the formal bio 

Lisa is a Licensed Real Estate Agent (Certificate 1V in Property), specialising in Buyer’s Advocacy in Melbourne. She is fully insured, a Corporate Member of the Real estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) & a member of Real Estate Buyers Advocate Association of Australia (REBAA).

Lisa holds additional qualifications as a financial planner (Diploma of Financial Planning) and is a qualified Mortgage Broker, (Certificate 1V in Finance & Mortgage Broking).

Her direct experience as a mortgage broker gives Lisa a competitive edge when considering client’s goals and asset selection, understanding how valuers and banks will view a property for lending purposes and understands the risks that impact property buyers when it comes to obtaining finance. Using her knowledge of bank lending, Lisa is well positioned to assist investors wanting to grow a portfolio of property, select the right properties and target the right combination of factors that will allow investors to grow a portfolio beyond just 1 investment.

With a diploma of Financial Planning in hand, Lisa has the foundation to understand forward planning, accurately determine client risk profile, assist clients in risk management strategies and match the right property to clients goals, financial foundation, abilities and risk profile.

With 15 years experience running a buyers advocacy business in Melbourne, Lisa regularly mentors up-and-coming buyers advocates across Australia and provides regular commentary to both on-line and print media.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WHAT YOU DO?  

AND HOW DID YOU GET TO BE A BUYER’S AGENT ?

The short answer is 15 years and I wanted to do this job before I even knew it was a job. 

The cup of tea version – Perhaps the best way to explain why I do what I do is to share a defining moment in my life.

I was 17 years of age and I was working for a small scale property developer. I watched his life and the life of his family change as he transitioned out of the work force and into property developing full time.  I loved every single aspect of the work I did with him. From investigating potential deals, attending auctions, ripping out old features of the house to resell before demolition to running around between the draftsman’s office to the council counter lodging forms and plans. I loved it all.

Then there was the lifestyle changes I witnessed:

• More time with family
• Working less hours
• More holidays
• Days off once projects were underway
• Long lunches…………..seemingly a life full of freedom

I was so smitten by the work I was doing and the lifestyle changes I saw were possible, I never wanted to stop……..and I didn’t.

A short while later I moved to Melbourne and took my new found love for property developing and real estate investing with me. I spent every waking hour researching property investment, reading property investing books and attending courses in property investment and began my career as a real estate agent.

At the time agents were not well versed in the art of property investment. So when I was offered a position in the property investment team at a financial planning company I found myself right where I wanted to be.

After moving through the ranks very quickly and rising to be one of the most senior property investment specialists (at age 24), something was not sitting right with me. The more I educated myself and became a property investor, the more I realised that the advice given to clients was not independent or tailored to the client’s needs. I felt dis-enchanted and knowing what I now knew about property investment I could no longer assist clients into properties that I did not consider good investments.

In my heart of hearts I was feeling called to pass forward everything I had learned about property investing and provide independent, unbiased advice to my clients.  So from that day forward I dedicated myself to working exclusively for property investors and vowed to deliver my clients tailored solutions and independent advice they deserved.

Who are your clients?  

In my Buyers Agency clients are typically professionally employed people who want the benefits of property investment, but recognise they do not have the time required to buy an outstanding investment property which will perform the way they expect it to or they do not live local to the area they want to invest in.

I also work with busy home buyers and first time home buyers who feel overwhelmed by the process of buying, feel intimidated by the thought of bidding at auction or just feel better about hiring a professional to take the task off their hands.

Analytical types are my speciality!

Most of the clients I work with are employed as;

• Senior Executives & Managers
• IT Professionals
• Bank Employees
• Risk Analysis, Engineers and Project Managers
• Dentists
• Doctors
• Business owners

there are three main things that set us apart from other buyer’s agents 

But before we go on, I want to be really upfront and honest with you. I’m not the cheapest advocate in Melbourne. Actually, my fees are in line with the most expensive advocates in Melbourne. But there is a reason for that. I have serious runs on the board and can demonstrate why paying a little extra will actually save you a lot more money in the long run.

what size company are you?

We are a boutique advocacy. Which means when you sign up to work with me, you really will be working with me. I have an assistant and a back up buyers advocate who supports me when I can’t be in two places at once. However 99% of the time, you will be dealing directly with me for everything relating to your purchase.

No hand-balling to a junior burger with no experience here!

what types of personalities do you work with?

