Melbourne Buyer Agent Testimonials

I felt that he was very honourable in advising me of this, rather than just serving his own interests. James Buyers acted on my behalf as a Buyer’s Advocate to purchase a high-end property in October, 2011. Mal James was at all times professional and did a lot of research pre-auction on this property. Unfortunately, I was the under-bidder, as the property sold well beyond our expectations, but I must commend Mal on his handling of the situation. I found it unusual for Mal to advise me that in future, I would need to find another Advocate, as it became apparent to him that the Agents knew he was acting on my behalf. So to safeguard my future interests, he withdrew as my Advocate, so the Agents would not push prices to the limit we went to in the previous auction. I felt that he was very honourable in advising me of this, rather than just serving his own interests. I can highly recommend James Buyer Advocates.
Caroline Dessau
melbourne

On the day, the agreed strategy worked perfectly and all parties were happy so can’t be bad! Hi All Just wanted to take this opportunity of expressing our heartfelt thanks to you all for assisting in the purchase of our new house. Being ‘new’ to the country, it made a big difference to us having your professional approach. Also appreciate the honesty of the conversations. On the day, the agreed strategy worked perfectly and all parties were happy so can’t be bad!
Sian & Mark Searles
hawthorn east

Thank you all for your assistance in purchasing our home in Brighton (wow, what a location!) As buyers sitting in Houston, Texas, your advice, honest feedback, support and guidance meant we were very confident spending more money that we ever have on a property as we felt we really understood what the value was better than for any of our other 10 or so purchases over the years. I liked the way you went thru your process and highlighted the uncertainties; you pushed but accepted our decisions on what to bid. I never felt like you were rushing us, and you were patient as we determined what our real needs were. Mal, a couple of your quotes stood out "you're following a 0.5% strategy" "you're approach will result in you buying a house no-one else wants!" I will never forget the effect these had on us. You all provided very responsive service, we went from nothing to bidding twice in relatively short time as Samantha and I firmed up our personal needs and wants. We felt like we were your only clients, such was your excellent support.
Samantha & Robert Zammit
brighton

Your fee was earned and saved many times over Mal, Thanks again for your help in buying our new home. Your team did a great job in keeping us fully informed through the process and continually challenged us in terms of our thinking and decision making. Importantly, you helped us avoid making the wrong decisions as well as ensuring we made the right decisions. When it came to the pointy end, you made sure that we bought the right house at the very best price that we could. Your fee was earned and saved many times over. Please pass on my thanks to Adam and Gina and I owe you all a coffee!
Malcolm, Liam & Hugh Flanagan
toorak

Thank you for your consistent service, thorough research and honest advice over the last 15 months. Dear Mal, Kristen, Adam and Gina, Thank you for your consistent service, thorough research and honest advice over the last 15 months. We are thrilled with our new home, happy with the price we paid and, thanks to your team, the whole process of buying the home was relatively stress free! Right from the start, we were very comfortable working with you and appreciated your “up front” and professional approach. Our only frustration has been the modest supply of homes on the market that fitted with our ideal, but I’m pretty sure, even though you have a huge influence in the real estate game, even you can’t influence that! Thanks also for the lovely flowers. Narelle and Nick
Nick and Narelle
malvern

The new owners said that they took note of your rating and summary, and that gave them confidence. Hi Mal, As you know we are a big fan of your website and we sold our house on Saturday (as you know). The new owners said that they took note of your rating and summary, and that gave them confidence. So, thanks to you and your excellent website. We have a 150 day settlement, so that gives us time to look for a new place. Anyway, thanks again. PS ????? from ????? bought our house (for himself). Dr David Weissman.
David
hawthorn

Thanks for your help in the negotiations and keeping the price at a level we believe is appropriate for our circumstances. Thank you for the lovely bouquet of flowers that awaited me this evening - they were a very pleasant 'welcome home'. We have 2 parents/parents-in-law who are extremely excited about the purchase and upcoming relocation, so much so that they made 2 trips passed the house today! We are now just counting down the days until settlement. Kind regards
Kathy Braddon
brighton

We truly appreciate the way you managed the negotiation and purchase strategy with the real estate agents. After 4 years overseas it was good to be able to rely on the services of James Buyers to provide a balanced view of the tangible and intangible aspects of purchasing a family home in the Melbourne market. The rating system and review process certainly managed to provide increased clarity to our search and allowed us to narrow the potential targets.
Heather & Chris Davis

