How does this buyers agency thing work?
What does a buyers agent actually do?
A buyers agent works for the buyer. We source, analyse, negotiate and shepherd you through to settlement on your side of the deal. The agent who lists a property works for the vendor. We do the opposite.
For property investors who lack time, local knowledge, or off-market access, a buyers agent levels the playing field. You get the same network and the same negotiating discipline the seller already has.
How are you paid?
We work on a success fee model. Our fee is paid by you, the buyer, when we secure a property you agree to proceed with. There is no fee for the strategy call. There is no fee if we don’t find a deal you want to take.
If you’re looking at a property listed on this site, our fee is already included in the advertised price. You don’t pay it on top.
We don’t take referral fees or commissions from developers, lawyers, brokers, valuers or trades. The people we recommend are recommended on the basis of our experience with their work, not our financial interest in sending you to them. Full fee breakdown is on the table at the strategy call.
I’m new to property investment. How do I start?
Book a 20-minute strategy call. No obligation, no commitment.
We’ll talk through your goals, budget, region, and timeframe. By the end of the call you’ll know whether buyers agency is the right move for you, and if so, what the next step looks like.
About a third of strategy calls don’t turn into client engagements, and that’s by design. We’d rather not work with people we can’t genuinely help.
Who we are, what we do.
Who is iFindProperty?
iFindProperty is a New Zealand investment property buyers agency, founded in 2008 by Maree Tassell and Nick Gentle. The company is operated by IFPNZ Ltd and licensed under REAA 2008.
Over 17 years we’ve helped 650+ Kiwi investors buy investment property across the country — from first-time buyers to portfolio investors, time-poor professionals to overseas Kiwis.
How do you find deals others don’t?
Three things, none of them magic.
Time on the ground. Our agents live and invest in the regions they cover. They’re at the open homes, in the community, talking to local trades and tenants every week.
Agent relationships. A 15-year reputation in a small market means listing agents call us about deals before they go to market. Anchor-buyer pricing on new developments works the same way.
Volume. We screen hundreds of properties for every one a client buys. Sustained presence is what gets a deal across the line, not luck.
Which regions do you cover?
Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown. The Markets section has the local agent and a market guide for each.
If your target market isn’t on that list, we’d rather refer you to a specialist in that region than wing it ourselves.
Are you actually licensed?
Yes. iFindProperty is operated by IFPNZ Ltd, a real estate agency licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008. Every agent on our team is a Licensed Salesperson or Licensed Agent under that Act.
The same licence, the same disclosure obligations, and the same consumer protections that apply to any New Zealand real estate transaction apply to ours.
The process, in detail.
What does the buying process look like?
Five stages, usually 8 to 12 weeks end-to-end:
- Plan. We work out your brief: budget, area, target deal type, cashflow goal.
- Search. On-market and off-market. Across the region or regions you’re targeting.
- Analyse. Numbers, risks, comparables, condition, zoning, healthy homes.
- Support. Negotiate the deal, coordinate due diligence, walk you to settlement.
- Momentum. We stay on for property #2 and beyond. Most of our clients come back.
More detail on the Buyers Agency page.
What’s in the Buyers Agreement?
A short written agreement at the start of an engagement. It confirms what we’ll do for you, what you’ll do for us, our fee, and how long the engagement runs.
It’s the buyer-side equivalent of the listing agreement a vendor signs with a sales agent. We use REINZ-standard wording. You get it in writing, and you only sign once you’re comfortable with every clause.
Can you work with me if I’m based overseas?
Yes. Roughly a quarter of our clients are Kiwis living abroad or non-resident investors with NZ ties.
We inspect on your behalf, send video walkthroughs, manage the chain of trades, valuer, lawyer and broker, and walk the property at settlement. Plenty of clients have completed a purchase without setting foot on the property themselves.
The Overseas Investment Act has tightened in recent years, and we work through that as part of due diligence for any non-resident purchaser.
Who handles the lawyer, builder’s report and valuation?
We coordinate them. You choose who.
We have a network of independent professionals we recommend — lawyers, mortgage brokers, building inspectors, registered valuers, property managers, accountants. You’re free to use your own. None of these professionals pay us referral fees.
They’re recommended on the basis of our experience working alongside them, not our financial interest in sending you to them.
Easier to talk it through.
If your question isn’t answered above, ask us on a 20-minute strategy call. No obligation, no pressure.
Book a 20-minute strategy call