Evaluate & Negotiate: property due diligence and negotiation, Sydney

What we do

It’s a two-part service, and each part does a different job.

Part one: Evaluate

This is the same research we do for every Find & Buy client, for one property. There are no shortcuts.

We inspect the property ourselves so we can give it a proper assessment. Our pricing research builds a realistic price range from comparable sales and market conditions. It goes into far more depth than a bank or broker valuation, which is often an automated estimate generated by software and can be wildly inaccurate. We also assess how the property is likely to perform over time, because capital growth potential matters as much as the purchase price.

We coordinate the building and pest inspection and the contract review, and do an in-depth strata review. We check zoning, flood mapping, flight paths, school catchment areas and neighbouring development applications, and we’ll talk to council if we need to. Where a property needs it, we bring in planners, architects or builders.

If we find something bad, we tell you, even when it’s the place you love. And if it’s serious, that’s where we stop. It’s why our fee is split into two parts, one for each stage. If the property doesn’t stack up, you only pay for the evaluation, not for a negotiation that never happens. It doesn’t happen often, but when a building report or strata report turns up a real problem, it’s much better to find out now than after you own it.

Part two: Negotiate

Once the property checks out, we work out how to buy it. Why is the vendor selling, and how motivated are they? How does this selling agent operate? Who else is interested, and how serious are they? The answers shape the strategy we recommend.

Then we put it into action, negotiating the purchase or bidding at auction on your behalf. Since we started, we’ve bought the property at approximately 80% of the auctions we’ve bid at, including the ones secured by negotiation after they passed in. If it passes in, we stay on it until the property sells, at no extra fee.

And we stay involved well past exchange of contracts. We liaise with your solicitor along the way, personally attend the pre-settlement inspection, and we’ll be there with you to receive the keys.

Call us early

The earlier you bring us in, the better. More time means more options. We can form a proper strategy rather than a rushed one, and sometimes that’s the difference between bidding against a crowd on auction day and buying the property before it ever gets there.

If you’ve just found somewhere and the auction is a few weeks away, now is the right time to call.

How we work

A fixed fee

Our fee is fixed and never a percentage of the price. Whatever you end up paying, our fee stays the same, so our only interest is in bringing the price down for you.

No referral fees

We don’t accept or pay referral fees. If we recommend a solicitor, a broker or a building inspector, it’s because they’re good at what they do. In NSW, agents have to disclose these relationships on a form called a Section 47. You’ll get ours when you sign up with us, and the amount next to every name on it is nil.

What clients say

5.0 stars from more than 150 Google reviews

“After finding a place i didn’t want to miss out on i engaged Michelle May to act on my behalf. Michelle took care of everything for me, from inspecting the property, doing due diligence and then negotiating on my behalf. Her dedication, professionalism and proactive approach resulted in getting my dream home prior to auction and i couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

Benjamin W

“She did an amazing job in a rapid fire buying decision timeframe on a property and dealt with a very challenging vendor situation to close out the sale. Would recommend and use again!”

Daniel P

“She walked us through every step and had everything prepared in such a quick manner that we were able to successfully put in an offer first go. She is invaluable in her advice, patience and explanations and was with us for every step of our first purchase.”

Courtney H

Named Buyers Agency of the Year at the 2026 Local Business Awards (Inner West).

Is Evaluate & Negotiate right for you?

It suits you if you’ve found a property yourself, you want to know whether it’s genuinely a good buy, and you’d like someone experienced to handle the negotiation or the auction.

Before we start, we strongly recommend you have your finance pre-approved. Otherwise you could spend money on us, only for your broker to tell you the purchase can’t go ahead. We’ve seen it happen, and it’s an expensive way to find out.

If you haven’t found the property yet and want us to do the searching as well, that’s Find & Buy. If you’ve done your own checks and just need someone to bid on auction day, that’s Bid.

Questions people ask before they call

How much does it cost?

It’s a fixed fee, split into two parts, one for the evaluation and one for the negotiation. If we recommend walking away after part one, you don’t pay for part two. We’ll give you the figures on our first call.

What if you find a problem with the property?

We tell you straight away, before you’ve committed to buying it. If it’s serious, we’ll recommend walking away, and we stop there. We won’t move on to the negotiation for a property we wouldn’t buy ourselves.

The auction is soon. Is it too late?

Call us and we’ll tell you honestly whether there’s enough time to do the checks properly. The more notice you can give us, the more options we have.

Can you help if the property is off-market or has already passed in?

Yes. However it’s being sold, as long as it’s for sale, we can evaluate it and negotiate for you.

Do I have to be at the auction?

No. If you’d like to come, you’re welcome. Either way, your limit is agreed with us beforehand, so there’s nothing left to decide on the day.

Start with a conversation

Tell us the property and where it’s at, and we’ll tell you whether we can help. It’s a 20-minute call, no charge and no pitch.

Or call us on 02 7241 7713.