We have bought 3 properties through Chris over a 13 year period. Focussing on the investment properties, most critically Chris was able to help us focus on this as a pure business decision with no emotion and remove a tremendous amount of stress from the process. This is critical, because what we may or may not want to live in bears little relationship to what a good quality investment property looks like. Chris helped us devise a strategy around appropriate suburbs and then once agreed he was able to identify suitable properties and discard dozens of unsuitable properties, meaning we only had to view a few properties and not waste valuable time on a Saturday running from one unsuitable property to another. When buying out of area one needs local expertise and understanding to know which are poor locations – looking at a map rarely helps and even attending the site does not help without additional information. Chris was able to provide all the required associated information – not just simplistic comparable information, but detailed comparables with positives and negatives (including information about busy streets, contamination, noise risks, local amenities, aspect, airflow, light) across a range of properties in the area.
We ultimately only had to view 4 properties and consider perhaps 4 more on paper to find 2 investment properties both of which have left us completely comfortable that we have found quality properties in quality locations. In the case of both properties, this was borne out by being able to rent each of them at the very first showing despite there being many similar sized (but inferior) properties in the areas available for rent. In the case of the one property, which needed some renovation and was found off market, Chris’ due diligence (through his appointed advisors) into the work required has proven accurate and estimated costings for the work have proven accurate. What is more, Chris’ valuations on the properties proved remarkably accurate – on one which went to auction he was within 0.3%, on one which we decided not to bid on he was within 4%, such that on the one we bought on private treaty we are very comfortable that his estimate was accurate.
Chris was crucial in both closing processes. On the auction he kept his cool through dozens of bids against a determined opponent – we were very pleased we were not in the room and could not show any emotion. On the private treaty Chris managed a tough negotiation through a full Saturday with the counterparty re-trading on agreed positions on several occasions, ultimately closing late into the night.
“Thank you for your tireless effort and persistence with this deal…Well done!”
“Chris and team were professional and very much on the ball at all times. They remained engaged with sellers’ agents in our target market to find off-market opportunities, including some that were not on agents’ databases.
Chris provided us with valuable context in a fast moving industry, and offered me additional data points that were otherwise hard to find. He helped facilitate exchange and legal advice – having someone that knows the ropes was very helpful.
Buying a property in the extremely competitive market as we currently have can be very stressful. A buyer’s agent will help you cover the bases and relieve some of the stress. I recommend getting one, and Chris was great [as he was when he] helped me purchase a home in 2010.”
I decided to engage a buyers’ agent after having no success in finding a suitable home to purchase. I googled “Best Buyers’ agent”, and Chris Curtis’ name was at the top of the list. Google was spot on. After reading Curtis Associates website thoroughly, including reading every testimonial, I had a clear idea of the way Chris operates. I also reviewed a number of other buyers’ agents’ websites, but concluded that there were no other contenders for our purposes.
Time of initial enquiry to purchase of a blue-chip property that met all our stringent criteria was 21 days. This was extraordinary, considering our specific needs and the current global situation with Covid-19, which rapidly deteriorated during the time of our search. Chris impressed us with his intelligence, ability to synthesise and communicate complex information and provide astute advice that was evidence-based. But more importantly, he did so with the utmost respect, openness and integrity. We were deeply impressed with both what he was able to achieve and the manner in which he did so.
“We first met Chris Curtis in 2008 when he successfully negotiated the purchase of our first apartment in Sydney in Dover Heights. 12 years later when we decided to buy a house in Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River we contracted him again to represent us. In a tightly held market in which we had limited knowledge his experience and advice was invaluable. He managed to negotiate the purchase of our new home off-market which quite simply would have been impossible without his help. We would highly recommend Chris Curtis for anyone interested in an investment or owner occupied property in the Sydney region and beyond.”
“Thanks Chris, and thanks again for all the hard work you and your team put into this transaction.”
From Lynne and I, again our thanks and feel free to say you have acted most successfully for us in the whole matter.”
“I am delighted with the outcome! Both the property and the price, neither of which would have been achieved without your considerable inputs.”
“Thanks again for your help, it was great working with you.”
“The process from start to finish took an amazing 17 days and that was a very impressive result considering not only the depth of research that Curtis Associates provided us.
In that time 11 properties were found; seven of which were off market opportunities. I don’t think I could have found that many properties on my own and I certainly wouldn’t have found any of the off market opportunities on my own.
