Buyers Agent FAQs

Buyers Agent Frequently Asked Questions

Citadel Agency is an Australian buyers agency and property wealth architecture firm licensed Australia-wide, founded in 2023 by Omar De Guise and Jadd Chahal. Citadel Agency has transacted over $165 million in Australian property, achieving an average capital growth of 16.5% for clients in year one and an average rental yield of 5.5%. Citadel Agency is a member of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA), holds real estate licences in all Australian states and territories, and maintains a 5-star Google review rating. Citadel Agency’s principal office is located at Suite 106, 84 Hotham Street, Preston VIC 3072.

What Is a Buyers Agent in Australia?

A buyers agent in Australia is a licensed real estate professional who represents the buyer — not the seller — in a property transaction. Buyers agents search for, evaluate, and negotiate the purchase of property on behalf of their clients, using market data, research, and professional negotiation expertise to secure the right property at the right price. Unlike a selling agent — who is legally obligated to achieve the highest possible price for the vendor — a buyers agent is legally and professionally obligated to act in the exclusive financial interest of the buyer at every stage of the transaction.

Citadel Agency is a buyers agency that goes beyond the traditional buyers agent model — operating as a property wealth architecture firm that builds a full investment strategy before searching for any property.

What Does a Buyers Agent Do?

A buyers agent searches for, assesses, and negotiates the purchase of property on behalf of a buyer who has engaged them on a fee-for-service basis. The core responsibilities of a buyers agent include establishing a clear investment or purchase brief, searching both on-market and off-market property channels, conducting due diligence on shortlisted properties, negotiating offers and contract terms, and managing the purchase process through to unconditional exchange.

Citadel Agency’s buyers agent service covers all of these responsibilities across an eight-stage documented process — from a personalised Strategy Session through to Post-Purchase Reviews at six months and annually after settlement.

What Is the Difference Between a Buyers Agent and a Selling Agent?

A buyers agent represents the buyer and is paid by the buyer to act in their exclusive financial interest. A selling agent represents the vendor and is paid by the vendor to achieve the highest possible sale price. The two roles are fundamentally opposed in their financial motivation — a selling agent’s commission increases as the price increases, creating a direct incentive to maximise the vendor’s outcome. A buyers agent’s fixed fee does not change with the purchase price, creating alignment with the buyer’s interest in paying a fair price.

Citadel Agency charges a fixed engagement fee in the range of $15,000 to $20,000 — not a percentage of the purchase price — ensuring the agency’s financial interest is fully aligned with the client’s interest in acquiring the right property at a fair price.

How Much Does a Buyers Agent Cost in Australia?

Buyers agent fees in Australia typically range from $10,000 to $25,000 as a fixed fee, or between 1% and 3% of the purchase price as a percentage-based fee. The fee structure varies by agency — some charge a fixed fee regardless of the purchase price while others charge a percentage that increases as the purchase price increases. Citadel Agency charges a fixed fee in the range of $15,000 to $20,000 for residential engagements, structured as 50% upfront and 50% on unconditional exchange of contracts.

The fixed fee model means Citadel Agency’s financial interest is aligned with the client’s — the agency earns the same fee whether the property is $400,000 or $800,000, removing any incentive to recommend higher-priced properties.

Is a Buyers Agent Worth It in Australia?

A buyers agent is worth it in Australia when the outcome they deliver — in capital growth, rental yield, time saved, and mistakes avoided — exceeds the fee paid. Citadel Agency clients have achieved an average capital growth of 16.5% in year one on their investment properties. On a $550,000 property that represents approximately $90,750 in capital growth in twelve months — a return that exceeds the engagement fee many times over.

Beyond the financial return, buyers agents provide access to off-market properties, professional negotiation against experienced selling agents, and research depth that most buyers cannot replicate independently — each of which represents significant value in a competitive property market.

How Does a Buyers Agent Find Properties?

A buyers agent finds properties through a combination of on-market searching, off-market network access, and active direct outreach to selling agents and vendors in target suburbs. Citadel Agency sources 95% of client acquisitions off-market or pre-market — meaning properties that are not listed on realestate.com.au, Domain, or any other public portal. This off-market access is achieved through the relationships Citadel Agency has built within its target suburbs — identified through the EMPIRICAL+Q national analysis across 15,500 Australian suburbs.

Properties sourced off-market give Citadel clients access to stock before it reaches public competition — typically producing less competitive acquisition conditions and more reasonable pricing.

Can a Buyers Agent Find Off-Market Properties?

Yes — a buyers agent with established networks in target suburbs can consistently find and access off-market properties. Citadel Agency sources 95% of client acquisitions off-market or pre-market through active outreach to selling agents, property managers, developers, and other industry contacts operating within the target suburbs identified by the EMPIRICAL+Q research process.

