Services and fees

01 Where a sale begins

Market appraisal

no charge

An agent comes to the property and walks through every room, noting condition, presentation and the measurements a listing would need, then sets all of that against what comparable homes in the same streets have actually sold for recently. The appraisal ends with a written range and the sales it rests on, sent afterwards, so the reasoning can be checked rather than taken on trust. It carries no charge, and nobody is asked to list the property at the end of it.

Best for an owner weighing up a sale, including one who has not decided.

Included

• A walk through every room, with notes on condition and presentation
• The recent comparable sales the figure rests on, listed by street and date
• A written range and the reasoning behind it, sent after the visit

Not included

No survey, no legal work, and no obligation to list the property afterwards.

Timing

45 to 60 minutes at the property, on a weekday or a Saturday morning.

Contact about Market appraisal

The five that follow

• 02

  Sale listing and marketing

  2.4% of the agreed sale price

  Everything involved in bringing a property to the open market and keeping it there: photography, a floor plan, a written description the owner approves before it goes live, the listing on the main portals and in the office window, and the handling of every enquiry and viewing that follows. Offers are passed on in writing, whatever the agency thinks of them, and progress is chased through to closing. The fee is 2.4% of the price the property finally sells for, and it falls due on completion, so nothing is paid up front and nothing is owed if no sale happens.

  Best for an owner ready to bring a property to the open market.

  Included

  • Photography, a floor plan and a description the owner approves before it goes live
  • The listing placed on the main property portals and in the office window
  • Every enquiry and offer passed on in writing, and progress chased through to closing

  Not included

  Legal work, survey costs and any repairs or staging are arranged and paid for separately.

  Timing

  Marketing is usually ready within a week; the sale itself runs to no fixed timetable.

  Contact about Sale listing and marketing

• 03

  Accompanied viewings

  $220 per viewing day

  An agent attends the property for a booked day of appointments and shows each buyer round, answers what can be answered about the property and notes what cannot. Keys are collected beforehand and returned at the end of the day. Written feedback from every viewer follows within the week, including the unflattering kind, because that is the part that tells an owner whether price or presentation is the obstacle. The fee is $220 for the viewing day however many appointments it holds.

  Best for an owner who cannot be at the property, or would rather not be.

  Included

  • An agent at the property for every booked appointment on the day
  • Written feedback from each viewer, sent within the week
  • Keys collected beforehand and returned at the end of the day

  Not included

  The fee covers attendance on the day; marketing and the listing itself are not part of it.

  Timing

  One booked day, arranged in advance.

  Contact about Accompanied viewings

• 04

  Buyer search

  $1,500 retainer

  Work carried out for a buyer instead of a seller. The brief is written down first, covering area, budget and what the property must have, and the search then runs across open listings and the agency's own contacts. Properties are previewed before a viewing is arranged, so that time is spent only on the ones worth seeing, and each viewing is written up afterwards. The retainer of $1,500 is charged once at the outset for the search period agreed; it is not a success fee, and it is not returned if the search is called off early.

  Best for a buyer who wants somebody looking on their behalf.

  Included

  • A written brief covering area, budget and what the property must have
  • A shortlist drawn from open listings and from the agency's own contacts
  • Properties previewed first, then viewings arranged, attended and written up

  Not included

  No survey and no legal work, and no promise that a property matching the brief will come to market.

  Timing

  The length of the search period is agreed in writing at the outset.

  Contact about Buyer search

• 05

  Letting and tenant placement

  $900

  Finding a tenant and putting the tenancy in place. The property is listed and applicants are shown round, every applicant is referenced before a tenancy is offered, the agreement is drawn up, and the deposit and first rent are collected and the deposit registered with a protection scheme before keys change hands. The fee is $900, charged once, when the tenancy begins. Managing the let afterwards is a separate service, and this one ends on the day the tenant moves in.

  Best for a landlord who wants a tenant found and will manage the let afterwards.

  Included

  • The property listed, and every applicant shown round
  • Referencing on each applicant before a tenancy is offered
  • The agreement drawn up, and the deposit collected and registered before the keys move

  Not included

  Managing the tenancy afterwards is not included, and the cost of any repairs falls to the landlord.

  Timing

  Charged once, on the day the tenancy begins.

  Contact about Letting and tenant placement

• 06

  Property management

  8% of rent collected

  Ongoing management of a property that is already let. Rent is collected each month and passed on with a written statement showing what came in and what was deducted, repairs are arranged up to a limit the landlord sets and reported afterwards, the property is inspected periodically, and the tenant deals with the agency rather than with the landlord. The fee is 8% of the rent actually collected, taken as it is collected, so a month with no rent carries no management fee.

  Best for a landlord who would rather not be the tenant's point of contact.

  Included

  • Rent collected monthly and passed on with a written statement
  • Repairs arranged up to a limit the landlord sets, and reported afterwards
  • Periodic inspections, with the tenant contacting the agency rather than the landlord

  Not included

  The cost of repairs is not included, and the fee is taken from rent collected rather than rent owed.

  Timing

  Monthly, for as long as the management agreement runs.

  Contact about Property management