They presented the due diligence report to us – very comprehensive report – very in-depth covering many aspects that I would never have thought of.
At the auction there were four bidders…and three of them were quite serious bidders and as it approached the Curtis Associates estimate, it narrowed down considerably and then ended up being within $1000 of that.
They were confident that it was worth even beyond $2.8 m.
There are fees associated with buyers’ agents and those fees I never considered them as a cost but were more of an investment because I’m such a busy person and I’m also not a specialist in the Sydney property market especially in its current state.
So for me it saved me a lot of heartache, a lot of time where I could invest my time elsewhere where I am far more profitable.”
“Having spent almost a year trying to find a two-bedroom unit in the Eastern Suburbs with a budget in the low ones I had seen a lot of not-so-nice places and, very occasionally, an amazing place which was then immediately snapped up in a feeding frenzy. I had gotten to the point where I was constantly second-guessing myself and also feeling totally discouraged and overwhelmed. Then my lawyer suggested I talk to Chris because a number of his clients had purchased properties through him. I signed on with Curtis Associates in mid-November and by early February I was a proud homeowner of a unit in Bellevue Hill. I went to the first open inspection on the Saturday and exchanged on the Friday – this was despite the vendor being in the UK.
So quite honestly the best thing I ever did in my property search was to sign up with Chris. What I got was 1) peace of mind knowing that my search was now in expert hands 2) someone acting as a buffer between myself and the real estate agents 3) having someone in my corner who understood the current real estate market intimately and who was unbiased and unemotional in his advice. Also someone I could ask questions of no matter how stupid. I guess most importantly I just felt really supported throughout the process.
Would I use Curtis Associates again? Absolutely.”
“Thanks once again for all your help and sage advice, particularly in relation to the Katoomba near catastrophe…delighted”.
I decided to engage a buyers’ agent after having no success in finding a suitable home to purchase. I googled “Best Buyers’ agent”, and Chris Curtis’ name was at the top of the list. Google was spot on. After reading Curtis Associates website thoroughly, including reading every testimonial, I had a clear idea of the way Chris operates. I also reviewed a number of other buyers’ agents’ websites, but concluded that there were no other contenders for our purposes.
Time of initial enquiry to purchase of a blue-chip property that met all our stringent criteria was 21 days. This was extraordinary, considering our specific needs and the current global situation with Covid-19, which rapidly deteriorated during the time of our search. Chris impressed us with his intelligence, ability to synthesise and communicate complex information and provide astute advice that was evidence-based. But more importantly, he did so with the utmost respect, openness and integrity. We were deeply impressed with both what he was able to achieve and the manner in which he did so.
“Chris was a pleasure to deal with and very professional at his job.
He will save you money and lots of stress!!”
“Thank you for all your help. It was a major investment for us, buying into a part of Sydney we knew nothing about. Your depth of knowledge of the location and everything else including proposed developments, transport, air quality, lifestyle, schools and future public infrastructure was of enormous help to us. Being armed with your expert appraisal of the value allowed us to enter the auction with a well-informed bidding limit. Your command of the entire theatre of the auction placed us at a great advantage over the other three bidders.
I recommend that anyone who is serious about purchasing wisely and winning should engage your services.”
Curtis Associates were engaged to help me find and buy my first home, a difficult proposition as I knew my budget but was going to have to live in a completely new area to afford the large family home I was hoping for.
I chose Curtis Associates with confidence as they offered the most help in choosing an area to live (rather than just a house in a specific suburb) and I was impressed with the depth of their due diligence process which appeared to exceed the other buyers agents I spoke with.
The assistance Chris and his team provided was invaluable, often friends ask me if using a buyers agent was worth the money in terms of a discount on the house price, but where the greatest value lay was that Chris took the time to work out what I really wanted in a home and lifestyle (versus the things I had initially said) and steered me to an area of Sydney I hadn’t even considered in the Sutherland Shire. Working with Curtis Associates also felt like having a personal property advisor with Chris and I in touch daily and the advice invaluable when it came to choosing where to live and what sort of house to buy.
I’m positive we also achieved a good price for the house, where Chris masterfully lined up all the due diligence and building inspections as well as digging to find out the sellers real motivations so we could make an offer before anyone else got a chance. The sale was contracted on the day of the first open home and had it gone even a week longer the competition would have likely put it out of my price range. It was a relief to turn the negotiation over to Chris whose expertise was clear, without him I would not have kept my nerve through the stressful and difficult process.
