What is the difference between a buyer's agent and a selling agent?
A selling agent is engaged by the vendor to sell their property, while a buyer's agent is engaged by the buyer to find, assess and secure a property on the buyer's behalf.
Both hold a real estate licence, and both may stand in the same room at an inspection or an auction. The difference is who engaged them, and therefore whose interests they are there to protect.
| Selling agent | Buyer's agent (McGregor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engaged by | The vendor | You, the buyer |
| Represents | The vendor's interests in the sale | The buyer only, never the vendor and never both sides |
| Who pays them | The vendor | You only. $0 from developers, $0 from selling agents |
| How the fee is set | Agreed between the vendor and the agent | One flat fee, confirmed in writing before any search begins, never a percentage of the purchase price |
| Which properties | The listings they have been engaged to sell | On and off-market property that fits your brief |
| At auction | Runs the campaign for the vendor | Bids for you up to your limit and can negotiate straight after a pass-in |
Can the selling agent help me as a buyer?
A selling agent can show you the property, answer your questions and pass your offer to the vendor, but they have been engaged by the vendor, so their job is to get the vendor the best result.
That is not a criticism. It is the role. It does mean that advice on what to offer, how to bid or whether a property suits your structure should come from someone who works for you.
Why does it matter how a buyer's agent is paid?
How an agent is paid shapes what they are rewarded for, so the safest arrangement is a fee paid only by you and not linked to the price you pay.
- Flat fee, agreed before we start. A fee tied to the purchase price would reward a more expensive purchase. Ours is never a percentage.
- No developer commissions. We are never paid to place you into a particular project, builder or development.
- No selling-agent kickbacks. We don't accept referral payments for steering you toward anyone's listings.
- No surprise charges at settlement. The fee is confirmed in writing before any search begins.
The full fee model is set out on our home page.
What does a former selling agent bring to the buyer's side?
Someone who has run sales campaigns and auctions knows how the other side prices, negotiates and reads a room, and can use that for the buyer.
Laura McGregor has held her real estate licence since 2015, working as a Class 1 Real Estate Agent and Auctioneer across residential and commercial transactions. She started this agency to work only for buyers: no cut from developers, no higher fee for a higher price, and never representing the person selling to you.
When is a buyer's agent worth using instead of dealing with the selling agent directly?
A buyer's agent earns their fee when you can't be there, when the purchase is complex, or when you want someone negotiating and bidding who works only for you.
- You live interstate or overseas. We inspect every property in person before it reaches your shortlist and film walkthroughs of every serious contender. See how this works on the Gold Coast.
- The property is going to auction. A licensed auctioneer can bid for you, as a standalone fixed-fee service, without a full buyer's agent engagement.
- The structure matters. SMSF, trust and company purchases, and new-build contracts, need due diligence coordinated with your accountant, adviser and lawyer.
- You want off-market access as well as the listings the selling agents are advertising.
What should you ask a buyer's agent before you sign?
Ask who else pays them, how their fee is calculated, and whether they ever act for the vendor; the answers tell you whose side they are on.
- Do you receive any commission, referral fee or incentive from developers, builders or selling agents?
- Is your fee a flat amount or a percentage of the purchase price?
- Will you ever represent the vendor, or both sides of the same sale?
- Will the fee be confirmed in writing before the search starts?
- Are you licensed, and for how long?
- What identity and funding information will you need from me, and why? From 1 July 2026 real estate professionals providing regulated services have AML/CTF obligations. Read what that means.