Quite simply, we wouldn't have bought the house without you. We wouldn't have heard about the property, wouldn't have looked at it, wouldn't have clearly assessed its short and long term potential for us, and certainly wouldn't have secured the property at a very hotly contested auction! We are both very methodical people and particularly appreciated the logic and clarity of your property rating system and, at the "pointy end" of things, the very detailed valuation which allowed us to arrive at the auction with well organised finances. Important though all these numbers were, your warmth and humour Adam, was probably of equal importance.. I, in particular, was so uncomfortable with the concept of using a buyers advocate but quickly felt that you were taking the time to listen, understand and ultimately help distill exactly what we were looking for in a family home. It was a very respectful and supportive process.
Cathy & Dean
hawthorn

We love the house and we're so glad we got it - for a great price too! We always felt we were in safe hands, and your depth of knowledge and attention to detail gave us confidence throughout the process. We especially appreciate your willingness to go the extra mile, and the professional level of service from yourself and the team.
Anna & Josh
carlton north

You asked us to trust you, and in return, you helped sharpen our focus on the fundamentals of a number of key properties. This was the beginning of an education process, one that challenged us to fully consider the emphasis we placed on various needs. We were overwhelmed to have bought a better home, in a better position, for a better price then we had dreamt possible. You can't really ask for more than that.
R & A Smith
mont albert north

As we think about that day, we reflect with confidence that our million dollar signatures were signing for exactly what was on offer. From the word go, your professionalism was unquestionable and we felt instant rapport both with your approach and your personalities. Your ability to facilitate personal meetings at short notice and accommodate busy work schedules was invaluable. You gave us much needed advice and guidance and despite time constraints, we never felt rushed into making decisions and always felt as though any decisions made were ultimately our own and met with respect. Your gentle challenging of our decision process was invaluable in crystallising the reasons why the house felt so right for us, and your constructive criticism was equally well received. All attributes we so desperately needed in helping us make the biggest decision in our lives, potentially for the next 20 years.
Tanya & Evan
surrey hills

Kristen, you have been unfailing and so professional in helping us through the process and never, for a second, showed signs of giving up. Adam, we have really appreciated your honesty. It really helped us. Learning when to say no to seems more important than what to say yes, and you helped us figure that out. Thanks for finding the extra time to give us your valued opinions too.
Tanya & Campbell
hampton

As expats living in Singapore we were faced with specific challenges in purchasing a home in Melbourne. Trying to purchase a property from overseas is fraught with potential difficulties but you made the process seamless. As we got to know you we felt confident in your assessments and you were able to be very forthright with us. Many times we asked you to look at properties for us that looked great on the real estate pages but were not so good on closer inspection. Many times you said "This is not the right property for you", "You can do better than this". Your advice proved invaluable.
Cindy & Jan

Many friends and family have asked us why we paid for help to find and buy our new house and more importantly they ask 'was it worth it?', we answer with a unanimous 'best money we ever spent!'. Kristen and Mal helped us by
- getting us clear about what we wanted & needed
- keeping us realistic about what and where we could buy within our budget
- stopping us make mistakes by refocusing us on our identified needs
- acting as a common sense sounding board when it was decision time
- dealing with the real estate agents for us
- helping us get clear on what we should expect to pay for different properties
- taking care of auction day and buying our home
Simone & Stuart McDonald
hampton

Mal and his team are all about making sensible, well thought out decisions using their intricate knowledge of the real estate market and how the buying process works and dealing with all the tricks agents use that we would have no idea about. They are diligent, patient, incredibly thorough and willing to put in as much time as it takes to get you the right home. The house we ended up purchasing was an "off market" one which we only found out about because Adam had spoken to an agent. As soon as we walked in we knew we had to have this house and within a week it was ours.
Gary & Jane
camberwell

I just wanted to drop you a note to say how much we're enjoying our new house. As time goes by we appreciate it more and more - it has been extremely practical and successful, and works so well for all of us, including the menagerie of animals! By the end of the year we will be adding another two to our family as I'm expecting twins. We're absolutely thrilled with the news, and of course thrilled that we bought somewhere with enough space to accommodate a family of 6!! So thank you - all of you - for all your hard work on our behalf. We really appreciate it.
Stephanie & Carey
black rock

