Beautiful 3 story home in Rose Bay with a unique flat roofline

How One Buyers Agency helped Martin and Michelle buy their downsizer’s dream apartment in Rose Bay.

“We saw a lot of houses in and around the Rose Bay area, and were eventually shown a home that wasn’t on the market. One that we wouldn’t have found ourselves. It’s exactly what we were looking for and we believe it’s going to be the perfect home for us. I don’t think we could have done it without One Buyers Agency.”

After selling their family home in Woollahra, retired couple Martin and Michelle were on the lookout for a new place to live. The brief? A new single-level home, with plenty of parking in a lovely, sunny location somewhere around Rose Bay.

“The aim was to find something that would meet our needs as the last home we were ever planning to buy,” says Martin.

The sale of the couple’s existing home was about to be settled and they were anxious about having to buy in a highly competitive property market. 

They felt an increasing urgency to find a suitable home that would meet their long-term needs at a reasonable price without having to make any compromises.

“My wife and I didn’t really understand the market at the time,” Martin says. “Things were in turmoil, we’d sold our own home and prices were going up. So we couldn’t afford to sit around indefinitely and wait to make a decision.”

“One Buyers Agency were responsive, motivated and trustworthy”

Martin and Michelle knew that a real estate agency was unlikely to provide the level of personal service they were looking for in their property search. At first, they canvassed another, larger buyer’s agency but their approach didn’t feel right. 

Engaging a buyer’s agency with specialised knowledge and networks the Rose Bay area became a priority for the couple. After meeting and immediately clicking with Director, Carli Skurnik and her colleague Clare Moloney, One Buyers Agency became the obvious choice.

“When my wife and I met Carli and Clare, we got a strong sense of their integrity. We felt that they would be on our side,” Martin says.

After a brief trial run, it was easy to see One Buyers Agency ticked all the right boxes.

Firstly, the agency made it clear they would stay the distance and that there would be no pressure. “They put our needs ahead of their needs. We were very aligned and we knew they weren’t going to try and get us to buy something that didn’t suit us,” Martin says. 

As well, Carli and Clare were always ready to answer a call. “They were available 24/7,” Martin says. “And that was very important to us because the market was going mad. We were nervous and wanted to work with someone who understood our desire to find something quickly.”

Downsizing to the perfect forever home in Rose Bay

Maintaining a multi-storey house and garden was taking time and energy that Martin and Michelle would rather spend on other things. 

They realised, though, that managing the transition to another home at this stage of life would be something that could take a considerable amount of time.

“Thankfully, Carli and Clare brought a lot of energy to the process. They were showing us a whole range of options but they weren’t pushing things onto us. In fact, for many properties, they were saying ‘let’s just look at this one to get a sense of the market’. I was gaining more and more confidence because I could see they were learning what we wanted.” 

In the end, Carli and Clare’s optimism and belief that they would find the right property paid off with the purchase of an off-the-plan apartment that the couple could look forward to settling into.

A buyer’s agent was a cost-effective solution for the couple

Martin points out that he was initially worried about the expense of using a buyer’s agent. 

“I suppose the cost was my biggest concern because, at the end of the day, it does add to the purchase price,” he says.

One Buyers Agency’s success fee arrangement went a long way to ease the couple’s concerns. 

As Martin points out, “We were only expected to pay if we bought and, In the end, we got access to a property that we would never have found without a buyer’s agent because it actually wasn’t on the market when we were looking. So I realised the cost was worth it because we succeeded in finding exactly what we wanted.” 

He adds “It’s also important to know that a buyer’s agent can often negotiate a better price than you can achieve when dealing with someone yourself, especially with an off-market property. So all in all, the risk in relation to cost is low.” 

Curious about working with a buyer’s agency? As a property buyer in the eastern suburbs, you can count on us to put you a step ahead in finding a home you’ll love. We’re waiting for your call.