But most important to me is the fact every day I wake up in paradise with gorgeous water and bushland views and wildlife when if I’d gone it alone I would be living in suburbia in Sydney’s South West. For a first home it feels like I’ve hit the jackpot, and for that I can’t thank or recommend Chris and Curtis Associates highly enough.
“ I’m sure you know I would never have progressed to the final stages of this deal without your wise words and common sense every time I had a stress attack. I have enjoyed working with you and yes let us keep in touch. Thank you for everything you have done for me.”
“Chris was amazing! He enabled us to buy our first home, cheaper, faster and with way less stress than we ever thought was possible. He more than saved us his fee in the savings as well as time spent. He also took care of everything, and we felt very confident that we were getting the right house for us. Thank you so much Chris, we recommend you to everyone we know looking to buy a house!”
“Being time poor and first time buyers in a tight Sydney market we thought it prudent to engage the services of an expert to help us buy our dream home.
We interviewed four buyer’s agents and selected Chris. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we will ever make in our lives.
We presented Chris with a challenging brief both geographically and financially i.e. we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted, where we wanted or what our budget could realistically secure.
Chris showed great patience throughout the entire search process, continually testing our criteria until we worked out through almost daily conference call updates, what we actually needed in a property.
Eventually he found our dream home – an off market gem, which he was able to secure for us at a fair price within only two days of our inspection.
This didn’t just happen by chance. Chris has a detailed and constantly evolving knowledge of the Sydney property market. Chris and his team’s exemplary diligence and attention to detail resulted in our great buy.
We never hesitate to recommend Chris to anyone who will listen to us!”
“Chris, it has been an absolute delight working with you. You provided a fantastic service and it was the week before Xmas and you pretty much dropped everything. Having your support and experience gave me the confidence to make the calls that I needed to, as I knew exactly where I stood.”
“When you find that really hot real estate opportunity and you don’t have enough time to research it, it’s either take a risk or miss out. However, there is another way. From Tuesday night to Saturday morning we were able to go from internet viewer to successful buyer. With a market comparison, building and pest inspection as well as contract variations in place and agreed, everything was set for buying at auction. Add to that Curtis
Associates professional buying at auction service and it meant that we were in control. We got the property we wanted at the price we wanted, put simply it was the best result we could have wished for.”
“Over the past few years we have worked with Chris and his team to purchase two eastern suburbs properties [the first in Surry Hills for $1.353 million and the second in Woollahra for $2.64 million].
They have saved us from auctions, bad investments, and all kinds of stress with smart, commercial advice, market insight and a complete focus on what we wanted to achieve.
We cannot imagine and would not want to, or want our friends to imagine buying a property without them.”
“Just a short note to thank you and Jill for the outstanding dedication you showed finding me a lovely home. I cannot believe how the house meets all the many requirements I had, plus also a few things I hadn’t even considered but which make the house so very right for me. It truly was inspired home finding!
The most important thing for me in this search has been the level of trust which you so quickly established. I felt that you were completely understanding not only of my needs but also my taste, and that understanding coupled with your outstanding knowledge of the property market made what could have been an incredibly stressful experience a very enjoyable process.
I cannot recommend you and your team highly enough. Your expertise and professionalism in not only advising me but in dealing with real estate agents was invaluable, and I am so very grateful for all the extra lengths you went to which ensured that I was able to view homes which were entirely suitable and which met my brief. This meant that I was confident when the right home came along to put in an offer which was well considered and entirely justified.
To find a property like this off-market without anyone to compete against was priceless.”
“As a busy professional who spends a good deal of his time living and working abroad, I found Curtis Associates’ service invaluable on a number of different levels. Firstly, in saving me the time, money and aggravation in finding an absolute gem of a property off market; secondly in terms of thinking of all the ‘known unknowns’ that will be quite intimidating to anybody not familiar with the intricacies of the Sydney property market. And finally, as a bottomless source of strategic and tactical advice in securing the kind of property my partner and I were looking for, at a highly competitive price. CA deliver all this – and more – for a modest investment, and at a level of service that is very hard to beat. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
“Just wanted to say thank you again. We are just delighted – still don’t believe it’s actually ours…We do always talk very highly of the service we got from you – I think we have sent a few your way over the years – Kelly, Laura and Gary, Alex and Russel and am sure there are a few more in there, so good to see people are taking our advice.”