What we both appreciated the most was your very frank and objective feedback. Your sagely "happy wife happy life" advice was very sound, and meant we could move on and look at other options. I think it saved a lot of long conversations! When the home we purchased with you finally came on the market, your guidance through the process was invaluable. I certainly had become less confident in global markets and the direction the property market was heading. Now that we own it we are incredibly pleased, excited and happy with the decision. The rigour and diligence that you showed made it significantly easier for us to make an informed decision that resulted in a great outcome for our family.
Dean & Linda
ivanhoe east

Your system of clarifying our needs and getting to know us made us feel very comfortable working with you and putting our trust in you. It was very comforting to know that we had an expert really looking after OUR interests instead of real estate agents (of very high quality and repute of course) who are obliged to look after vendors' interests..On the day of the auction we were so glad that we were not bidding and negotiating! Almost 2 months to the day since we engaged you, we bought our dream family home. A magnificent Victorian home in a lovely quiet street, moments from transport, parks and shops.
Nathaniel & Nicki
hawthorn

Your service was professional, and at all times I felt my interests were important to you. I found Mal and Adam trustworthy, diligent, open and honest and your ability to resolve the difficulties was very reassuring and expertly done. The time spent looking at a broad range of properties allowed me to make a more informed decision and ultimately the outcome was perfect for me.
Glenis
port melbourne

Not having dealt with a buyers advocate in the past I was a little unsure as to the process and what to expect, but your communication, knowledge and impeccable negotiating skills helped us secure the property we wanted at a good price.
Matt & Sarah
canterbury

We admired the way you conducted the auction and also for your personal compassion and understanding of all of us in the time up to, and, after the auction. We could not have asked any more of you or Mal, and we would highly recommend you both singly and together to anyone who would seek our advice. We will be reading all the advice you sent through also, and must say, that so far, this has been the easiest purchase Ron and I have ever done in our years together.
The Browns

Although I think we remained in denial for a lot of the pre-bid phase it can only be said that your advice on the ultimate selling price was always accurate. We thank you for your considered and accurate advice, from the very beginning you gave us an accurate range of the likely selling price, for the extensive research you provided in assessing the property and indeed the assistance and the process you established to interview agents in order to assess the reasonable market value of our property. We were also particularly appreciative of your early arrival prior to the auction time and running us through the strategies and expectations of the process that would lie ahead. There is no doubt that when we gather ourselves and re-enter the process, we will be reaching out to yourself and to your team to assist us in the next campaign. (We have since bought for them)
Lyndon & Helen Hayward

Having little to no knowledge of the property market in Melbourne, I decided that getting a buyer's advocate was my best option to ensure I didn't get taken for a ride. Mal James did more than just ensure I got the best deal. He gave me invaluable tips about price estimation of land in my selected area: the floor plan; land price / size ratio; what to look for in terms of investments; best places to look; and the style of home in Melbourne compared to my home town. I sat down with Mal initially to discuss my needs and budget and from there Mal went in search of the ideal property. The months of looking and expenses paid out were all worth it. I imagine searching for myself, in the hard, fast and very competitive Melbourne market, I would have either given up or paid too much for an average property along the way. The investment of using a buyers advocate such as Mal, was priceless for the time, money, stress and results.
Scott Jarred

To be able to talk to someone who had no emotional attachment to the situation was of enormous benefit in helping us make our final decision. After numerous discussions with you, we felt comfortable with our situation, basing our decision on a more financial level rather than an emotional one. We were extremely impressed with your professionalism and your ability to channel our thoughts away from our emotions and focus on the property from an "investment" point of view. The advice you gave was clear and to the point and made sense in every way.
Richard Hatt
beaumaris

It was the first time we had purchased commercial property, and we greatly appreciated your guidance, frank and straightforward explanation of the processes involved and especially your patience in both dealing with us and also real estate agents acting f We looked at a number of properties, with your guidance and assistance. We even made an offer on one property, only to miss out due to the (unpredictable) actions of the vendor's real estate agent. We felt quite 'low' at that time, but you provided a great deal of encouragement, and we persisted. Eventually, we found another property, which provided an even greater opportunity than we initially planned for.
Richard Smoorenburg