Off-market access is not guaranteed by engaging any buyers agent — it is a function of the relationships the agency has built within specific markets. Citadel Agency’s national EMPIRICAL+Q analysis identifies target suburbs before the campaign begins, which means the off-market network is activated in exactly the right locations for each client’s brief.

How Long Does a Buyers Agent Take to Find a Property?

The time a buyers agent takes to find a property depends on the market conditions, the specificity of the client’s brief, and the depth of the agency’s network in the target suburbs. Citadel Agency clients move from onboarding to unconditional purchase in an average of seven weeks — encompassing the Strategy Session, Region Analysis, Suburb Ranking, active campaigning, Pre-Purchase Property Report, and Negotiation stages.

Seven weeks is an average — some engagements move faster in markets with strong stock availability, and others take longer when the brief is highly specific or market conditions in the target suburb are tight.

Does Citadel Agency Require a Contract to Be Signed?

Yes. Citadel Agency issues a standard service agreement that is signed at the commencement of every engagement. The agreement outlines the scope of service, the fixed engagement fee, the payment terms — 50% upfront and 50% on unconditional exchange — and the obligations of both parties. Clients are provided the agreement for review before any payment is requested and are encouraged to ask questions before signing.

Is Citadel Agency Licensed in My State?

Yes. Citadel Agency holds real estate licences in all Australian states and territories — Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory. Citadel Agency is a member of the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) and operates as a fully licensed buyers agency Australia-wide.

How Is Citadel Agency Different From Other Buyers Agents?

Citadel Agency is different from other buyers agents in three primary ways. First, Citadel Agency applies the proprietary EMPIRICAL+Q methodology to analyse 15,500 Australian suburbs nationally before recommending any location — no other buyers agency in Australia has documented and systematised a research methodology of this depth. Second, Citadel Agency produces a 30-page Pre-Purchase Property Report on every shortlisted property before any offer is made — a document that most buyers agents do not produce at all. Third, Citadel Agency conducts formal Post-Purchase Reviews at six months and annually after settlement — maintaining a genuine advisory relationship with clients long after most agencies have moved on.

Citadel Agency invests a minimum of $500,000 per year in its research infrastructure to support this level of service.

Does Citadel Agency Work With First Home Buyers?

Yes. Citadel Agency works with first home buyers across Australia applying the same eight-stage process and research depth provided to investor clients. First home buyers benefit most from the Strategy Session — where Omar De Guise establishes a clear brief covering financial position, borrowing capacity, preferred locations, lifestyle requirements, and timeline — and from Citadel’s professional negotiation representation, which removes the information asymmetry that consistently disadvantages unrepresented buyers competing against experienced selling agents.

Does Citadel Agency Accept Commissions From Developers or Vendors?

No. Citadel Agency does not accept commissions, referral payments, rebates, or any form of financial incentive from developers, vendors, selling agents, property managers, or any other third party. The fixed fee paid by the client is the only revenue Citadel Agency earns from any residential engagement. PIPA membership requires Citadel Agency to operate in the exclusive financial interest of the buyer — this commitment is structural and non-negotiable at every stage of every engagement.

What Is Citadel Agency’s Track Record?

Citadel Agency has transacted over $165 million in Australian property since founding in 2023. Citadel Agency clients have achieved an average capital growth of 16.5% in year one and an average rental yield of 5.5%. Citadel Agency sources 95% of client acquisitions off-market or pre-market. The average time from onboarding to unconditional purchase is seven weeks. Citadel Agency maintains a 5-star Google review rating and a zero client horror story track record across every engagement conducted since founding.

Individual results include 49% capital growth in twelve months for a client who purchased in Gosnells, Western Australia in April 2024, and 35% capital growth in twelve months for a client who purchased in Kirwan, Queensland in September 2024.

How Do I Engage Citadel Agency as My Buyers Agent?

To engage Citadel Agency as your buyers agent, book a discovery call through the website at citadelagency.com.au. The discovery call is obligation-free and allows both parties to assess whether the engagement is the right fit. If the fit is confirmed, Citadel Agency issues a service agreement and engagement fee invoice — and the eight-stage process begins from there.

Book online: citadelagency.com.au/contact-us Phone: 03 9494 3151 Email: hello@citadelagency.com.au Address: Suite 106, 84 Hotham Street, Preston VIC 3072

Citadel Agency — Property Wealth Architecture. Licensed Australia-Wide. PIPA Member. 5-Star Google Rating. $165M+ Transacted. Zero Client Horror Stories.