who knows who you are… I found that Ange was able to ask me all the things I hadn’t thought of. Having her guide me through all this stuff was invaluable.”
Angela Clatworthy – angeclats@me.com
