Last updated 25 October 2026
If you are thinking of selling, you have probably realised you have a major decision to make: how to choose an agent?
Who to call. How many to interview. Whether the one with the most ads locally is the one to trust.
Most people sell once every ten or twenty years. Ads and signboards do nothing to help you know who to choose.
We can help with that.
What is a vendor advocate?
A vendor advocate is an independent adviser who works for the person selling a property, rather than for the selling agent.
They help you choose the right agent, agree the sale method and campaign, and stay involved until the property sells. The agent still lists, markets and sells the home.
In NSW, anyone paid to advise you on the sale of your property needs a real estate licence. A vendor advocate is no exception.
What does a vendor advocate actually do?
A vendor advocate handles the decisions that sit around the sale. Most of that work happens before the first agent walks through your front door.
At Precium, our vendor advocacy service runs in five steps.
- We work out what the property is worth first. A comparative market analysis built on recent comparable sales, done before any agent gives you a number. You then have something independent to measure their appraisals against.
- We shortlist agents on results. Not the biggest signboards. The agents selling property like yours, in your area, right now.
- We sit in on the appraisals. We ask the questions most sellers would not think to ask, and we help you separate the pitch from the evidence.
- We agree the method and the campaign. Auction, private treaty or expressions of interest. The price strategy, the timing, and how much marketing is worth paying for.
- We stay involved until it sells. We hold the agent to what was agreed, read what is coming back from buyers each week, and tell you what it means.
Every agent who appraises your home is also auditioning for the job. Their number is partly an assessment of value and partly a pitch to win your listing.
Overquoting to win a listing is common. So is the conversation four weeks later, when the price needs to come back after the campaign money is spent.
What a vendor advocate does not do
A vendor advocate does not list your property, run the open homes or negotiate directly with buyers. Those jobs stay with the selling agent you appoint.
You still sign an agency agreement with that agent. You still pay them commission when the property sells.
The advocate’s job is making sure you appoint the right agent, and that the agent does what they said they would.
Vendor advocate vs selling agent
Both are on the seller’s side. They do very different jobs.
| Vendor advocate | Selling agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Helps you choose and manage the agent | Lists, markets and sells the property |
| When they start | Before you call any agents | Once you sign the agency agreement |
| Their price view | Independent, prepared before agents quote | Part assessment, part pitch to win your listing |
| Deals with buyers | No, works through the agent | Yes, runs inspections and negotiates offers |
| How they are paid | A direct fee, or a share of the agent’s commission | Commission on the sale, plus the marketing you pay for |
| NSW real estate licence | Required | Required |
How do vendor advocates get paid?
Vendor advocates are usually paid one of two ways. Either you pay them a fee directly, or the agent you appoint pays them a share of the commission.
Both are legitimate. What matters is knowing which one applies, and how much, before you engage anyone.
A direct fee
You pay the advocate separately to the agent. You know exactly who is paying for the advice.
A share of the agent’s commission
The selling agent passes part of their commission to the advocate as a referral fee. This is often described as “no extra cost to you”, and in many cases the total you pay does not change.
If an advocate is paid this way, ask them three things:
- How much is it, as a dollar figure or a percentage?
- Will you put it in writing before I engage you?
- Does it change the total I pay?
How Precium is paid
We are paid one of these two ways, and you can choose which before you engage us. Whichever applies is set out in writing up front. 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.
When is a vendor advocate worth it?
A vendor advocate is most useful when you do not know the local agents, do not have the time to manage a sale, or have more riding on it than a usual sale.
That usually looks like one of these:
- You have not sold in years. Agents, campaigns and buyer behaviour have changed since you last did this.
- You are emotionally connected to the property. So you are likely to feel pressure to get the agent selection process right.
- The sale is part of an estate or a family decision. Executors, siblings who do not agree on price or timing, separations where both parties need to trust the same number. An independent view moves the decision onto evidence. Where the property sits inside a bigger estate matter, our estate property advisory work may suit better.
- A previous campaign did not work. You do not want to repeat it with a different agent and the same approach.
- You are short on time. You want the sale handled properly without giving up your weekends to it.
A real example
Mark and Cate (not their real names) are a good example of that last one.
Some years ago we bought them an investment property. When they decided to sell it to fund a granny flat at home, they came back to us.
Both work full time in health careers, with kids at home. They did not want to spend their weekends researching agents, sitting through pitches, being pressured to pick one and then managing a campaign.
So we walked them through the whole thing, from choosing the agent to the sale.
It sold inside 3 weeks, in the appraised price range.
When a vendor advocate probably is not worth it
Some sellers do not need one. Can you say yes to all three of the below points?
- You sell regularly and already know which agents perform in your area.
- You have an agent you trust, they got you a good result last time, and you would happily use them again.
- The sale is simple, and you have the time and confidence to compare agents yourself.
If that is you, a few hours checking recent sales for each agent you are considering will cover much of the same ground.
Questions to ask before you hire a vendor advocate
- Are you licensed? In NSW, anyone paid to advise on your sale needs a real estate licence. Check it on NSW Fair Trading’s property services licence check.
- How are you paid, and will you put it in writing before I engage you?
- How do you choose which agents to shortlist? Listen for recent sales results, not reputation or friendships.
- Do you also act for buyers? If they do, ask what happens if one of their buyers wants your property.
Precium also acts for buyers, so here is our answer. We are a buyer’s agency first, and we will never act for a buyer and a seller in the same transaction. If a buyer client of ours is interested in a property we are advising a vendor on, we say so immediately and step back from the vendor side.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still pay the selling agent’s commission?
Yes. The agent who sells your property is paid commission under the agency agreement. A vendor advocate’s fee is either a separate fee or a share of that commission.
Can I bring in a vendor advocate after I have signed with an agent?
Often, yes. Depending on the agreement and where the campaign is up to, there may still be things worth doing.
Is a vendor advocate the same as a buyer’s agent?
No. A buyer’s agent acts for the buyer. A vendor advocate acts for the seller. Some firms, including Precium, offer both, which is why the rule about never acting for both sides in one sale matters.
Where does Precium offer vendor advocacy?
Anywhere in NSW. Most often we are asked to help sellers in Wollongong, Kiama and the Illawarra, and down the South Coast through Nowra, Jervis Bay, Ulladulla and Mollymook.
Thinking about selling?
Talk to us before you call the first agent. That is when an independent view 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.