“We engaged Curtis Associates to represent us in buying our new home. We had found THE one and felt that after buying our previous home and a large number of investment properties, we were able to complete the task without a Buyers’ Agent. This could not have been further from the truth.
My husband and I had different opinions on aspects of the home and how to buy it. We had already sold our own home and were faced either with a double move or buying the house that week for settlements to line up conveniently. We were going round in circles and the stress was unbelievable!
Once Chris took the reins, the stress lifted immediately.
A very comprehensive building a pest inspection was organised – in some of the most torrential rain Sydney has seen. Chris took over all dialogue with the sales agent and even struck a rapport with the vendor who had been a little difficult. The vendor was under no financial need to sell the property and was quite willing to rent it out if necessary.
We were kept informed every step of the way. The Due Diligence report provided by Curtis Associates was especially informative and supplied us with the information needed to sort out our differences regarding aspects of the home. The building report also gave us some brilliant ideas on how improve some of these aspects and an indication of the costs involved.
That Due Diligence report provided two very good bargaining points which permitted us to make an offer that was considerably lower than the price being asked. Along with the strength of Chris’ negotiating skills, this due diligence made certain our offer was accepted. Included in the offer was a signed 66W Certificate waiving the buyers cooling off period. As my husband is extremely risk averse, waiving this right was an initial source of great concern. After being informed of the thoroughness of the comparable sales considered and analysed by Curtis Associates, we felt reassured that the risk involved was minimal.
On reflection, signing the certificate gave us increased control over the offer and acceptance process.
From retaining Curtis Associates to exchanging contracts took only five days! We were provided with a vast amount of information in order to know exactly what we were buying and Chris handled all our uncertainties and questions with professionalism and skill.
We will not be purchasing again, whether it be investment or a home without Curtis Associates. Not only did the bank valuation come in as hoped after contracts were exchanged, five days later a comparable property sold for considerably more than we had paid.
“Thank you more generally for your team’s fabulous work on our matter. We couldn’t be happier with the process and the outcome.”
“I cannot tell you how happy we are: you did an incredible job finding this for us. It is truly a gem. We are very happy”.
“Thanks very much for your great advice, both on the entry and exit strategies… Much appreciated. Very happy!”
“We had never used a buyer’s agent before. But, after being gazumped twice on two very ordinary properties on the Lower North Shore, we turned to Chris Curtis. First Chris, a lawyer by training, spent several hours precisely understanding our requirements. Then came the drive – a two-hour tour of potential districts, streets and properties that had recently sold. He steered us away, with good reason, from three places that seemed initially desirable, found one home we all thought would work, but, in negotiation, advised it was overpriced. One weekend, when we were away on the Mid North Coast, three hours from Sydney, he called us back to a home that was “not yet on the market”, a quiet sale. We drove back, saw it, and exchanged contracts within the hour, and now happily have moved in. It meets all our requirements. Chris earned his fee, and saved us money and time.”
“Thank you so much for all your efforts on our behalf. We have been completely overwhelmed by suddenly finding ourselves homeless and in such a competitive housing market. Your calm efficiency and professionalism in achieving what you did yesterday was truly amazing.”
“My wife and I recently engaged Curtis Associates to act as our Buyers’ Agent for the acquisition of an apartment in Sydney. I am writing this letter as testimony to our satisfaction with the services provided.
Our objective was to purchase an inner city apartment to be used by our daughter while studying at university in Sydney, and also as a long term investment. As non-NSW residents, the selection and purchase of an apartment posed many difficult challenges and traps. We were so fortunate to have Chris Curtis acting on our behalf who made the process smooth and efficient.
I found Curtis Associates via an internet search. I made appointments with several Sydney Buyers’ agents but was immediately impressed by Chris Curtis’s professional approach, obvious experience in local real estate and his legal background…
Upon engaging Chris he found a suitable property in surprisingly quick time. His background search and investigations were amazingly thorough and his due diligence report was absolutely comprehensive. Chris’s experience came to the fore when, following what seemed a disingenuous representation of market value by the vendor’s agent, Chris’s research resulted in a more realistic estimate that proved extremely accurate. Armed with this knowledge, Chris represented us as at the auction where he controlled the bidding is a way that we never could have managed alone.
