Buyers agents

Off-market stock comes through private networks of selling agents, site finders, and other buyers agents who share pre-list and post-list discreet stock with buyers agents they trust to close. Buyers agents get on the call list by closing consistently, paying conjunctional commission promptly, and reciprocating with their own off-market flow. Socii is the private network where every off-market introduction is documented.

Standard buyers agent fees in Australia are 1.5% to 3% of the purchase price, structured as a retainer ($2k to $10k) plus a success fee on completion. Some buyers agents charge a flat fee ($10k to $30k) on sub-$2M residential deals. Commercial and prestige residential ($5M+) tends to be percentage-based.

Refer-out arrangements where one buyers agent passes work to a specialist (out-of-area, commercial, prestige) typically split at 15% to 25% of the receiving agent fee. The client must be told about the referral arrangement and the fee split in writing. Conjunctional commission with selling agents on the same listing is typically 50/50.

Yes, with disclosure to the client. Most Australian states permit unlicensed introducer fees provided the introducer does not act for either party in the negotiation. The buyers agent must disclose the referral arrangement in writing. Some agreements pay the introducer a flat fee from the buyer (paid alongside the buyers agent fee); others split the buyers agent fee with the introducer.

The exclusive engagement agreement is the standard protection. Most agreements include a clause that any property purchased during the engagement period (and often 3 to 12 months after) triggers the success fee, regardless of whether the agent introduced it. This protects the agent from buyers who use them to qualify a deal then buy direct.