A buyers agent finds and negotiates the property, a mortgage broker arranges the loan, and a financial adviser advises on whether and how property fits your wider financial position. They are three different jobs, and on a good purchase you usually want all three done by the right person.
Most investors I meet have already worked out what a buyers agent does. The next question is the practical one: do I still need a broker, do I need an adviser, and who is meant to be running the whole thing? This is the team question, and it sits beside buyers agent vs sales agent and buyers agent vs doing it yourself. Those two cover the other side of the table and the solo route. This one covers the professionals you build around a purchase.
Three different jobs, one purchase
Think of a single investment purchase as three separate questions. Which property should I buy and at what price. How should the loan be structured and with which lender. Should I be buying property at all, and in whose name.
A buyers agent answers the first. A mortgage broker answers the second. A licensed financial adviser answers the third. These are separate professions with separate scopes, separate regulation and separate ways of being paid. They are not three vendors selling the same service under different labels, and one person doing all three at once should make you ask how that is permitted.
What a buyers agent does, and does not do
I am a buyers agent for investors. I source properties against a brief, do the due diligence, negotiate the price and terms, and manage the purchase through to settlement. What a buyers agent does for investors walks through the full job.
What I do not do is give financial, tax or credit advice. I do not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence, and I will not tell you whether you should borrow, how much, or what structure to hold the property in. My lane is the asset and the price. I build the cashflow model for the property so you see the numbers honestly, but the decisions about your borrowing and your structure belong with people who are licensed and qualified to advise on them.
What a mortgage broker does, and does not do
A mortgage broker compares loan products across lenders, prepares and submits your application, and negotiates on rate and terms. A good one will tell you early what you can borrow, which shapes the brief I work to. They are also usually the first person to tell you when a purchase will not get across the line with a lender.
What a broker does not do is find or negotiate the property, and they do not judge whether the deal itself is any good as an investment. A broker can tell you the loan will be approved. That is a different statement from the property being worth buying at that price. Brokers are also commonly paid by the lender rather than by you, which is worth knowing when you weigh their recommendations. Ask any broker how they are paid.
What a financial adviser does, and does not do
A financial adviser holds an Australian Financial Services Licence and can give personal advice on strategy. That includes whether property belongs in your plan at all, how it sits against your super, your debts and your other investments, and whether to hold it in your own name, a trust, a company or a self managed super fund.
What an adviser typically does not do is source or negotiate individual properties. Their job is the plan the property sits inside, not the property itself. If you are weighing structures, SMSF vs personal name explains the property side of that choice in general terms, but which structure suits you is advice for a licensed adviser and your accountant.
The three roles, side by side
| Role | Who usually pays them | What they decide | What they do not touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyers agent | You, through an agreed fee | Which property, what price, what terms, how the purchase is run | Your borrowing, your structure, your tax, any financial advice |
| Mortgage broker | Commonly the lender, sometimes a fee from you | Which loan, which lender, how the application is put together | Finding the property, negotiating the price, judging the investment |
| Financial adviser | You, typically fee for service or a percentage arrangement | Whether and how property fits your plan, and in what structure | Sourcing or negotiating specific properties |
My own fee is published: a flat $15,000 including GST for residential and SMSF, and a $20,000 minimum including GST for commercial and development. The full breakdown is in buyers agent fees in Australia. I have not put broker or adviser dollar figures in the table because they vary by provider and arrangement, and I would rather leave a cell general than guess a number.
Where the roles overlap, and the gap that opens if nobody owns it
The overlap is where purchases go wrong. An SMSF purchase is the clearest example. The fund needs the right structure and advice before you start. The loan needs a lender who will actually lend to a fund. The property needs to fit the fund's rules and liquidity. The conveyancer has to be across all of it.
On one of my settled SMSF purchases, the Lalor Park receipt, the published line is "every SMSF moving part coordinated: agent, conveyancer, broker." That is what a buyers agent adds in a multi-professional purchase. I coordinate with the other professionals on process and timing. I do not replace them, and I do not advise on what their part of the job should conclude.
The gap opens when everyone assumes someone else is watching the big picture. The broker assumes the adviser has signed off the structure. The adviser assumes the agent has checked the numbers. The agent assumes the broker has confirmed the borrowing. Nobody is specifically engaged to model your after-tax position over the hold, and that someone is a licensed adviser or an accountant, not me. I would rather say that plainly than let you assume it is covered.
Why getting the team right matters more after 2027
Structure decisions carry more weight under the changes announced in the May 2026 Federal Budget. Under those measures, for residential property bought after Budget night, the 50% CGT discount is replaced by indexing the cost base to CPI, and rental losses carry forward rather than offsetting salary income. That makes the question of personal name, trust, company or SMSF matter more than it used to. CGT changes 2027 sets out what has been announced.
These measures remain subject to the passage of legislation, so the detail may change. What will not change is who is qualified to apply them to your situation. That is advice territory, and it sits with a licensed adviser and your accountant, not with a buyers agent. My part is building the property analysis on the newer settings so the asset is selected on numbers that still hold up.
Frequently asked questions
Does a buyers agent give financial advice?
No. I do not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence. I source and negotiate property and run the purchase. Advice on whether to borrow, how much, and what structure to hold the property in belongs with a licensed adviser, a broker for credit, and your accountant for tax.
Do I need a mortgage broker if I already have a buyers agent?
Yes, you still need someone to arrange the loan. A buyers agent does not compare lenders or submit applications. Many investors speak to a broker before they start searching, so the brief matches what a lender will actually approve.
Can my buyers agent also be my financial adviser?
Only if that person holds the right licence, and then it is worth asking how the two roles are kept separate. I am a buyers agent and I do not provide financial advice. I work alongside your adviser and broker so the property, the loan and the structure line up.
Who do I approach first when I decide to invest?
For most investors, the first conversation is with an adviser or accountant about whether property fits and in what structure, then a broker about borrowing capacity, then a buyers agent with a clear brief. If you already know your structure and borrowing range, a buyers agent conversation can start earlier. A free strategy call is a fair place to work out the order for your situation.
Seek licensed professional advice specific to your situation before acting. This is general information only and does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.