We would like to confirm our overall happiness and pleasure in your efforts and success in not only finding, purchasing and outbidding a bunch of enthusiastic buyers for our new house in Surrey Hills. You were able to get us into an ideal home within two months of employing your company. We had been the under-bidder on at least five occasions. It was so pleasing to not only obtain our property within our maximum elected price range but to also knock out a bidder from Sydney who was obviously very annoyed with your tactics as mentioned to us by the selling agent.
Ken & Janine Franklin
surrey hills

Just over a year ago you negotiated the purchase of our little place. One of the units opposite ours (ie with the back courtyard backing the railway line and the crossing about 3 units up - the side you wouldn't let us buy on), which is exactly like ours, recently went on the market and sold at the first open inspection for considerably more. Thought you would like to know, and another very big thank you from the Happy Hippies.
Anita Mullett

Mal's style clicked with us immediately. Straight down the line, open, genuine, laid back, confident but most importantly honest. Mal did not baffle us with promises of immediate purchases in the best suburbs at low prices - we knew we had some work to do. It became clear very early on that Mal was prepared to tell us if he thought our opinion was off the mark, not within market conditions or just simply over exaggerated. We looked at a lot of properties & quite often the three of us had different opinions about places, which made for all the more fun. Overall we are 100% confident that we would not have been able to secure our home without the assistance of Mal. We trusted him completely & have full faith in his ability to advise & direct on one of the biggest purchases that we will ever make.
Andrew & Michelle Peterson
middle park

You were right it was (almost) the best week of my life!!! Thank you SO much for your help & guidance and tremendous professionalism. I have really appreciated the way in which this whole process has progressed. Of course the outcome is wonderful and to have it all happen so smoothly without any fuss or drama is an added bonus. I certainly have been singing your accolades to everyone who comes within Cooee of me. So from the bottom of my heart thank you very much.
Jan Bokor

Mal James provided a property advisory service of a high professional standard. The 'Property Report' was very useful and detailed a broad range of issues and market information on the house we eventually bought. We found Mal's input into sales negotiations particularly valuable and it was most reassuring to have his expertise in this area 'on hand' at the time of auction. We would recommend the services of Mal James to anyone looking for a professional buyers advocate.
Kevin & Judy Mullen

Mal did the entire running around as regards phone calls and paperwork and made a potentially stressful situation completely stress free. In fact, all we did was inspect the property and sign the contract. We are convinced that had we not adopted the strategy Mal advised, and tried to buy the house at auction we would not have been successful as we're sure it would have gone over our budget. At all times Mal was friendly and helpful. He acted with complete professionalism and was always available to talk things through. We would strongly recommend engaging the services of James Buyers Advocates.
Rachel Kenyon & Max McGrath

I am over the moon with the house I have purchased, which I have no doubt eventuated because of your involvement. Thanks to your guidance and good advice. I enjoyed the process enormously from start to finish. Once you identified a property that met your strict criteria, you then proved to me through various methodologies the value of the property, and that it would be make a great investment at the right price. The value you add to the process is not just in what one buys, but also in what one doesn't buy along the way as a result of your guidance. In acting as my buying agent at the auction the tactics you employed along with your firm and confident bidding psyched out prospective bidders allowing me to purchase I believe below what I may have done otherwise.
Sam Caruso

Knowing we had a professional working for us took a great deal of stress out of the whole process. Mal's support was invaluable when we eventually did find a property we wanted to buy. The background information he was able to obtain through his contacts and his detailed property report were both very helpful. We went in to (the auction) really well-prepared, and as confident as we could be that we had done all we could. We were extremely pleased with the outcome. Buying a property can never be totally stress-free, however in our case Mal was able to minimise this. The knowledge and support given throughout made the relatively small cost worthwhile.
Linda & David Wollan
prahran

We could not have bought our home in Melbourne, particularly from a distance, without Mal's help. The advantage of having your 'eyes open and ears to the ground' on our behalf, was a real bonus in a process made a great deal less complex than if we had not had access to your local knowledge, contacts and research resources. We achieved a very good outcome (via your patient negotiations, of course) and one that met the majority of the needs you so diligently reminded us about whenever we got sidetracked!
Julie & Richard Levine

