In her years as a buyers’ agent working the south-east Queensland market, Melinda Granzien, Precision Property Buyers has come across her share of surprises. But when a client expressed keen interest in a sprawling 370-acre property with a liveable shed, the deal seemed straightforward enough. The property ticked the boxes, and the owner was self-representing, which meant one less agent to negotiate with.
The contract was signed at $3.2 million, but Melinda had the foresight to include protective clauses that would allow her to verify the vendor’s assurances that all improvements were council-approved and compliant. It was a sensible precaution, though she couldn’t have predicted just how necessary it would become.
Melinda had a nagging feeling that something didn’t quite add up with the shed/house, or “shouse” as it’s known, so she lodged applications with the local council to double-check the owner’s claims.
Regional local government doesn’t move quickly, but the answer came through at the worst possible moment: at 4:30 pm on the very day the contract was to go unconditional, the council confirmed that none of the works on the property had received approval. The owner had simply never bothered to seek the necessary documentation.
Rather than walk away, Melinda rolled up her sleeves. She and her conveyancer worked to terminate the original contract and replace it with new terms that would require the vendor to obtain council documentation within three months or pay compensation to the buyer. The seller reluctantly but ultimately agreed to the revised arrangement.
The real test of Melinda’s professionalism came after the deal was restructured. The vendor, unhappy with the new terms, took to social media and unleashed a campaign of negative reviews across multiple accounts. The harassment continued until Melinda eventually had to shut down public review platforms just to stop the onslaught. It was a bitter pill, but she stayed focused on the job: managing the settlement through to completion without letting personal attacks derail the process.
What struck Melinda most about the experience wasn’t just the vendor’s reaction, but a discovery that came during her inquiries. Other non-local buyer agents had been operating in her area without ever setting foot there. They were relying entirely on the sales agent’s walk-throughs for their due diligence. Had their clients proceeded with a deal like the one she was tackling, they’d have walked straight into the same undocumented liability.
It’s a humbling reminder that our profession attracts operators of varying calibre. When buyers’ agents cut corners on due diligence, it’s the clients who pay the price. It’s precisely why REBAA membership and its rigorous standards exist. The difference between a professional who stays the course and one who doesn’t isn’t just about solving problems – it’s about finding solutions and protecting your client. That’s why being a REBAA member and our rigorous application process is so important.
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