Investors who work perfectly with Parker Buyer’s Advocates;

• Want to invest in property is a safe, steady and strategic fashion
• Want to buy for the long term (buy and hold investors)
• Like low risk deals or deals where risk can be calculated with accuracy
• Have a strong financial foundation (ie equity, savings and an ability to hold the property while it is negatively geared)
• Have a minimum budget of $450,000 to invest
• Are able to work collaboratively and are responsive during the search phase of our work
• Are really serious about getting a result
• Really want to work with an advocate they respect and trust

We are known to work best with people who want to invest in property safely and strategically. 

Meaning that the decision making process comes down to;

• Which properties make the most financial sense
• Match clients risk profile and
• Fit within their property investment strategy

Home buyers who work perfectly with Parker Buyer’s Advocates;

• Are really ready to buy their new or first home and would love to have a professional on their side
• Want an expert eye to look over and assess their property to make sure they are buying a real gem
• Have a desire to short-cut the process, saving months of trying to develop a realistic brief on their own
• Are focused and committed to achieving a successful outcome
• Want to ensure they pay the right price for a property and avoid costly mistakes
• Love the idea of accessing off-markets for consideration and avoiding the competition from regular buyers
• Are decisive decision makers
• Value expertise and quality over a cheap solution

for whom will your service not work?

There are a few types of people for whom our service does not work well for;

1. Price Shoppers

If you are looking for the cheapest buyers advocate, I’m not it. My fee is very fair and reasonable when considering the amount of money you are about to invest in a property.

2. Discounts-Are-Us Types

Want a discount on the service because it makes you feel great buying a product or service for less than the advertised price? Trust me, asking for a discount won’t work here. I’m a tough negotiator and won’t discount my fees.

When it comes to buying your property I’m going to negotiate equally as hard for you and your money to keep as much money in your pocket as possible. I always aim to save you at least my fee in negotiations. But many clients have saved three to four times my fee.

After I show you our results and how a cheaper advocate lost their clients multiple opportunities and cost others an additional $40K-$80K due to bad buyer advocacy work, you will WANT to pay the right amount to get the right service.

3. Investors looking to Flip Property

Our investing philosophy work best for people who are looking to grow a portfolio of property steadily, one property at a time in a safe and strategic manner.  (We do assist investors with more advanced strategies like buying for subdivision, renovation and future development, but clients must be looking for a longer term project not a quick flip)

4. Investors looking for very high or positive cash flow investment properties

They do not exist in Melbourne, however we know which areas and property types to target to get you the highest yielding, growth asset we can.

5. Time Wasters

Sorry, I just want to be direct. One of my pet peeves is wasting time. If you are not 100% sure you want to get a great result, then I am not for you.
I won’t be spending 12 months letting you muck around losing great opportunities because you are not dedicated to the process.

I am going to make you my top priority and work hard for you. I want you to take our work together seriously too.

WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT FROM WORKING WITH YOU?

you can expect to:

• Hone in on the EXACT properties that will get you the results you want
• Create a clearly defined property investment strategy that will keep you focussed on the right type of property (or home buyers brief)
• Set appropriate financial limits on properties you are interested in purchasing
• Eliminate non-ideal properties efficiently so you can focus on properties that will work for you
• Have an expert deal with the selling agents so they do not waste your time dragging you through properties that don’t fit your brief
• Avoid chasing under-quoted properties so you can focus on properties which will sell within your budget
• Reach your ideal properties off-market before other buyers have a chance to view them
• Think smarter about property rather than allowing personal preferences or emotions guide you (investors)
• Get your results many months sooner than you would if you DIY
• Become an expert in property investment by “doing” rather than observing or reading
• Create power partnerships with key property professionals who will make your property journey easy
• Create winning negotiation strategies and offers that vendors will want to accept
• Receive specific advice and support during and after your property purchase
• Get financial analysis reports which will help guide your decisions
• Access a system which allows you to strategically compare a number of shortlisted properties to determine which property is the outstanding choice

Have YOU EVER HAD ANYONE NOT GET A POSITIVE RESULt?

HOW CAN I GUARANTEE MY SUCCESS WHEN I WORK WITH YOU?

I will guarantee your success. If we decide together, I will personally guarantee you a successful result. If we do not reach a successful result, and you have been genuinely willing and committed to buying the right property while working with us, and followed our guidelines on how to work with us, I will refund your engagement fee.

ROUGHLY HOW MUCH CAN I EXPECT TO PAY WHEN USING A BUYERS AGENT ?

I will provide you with a fixed fee quote once I know more about your assignment, however as a guide so you can budget accordingly, you should budget a minimum of $12,000+gst or 2.2% of your budget.

We have a range of other services which fall below this price point for those who do not wish to use the full service.

seen it cheaper elsewhere?

Many of our best clients who price shopped found that after looking at a genuine  “apples to apples” comparison there really was a difference between me and cheaper alternatives.