I unreservedly recommend Curtis Associates to anyone requiring the services of a top-class Buyers; agent in Sydney. Others may be cheaper but I would be surprised if any are better.”
“After many years preparing to enter the Sydney property market, I retained Curtis Associates with a requirement for a well-located apartment and a highly rational investment.
Within a fortnight, Chris and his team had presented me with high quality on and off-market offerings representing some of the best I had seen in Sydney’s east. Chris’ due diligence report exceeded my expectations, enabling me to make a sensible decision in difficult market conditions. Under immense pressure Chris took my instructions to auction and secured the property at a sane price against fierce competition.
I am thrilled with the result that Curtis Associates achieved. Chris’ professionalism, thoroughness and experience enabled me to purchase an excellent property in otherwise difficult and frustrating market conditions”.
“We thank you so much for your dedication, persistence and hard work in securing us the property in … Surry Hills…
You have been a wonderful mentor to the two of us, and professional and polite throughout. We have no hesitation in recommending you to friends and family”…
“Thank you very much for your services, professionalism and patience.”
“I was initially hesitant to spend the extra money on a buyer’s agent, but after having done so I can say without hesitation it was a hugely worthwhile investment and I would not contemplate buying another property without engaging Chris again.
His background as a barrister and having been involved in large commercial property transactions for Macquarie Bank both give Chris the perfect mix of skills for this role.
I negotiate deals every day in my business but still found it invaluable in this case to be ‘represented’ in such a large transaction by someone who is a former barrister, knows the local real estate industry inside out [and] is familiar with the selling agents…
He did a great deal of due diligence on this property, and analysis of comparable sales data before commencing negotiations which:
1. gave us peace of mind that there were no hidden surprises before making such a big investment and
2. meant that he went into the negotiating process extremely well prepared
Chris was on-call to us 24/7 through the process, and was extremely proactive and completely professional throughout. His service is self funding in that I believe he would always save clients a multiple of his fee on the purchase price, this was certainly the case in our experience.
I strongly recommend his services.”
“We engaged Chris after identifying a property going for auction that we liked, and being based offshore, we needed someone we could trust to lead the diligence and negotiation process on the ground. We were immediately impressed with Chris’ approach and attitude – he is the consummate professional, acting with a high level of integrity and is attuned to his client’s requests. The due diligence that Chris’ team undertook was extremely comprehensive and covered almost every aspect of the property including potential risks, positive aspects, and a thorough valuation based on recent market comparables. This gave us a high degree of confidence on the attractiveness of the property, and importantly, its fair market value which allowed us to set the right bidding limits. From his assessment of the competitive environment, Chris recommended a pre-auction bid strategy which proved successful – we secured the property the night before the auction at a good price and also allowed us to avoid the stress and potential risk of an auction. Overall, we are extremely pleased to have used Chris for the purchase, as without him, there would have been a high risk that we would have overpaid for the property, or lost control of the situation in an auction environment. We therefore have no hesitation in recommending Chris as a buyers advocate, and look forward to using him again on future purchases. “
“We have no doubt that we scored well. Various friends who have lived in the inner west for longer than us said the price was very good. And we have you to thank for that”.
“We remain absolutely thrilled…and very grateful to you for making it all happen…
The due diligence report is exceptional, thank you. The document is a valuable resource and enables us to feel even more confident about our purchase”.
“…For us, after so many years of looking – it was like lightning!!! We…will miss the countless conversations, emails and hypothesising….but mostly your rating system! …We look forward to working with you again in the future!”
“I would not be here were it not for your services. Particularly, providing the impetus to shake me out of the stagnation that had prevented me taking this plunge for so long. I am still in awe of the fact that I/we purchased the property off-market, with a clear and complete head-start, ahead of any other (known) competitors; and before others were even aware of the opportunity. This is the sort of advantage that makes your services so attractive. I also particularly acknowledge your advice on price to bid, which as you know was accepted without any negotiation, and secured the property for myself within a week of first inspection.
