This week Purchase with Penny reached 50 Google reviews, every one of them five stars!
I’m proud of that number. I actually remember when I launched my Google profile four years ago and had zero reviews, wondering how I would find my first client and how I would win business over people who already had reviews and credibility. I lost count of how many times I reminded myself that everyone started at zero. “Don’t compare your day one to someone else’s day one thousand” was on repeat in my head!
But what matters more than the number is what’s inside the reviews. When I read them together, the same handful of problems comes up again and again. If you’re buying in Sydney right now, there’s a good chance one of them is yours.
“I don’t have the time, or the know-how.”
Saving you time is the obvious part. What clients mention more often is what they couldn’t have done on their own. As one put it: “Even if we had the time, we certainly would not have had the insights, skills and knowledge.”
That knowledge is what gives buyers confidence. Before I was a buyer’s agent, I spent more than 15 years in property law. So when I read a contract or a strata report, I’m looking for the things that become expensive later. One client noted my knowledge was “exceptional, especially given her legal and commercial background.” Another said it “gave us real confidence throughout the process.”
In practice, that means knowing which buildings have healthy strata and which don’t, and knowing which comparable sales belong in a valuation. It also means knowing how an agent is likely to run a campaign, and when to make an offer. Those are the decisions that protect your budget, not just your weekends.
“Auctions terrify me.”
Auction bidding is the most-mentioned topic in my reviews. One buyer came to me nine days before auction day and said watching me bid was “calm, cool, and confident, and we walked away with our dream home.” A clear strategy, set before the day, takes the emotion out of the room.
“I don’t know what it’s actually worth.”
Overpaying is the fear behind almost every purchase. Clients often mention the comparable sales and price research I give them before they commit. As one put it, it meant “I was purchasing the right property, for the right price, at the right time.”
“My brief is too specific.”
A particular suburb, a growing family, a must-have list that never seems to show up on the portals. One client said I “truly found us a unicorn.” Many of the best options never reach the portals, which is why agent relationships matter.
“We’re first home buyers and it feels overwhelming.”
Several reviews come from first home buyers who started out feeling lost. My aim is to be honest about the trade-offs your budget might require, so there are no surprises later.
You are not alone…
Every buyer’s situation is different, but the problems tend to repeat. If one of these sounds familiar, a 15-minute call is usually enough to work out where you stand and what to do next.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review. It means a lot.
P.S. You can read all 50 reviews on my Google profile.