After weighing up that difference the feedback we received is that our clients prefer to pay for a quality service, experience and track-record and are more focused on the outcomes and value they receive from our service rather than saving a few thousand dollars.

WHEN DO I PAY THE FEE?

The total fee is paid in two instalments.

1. Engagement – when you engage our services a 30% deposit for the service is payable
2. Success fee – once a property has been successfully negotiated and is under contract the remainder of the fee is due

WILL I RECOVER MY INVESTMENT IN YOUR SERVICE?

There are a few ways that you will recover your investment in my buyer’s agent service.

1)   TIME SAVED

Many of my clients come to me after trying to buy real estate for 12 months. When you work with me, you not only save 12 months of trying to DIY, but because of the resources I have access to and my experience I am able to hone in on the right properties faster and negotiate to win the ideal property for you quickly.

2)   EXPERIENCED GAINED

Some of my clients love the idea of hiring me for their first 1-2 purchases before they venture off and DIY. That way they can learn from an expert AND get their desired result saving them from having to invest money into expensive property training and mentors.

3)   SAVINGS OFF ASK PRICE

Depending on the property market, your budget and your brief it is possible for you to save a lot of money off the asking price. You can view the case studies to see the varying amounts and circumstances surrounding the discounts clients have enjoyed.

4)   MAKE MONEY ON PURCHASE

As the old saying goes “you make money when you purchase”, and that can certainly be the case for my clients when they work with me. My experience and expertise gives you the upper hand when it comes to securing a property before it hits the market and without competition which means you pay less for the property than you would if you were a weekend buyer competing against multiple offers. Buying below market value gives you instant equity and places you ahead of the game.

CAN YOU LOCATE CASH FLOW POSITIVE PROPERTIES?

Melbourne is not known for having really high rental yields, so typically the answer is No. However, if you have a large cash deposit and interest rates are low, this may result in your property being cash flow positive.

DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO OFF-MARKET PROPERTIES?

Yes. Every. Single Day.

WHAT PRICE RANGE DO YOU TYPICALLY WORK WITH?

We work with clients with budgets of $450,000 up to $5,000,000.

WHICH AREAS DO YOU COVER?

Inner North, Eastern, Bayside, Mornington Peninsula and Daylesford.

With my long-standing expertise in the industry there are not many suburbs (worth knowing) in Melbourne that I do not know like the back of my hand. We make it our business to understand the unique characteristics of each and every suburb, the no-go zones and cut through roads, the premium pockets, the housing style, the quirks you need to be aware of.  

With an extensive contact lists of agents across Melbourne who know, like (some even Love) and trust us, we are never short on agents who LOVE to help us get our clients results. All it takes is a phone call and an email and we are cooking with gas and after a day on the phones our clients have had 10-15 properties analysed for them. 

A small caveat – there are a few areas we not cover: Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gippsland regions.

We do accept holiday house assignments and can assist you on the Mornington Peninsula, Dandenongs Region  & Daylesford.

What agents say about working with us?

“Lisa, you are the only advocate I work with” Agent, Deer Park

“Lisa, you are so personable and a pleasure to work with, if you ever need ANYTHING, no matter what, please call me. I would love to help you out with anything I can” – Selling Agent, Kew

“Parker Buyer Advocates are a dream to work with, they are the best thing ever for your clients” – Selling Agent, St Albans

“I only work with you and one other advocate. Some can be so arrogant and rude” – Selling Agent, Frankston

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS AND ARE YOU APPROPRIATELY INSURED AND LICENSED?

Licensed

Insured

Corporate Member REIV

REBAA Accredited member

ARE YOU 100% INDEPENDENT?

Yes, 100% of our work is in the interest of you! No conflicts.

We

• DO NOT receive any referral commissions from a third party
• DO NOT sell real estate, and
• DO NOT have affiliations with any builders or developers

We are 100% independent buyers advocates in the truest sense of the word.

BASED ON EVERYTHING I’VE READ AND HEARD ABOUT YOU, I KNOW YOU’RE THE Advocate for me

To get started with buying your ideal property and to find out more about the service offering please book a time to discuss the options further. 
Click here to book a time

CLICK HERE TO ORGANISE A “GET ACQUAINTED” CALL. A GET ACQUAINTED CALL IS A 20-30 MIN PHONE CALL, WHERE WE DISCUSS YOUR HOPES, PROPERTY GOALS AND LIFESTYLE DREAMS. DURING THE CALL WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. WE CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON OR ON THE PHONE TO GET YOU STARTED ON YOUR PATH TO BUYING YOUR DREAM HOME, BUILDING A PROPERTY PORTFOLIO, OR BOTH!  CLICK HERE TO GET ACQUAINTED