You helped us clarify our goals regarding purchasing the property and importantly discussed the worst-case financial scenarios. From there we could then understand the sensible price needed to buy the property. We were comfortable coming up to auction with the big decisions already made in advance. At the time of signing, it was great to have a knowledgeable party on our side to catch any errors and to oversee the various steps involved which seemed to occur at a rapid speed. Your in-depth knowledge of buying and selling property saved us thousands of dollars on the day and we are very grateful.
G Lowe
yarraville

Not being based in Melbourne meant that I absolutely needed to trust someone on the ground, and Adam was fantastic in this regard, saving me considerable stress. You really took the time to understand our needs and kept me focussed and patient. As a result of this, we have bought a house that we are truly delighted with.
Craig Jeffrey Carr
moonee ponds

Engaging Mal turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made. With just a little over a week until auction day, Mal provided a very substantial report identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the property, plus their opinion as to the likely price range on auction day. On the day, against fierce bidding, Mal stuck to his auction plan and was eventually able to secure the property for us, and within budget. We are indebted to Mal, not only for his skilful bidding tactics, but also for his pre-auction advice, his counsel during post auction proceedings and for his encouragement.
John & Dianne Lockwood

Mal, led us through the process in a logical concise manner where it became obvious to us that the decision should be to buy the property. Your handling of negotiations was superb...the Vendors could do nothing else but accept our offer. It made good sense to them and us. Prospective purchasers think with emotion and whilst you took that into consideration, you also guided us very gently in the right direction. We are proud to say that in the property game you are our "trusted Advisor".
Annette Tanner
hampton

You equipped us with knowledge that gave us confidence in the decisions we had to make in the emotional and stressful environment of selling our home and purchasing a new one. You put much thought into developing strategies and your negotiating skills, under pressure, were outstanding. Your calm disposition was employed to our advantage while being reassuring to us. And you were always willing to "go the extra mile for us". We truly believe that we would not have been successful without your expert counsel, especially at the crucial moments.
Stephen & Lisa Ring

Your firm did everything it said it was going to do and more. You told me what I needed to know, when I needed to know it, whether or not I wanted to hear it. That advice has been completely invaluable. Your bidding was *incredible* to watch! I wouldn't have had the expertise or presence of mind to achieve that result on my own (and I will *never* bid against you!). I put a premium on being professional and ethical, and really appreciated the fact that Mal James operates within those parameters.
Lisa Young
hawthorn

Although we considered ourselves as educated buyers, we are very confident that we could that we would have either paid more for the home we bought or missed out on it altogether if you and your team had not acted on our behalf. You understood our needs immediately and worked objectively to help us assess each property, always acting as the sound voice of logic and reason. Your reputation within the industry as the leading advocate, your business ethics and the respect given to you by agents was very evident. You also stepped us through the paperwork and led the formal processes associated with buying a home, giving us a real level of comfort that everything had been covered off.
Damien & Michelle Bourne

Mal and his team were well worth the investment; we have a beautiful home in a great location and at a good price. Living overseas and purchasing property (not just any property - our first home) is quite a daunting prospect. We couldn't rely on online photos and didn't want to put pressure on family and friends helping us out (what if they got it wrong?). The process and guidance that Mal and his team provided meant that we didn't rush into something that wasn't quite right for us. With being such a long way from home, we were concerned that we wouldn't know a good deal from a bad deal. Mal and Kristen made this analysis a lot easier, providing their experience and good comparatives to ensure we knew what constituted a good deal and what would be to high a price to pay. On auction day the team prepared well, used their experience and the result turned to our favour. After the auction Mal and Kristen took care of the paper work and ensured there were no irregularities and continue to ensure that we are doing everything we are meant to.
Kate & Brook Logan
malvern

My experience with Adam and JBA resulted in a great start to my investment portfolio, giving me the potential to acquire additional properties in the very near future, for all of which, I will be seeking Adam's expertise. Adam's years of experience as an Architect and conducting building inspections, proved invaluable when it came to assessing the potential for renovations, additional costs that may arise and recognising the cardinal aspects of what will be most profitable and advantageous for me in the future. This process educated me along the way to be able to see through the superficial aspects, to the fundamentals of what makes a great investment property and with Adam always keeping me well informed and maintaining regular contact. I ended up purchasing a property in a great area, for less than the asking price.
Glenn Lockwood