When buying property in a foreign environment, unless you know the area, you are placing your trust and money in someone else’s hands. Even with the extra tools available such as the internet to gain extensive information, you still may not be able to access all the information you need to make a fully informed decision. Real estate agents and buyers’ agents play a critical role in assisting you with selecting the right property investment for you, particularly when you are looking further afield in unfamiliar territory. But do you know which agent to go with? Often the only form of contact you may have is by phone, and even then where do you start if you’re starting from scratch? Using buyers agents through reputable sources such as someone you know who’s used the service, or through quality publications may be a good start. These starting points can be your first point of enquiry. Once you begin letting people know you may be interested in pursuing a new, foreign investment it’s amazing how many people know someone who knows someone who has done what you’re trying to do. Information comes to you in unexpected ways. But their experiences may be mixed so you may end up having to start from scratch again.

I’m very lucky in that although I live in Australia my father is a licensed realtor in the US. Who better to trust than your own family? This is one of the reasons why we decided to start our business. We realised we had a unique service we could offer to Australian investors wanting to buy US real estate. Access to current information and the ability of contacting real people can be valuable when delving into unknown territory.

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