Many of my friends and colleagues have been interested in my use of a buyer’s agent. It is still a service that is not generally widely known. I only became aware of it myself over a dinner table conversation which is how you were referred to me”…
“While living interstate we decided to buy a residential property in Sydney, with a good investment potential. After contacting a couple of buyer’s agents, we decided to choose Curtis Associates. Our decision was practically taken blindly, save for the fact that we were immediately struck by Chris Curtis’ professionalism during our very first phone call. Six months down the track, after managing to secure the property we wanted, we can say that we have no regrets! Chris Curtis is an attentive listener and a great communicator, qualities which greatly facilitate the process of purchasing an unseen property interstate. His experience in the field enables him to almost instinctively know what kind of property will most suit the buyer. He handles the task of buying a property with almost surgical precision, starting off with carrying out extensive due diligence, coordinating his team and ultimately achieving. I doubt whether there is any other agent out there who will eagerly inspect streets at 4.30am for train noise! We will not hesitate to engage Chris again when we next buy property and certainly recommend him to anyone who is intent on buying property.”
“Wow. Thanks is not enough. Spectacular work.”
“Your help on this has been exceptional and very much appreciated”
“I was looking for a particular property in a specific area of Bondi. As an overseas buyer I knew I would need on the ground assistance. There were very few properties for sale of the type we were targeting but…Chris patiently unearthed numerous properties through a combination of letter drops, agents and his own contacts. He actually advised me against purchasing several of these until we finally found the ideal property. It was an off market deal and the previous owners are now my tenants.”
“Being a property developer/investor for the past 10 years, I have not an issue with acquiring property; therefore initially I was hesitant in deciding to take a step back and allowing someone else to take charge of purchasing part of a development site, as I generally like to be involved in these aspects of the business. Chris’s calm and confident approach gave me the confidence to proceed. His professional manner with the seller helped secure the first purchase; all conversations between the selling party, conveyancers and Chris were disclosed to me in detail, in an open and very timely manner.
Once the first purchase had been completed, I had no hesitation in signing Curtis Associates up for a second request to purchase property. The acquisition of these two assets was important to the future business of our company, and I found that by allowing Curtis Associates to be involved, I was able to proceed with other work that our business had commenced, rather than having my complete attention taken for the purchase of these properties.
Chris was able to remove any concern I would have had during the purchase process with the sellers. His communication skill, time input and general knowledge were valuable and would be a great asset for anyone considering purchasing property.
I have no hesitation in recommending Curtis Associates as a buyer’s agent for any business or personal plan to acquire property.”
“I have been utterly delighted with your service, your professionalism and skill have been exemplary. I will have no hesitation in recommending you to everyone I know.”
“The secret to our successful acquisition is to a large degree owed to the (very professional I might add) services of … the buyer’s agent we had hired to negotiate the price on our behalf since we had already found the house we wanted. It took exactly 7 days from the moment we decided to purchase this property to successful exchange at 8% below what I was prepared to pay. Due diligence on the property was incredibly extensive and included many information tidbits only obtainable through personal research such as interviews with neighbours, policemen and council workers in the area. The information he provided on the neighbourhood was meticulously researched and flawless, and his assessment on the property spot on.
Also found were numerous off the market sales in the neighbourhood as well as comparable properties to give a good price indication and negotiating tool. …. I can highly recommend Curtis Associates to anyone looking to purchase property in the Sydney are…the best professional services my wife and I have encountered in almost 8 years of living in Australia”.
“We recently engaged Chris Curtis to help us buy our second property – our first family home.
Before we met Chris, we had our real estate alerts set up and Saturday inspections organised and thought that was enough. Chris pointed out that you use professionals to sell your home, but often not to buy; which is absurd given you pit yourself against professionals who do this every day.
Chris drove us through all the areas we were considering with his guidance, he helped us narrow our brief to a very specific set of requirements. He remained in contact with us from first thing in the morning to last thing at night, providing us with information, guidance and recommendations on our desired location and house. We always felt he was working entirely for us and had his full attention.
We never thought our budget … would buy us everything we wanted, but it did – a beautiful home in a quiet, leafy culdesac in Hunters Hill, which we would not have got without Chris. The house was not yet on the market when we found it and Chris took us to see it mid week before it was advertised. We loved it instantly and he booked building and pest inspections on the next working day. The following day Chris then couriered a carefully crafted offer to the agent and 15 hours later it was ours.
Words can not express how thankful we are for having Chris on our side – his professionalism, passion and drive to succeed for his clients is second to none. We will use Chris every time we buy, and will recommend him to anyone thinking of using a buyers agent.”
“Thank you once again for your excellent work and diligence. I’m very happy and impressed with how smoothly everything has gone.
