Vendor Advocacy
We don’t sell. We help you choose the right agent, and make sure they do it properly.
Every agent who appraises your home is auditioning for the job
Agents are good at selling. That is why you want them working on your sale. But they want the job, so the interview process itself can create pressure. Not everyone enjoys that pressure. We can help reduce it.
The number an agent gives you is partly an assessment of value and partly a pitch to win your business. Those two things are very hard to separate when you are hearing three or four of them in the same week, and the highest number is not always the best outcome.
Overquoting to win a listing is common. So is the conversation four weeks later where the price needs to come back, after the campaign money is already spent and the property has gone stale. Underquoting is just as big a problem, on the other side of the same coin.
Our job is to sit on your side of that table, and make sure you find an agent who is a good fit for your situation, and expert help to sell well.
Who this is for
Anyone selling who wants someone in their corner who is not the selling agent.
Most often that is people who have not sold in a long time, people selling from a distance, and families or executors dealing with a property as part of an estate. It is also people who have been through a campaign that did not go well and do not want a repeat.
Unless you are selling all the time, it’s hard to know the who’s who of agents in any given suburb. You do not need to know anything about the industry. That is rather the point. Our advice is designed to help shorten that process.
What we do
We work out what the property is genuinely worth. A comparative market analysis built on recent comparable sales, done before any agent gives you a number, so you have something independent to measure their appraisals against.
We check agents’ recent performance. Not the ones with the biggest signboards. The ones actually selling property like yours, in your street, right now. We shortlist, we sit in on the appraisals, and we ask the questions you would not think to ask.
We agree the method and the campaign. Auction, private treaty or expressions of interest, the price strategy, the timing, and how much is worth spending to get there.
We stay involved through the campaign. We hold the agent to what was agreed, review what is actually coming back from the market each week, and tell you what it means rather than what is comfortable to hear.
What we do not do
We do not sell your property. Precium is not a selling agency, we hold no listings, and don’t market homes for sale. We do offer advice and advisory services.
We help you choose the agent, we make sure it is the right fit for you, on the right terms, doing the job in a way that suits your personal circumstances. The agent then runs the sale.
We don’t take hidden commissions. We ensure our advisory service fees are clearly outlined, so you know exactly how we get paid. Whether a direct fee from you or a percentage of an agent referral, it is always clearly disclosed and in most cases will not cost you any extra.
We never work both sides
Precium is a buyer’s agency first. We offer advice to vendors because we get asked.
We will never act for a buyer and a seller in the same transaction. If a property we are advising a vendor on is one that a buyer client of ours is interested in, we say so immediately and step back from the vendor side.
Being buyer-side most of the time is also why this service works. We spend our weeks watching how agents behave when they are on the other side of a negotiation, which is a useful thing to know when you are choosing one.
Estates and family sales
A large part of this work involves families rather than straightforward sales.
Executors selling a deceased estate. Siblings who do not agree on price or timing. Separations where both parties need to trust the same number.
In those situations an independent voice does more than improve the result. It takes the decision out of the family and puts it on evidence, which is often what everyone actually wants.
If the property question sits inside a larger estate matter, that is our estate property advisory work and we can look at it that way instead.
Where we do this
We can help vendors choose agents anywhere in NSW. We have the tools to measure sales performance in ways most sellers do not.
Most commonly we get asked to help vendors across the same patches we buy in. Wollongong, Kiama and the Illawarra, down through the South Coast to Nowra, Jervis Bay, Ulladulla and Mollymook, and out into regional NSW.
Thinking about selling?
Talk to us before you start calling agents, or invite the first agent through. The earlier the better. That is the moment where this is worth the most.
Tell us about the property and what you are trying to achieve, and we will tell you how we would approach it and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a vendor advocate?
A vendor advocate is an independent adviser who works for you, the seller, rather than for the selling agent. We work out what your property is worth before agents appraise it. We help you choose the right agent, agree the method and campaign, and stay involved until it sells. The agent still runs the sale. Read the full explainer.
Do you sell my house?
No. Precium is not a selling agency and holds no listings. You appoint a selling agent and they sell the property. Our role is helping you choose the right one, agree the terms, and hold them to the job.
Why not just pick an agent myself?
Plenty of people do. The difficulty is in separating the listing pitch from actual sales results. We do it constantly, we know which agents perform in which streets, and we choose the one most likely to get you the result you need.
How do you get paid?
We are paid one of two ways, and you can choose which before you engage us. Either a direct fee from you, or a percentage of an agent referral. Whichever applies is set out in writing up front, and in most cases the referral arrangement does not cost you any extra.
What we will never take is an undisclosed kickback or commission from an agent, a seller or a developer. If anyone is paying us anything in connection with your sale, you will know about it before you decide.
You are a buyer's agency. Is that a conflict?
No. REBAA prohibits members from selling but allows vendor advocacy.
We never act for a buyer and a seller in the same transaction. If one of our buyer clients is interested in a property we are advising a vendor on, we say so immediately and step back from the vendor side.
Working buyer-side most of the time is also what makes this useful. We watch how agents behave from the other side of a negotiation every week of the year.
What if I have already signed with an agent?
Get in touch anyway. Depending on the agreement and where the campaign is up to, there may still be things worth doing. If there are not, we will tell you.
Do you help with estates and family sales?
Yes, and a good portion of this work is exactly that. Deceased estates, siblings who do not agree, and separations where both parties require extra support and care. Often grief and differences of opinion are also involved. We can help. An independent assessment puts the decision on evidence rather than on whoever is loudest. Please check out our estate property advisory page.
What does it cost?
It depends on the property and the level of involvement. Tell us about the property and what you are trying to achieve and we will tell you before you commit to anything.