“We are thrilled with the property and very happy!!
…Thank you for everything, I’m sure we would not have identified the area or the place without you and would have settled for something that did not make us nearly as happy!! (possibly imploded at the stress of it all).”
“Many thanks once again for the brilliant job you … did for us on Saturday. We are still on cloud nine!”
“…I thank you very much for your assistance in finding us a new home. [W]e were sceptical about hiring a buyer’s agent and unsure of the value in doing so. From day one, your significant and tenacious efforts to secure the right home for us were apparent and we have been pleasantly surprised by your hard work and dedication to our campaign. You were true to your word that you would influence and restore some equality to the unequal balance of power that the vendor and agent usually has… I think the most appropriate compliment we can give…is that we wished we had hired you much earlier on and be rest assured we will be seeking out your services in the future.”
“…I can’t recommend Curtis Associates highly enough… the place we’ve just purchased in Surry Hills is still so far from market it is almost unbelievable. Because of the groundwork…we were shown through the property only a day after the vendor had initially contacted the real estate agent and before the real estate agent even had the listing and well before a contract for sale had been drafted. Less than a fortnight later, we have already finalised the purchase and exchanged contracts… and, more importantly, we were never competing with any other purchasers for the house. Their knowledge and understanding of the lower north shore and eastern suburbs is incredible… and the due diligence they conduct is… beyond expectations.”
“We were very pleased with the result achieved on Saturday. Your service, professionalism and capability served us greatly on the day, thanks for saving us a small fortune! [We] both agree instructing Curtis Associates was one of the best decisions we have made and will happily recommend you…”
“Feeling very pleased. After a weekend’s thought feel like we did well. Your strategy was 100%. Looking forward to a glass of champagne.”
“We were looking to buy a property in Sydney for investment purposes and, at a later stage, for personal use. We are based in UK and therefore particularly in need of the services of a good buyer’s agent. After talking to a number of such agents sourced from the internet, we chose Curtis Associates.
It was a good choice. Chris Curtis listened to our requirements carefully and produced a short-list of potential properties after exhaustive research carried out by his firm. He talked through the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Through our many conversations we soon realised he understood what we were looking for. We were very much on the same wave-length. Where our interest was leaning towards a property he thought unsuitable, he produced additional evidence to convince us that we were on the wrong track.
The purchase of a $3 million plus property unseen is not something lightly undertaken. With Chris’s expertise and attention to detail, we felt confident to proceed. He was skilful at the negotiating stage and partly by relying on the results of some novel due diligence, secured a meaningful discount. He also provided useful guidance in selecting a local solicitor, immigration lawyer and agent, accountant and sources for mortgage finance.
Chris is a highly qualified, likeable and very capable buyer’s agent. With his support we felt confident proceeding with a multi-million dollar purchase unseen from ten-thousand miles away. We doubt there are many others with his unique combination of skills and abilities. We recommend Curtis Associates whole-heartedly.”
“My wife and I hired Chris and his team to help us locate, research, and negotiate the purchase of our first home in 2009. Throughout the process, Chris focused on managing risk and making sure the investment would be sound while still meeting all of our requirements. After the purchase, there was absolutely no buyer’s remorse or second thoughts because we knew with confidence that it was a good investment. We could not be happier with our home and we have recommended Chris and his team to several friends and co-workers just starting their house search.”
“The assignment that my partner and I gave to Curtis Associates was very specific… The strength of using a buyers agent for us was not in trying to save bucket loads of money whilst buying in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, but to hire someone with experience in dealing with property sales. Above all else it was the strategy that Curtis Associates employed that won us the property we were seeking.”
“Your letter to the vendor’s agent was expertly crafted and a pleasure to read. Outstanding research (thanks) and I can see some sensible arguments developing here that further justifies our figure being southwards of $5.5 million. Thanks so much for all of this. Helps enormously in the process.”
“We spoke to a number of other buyers agents before deciding to go with Curtis Associates – we have always been pleased with our decision. We were truly impressed by how quickly you initiated your research after we first met – literally the same day we signed our contract with you. This was important to us as we needed to find a property quickly.
You also rapidly appreciated the qualities we were looking for in a home and focused the search so that we didn’t waste time looking at unsuitable properties.
Your comprehensive market research and advice packaged in clear, concise and regular updates gave us the information we needed to feel confident in making our decisions. This was particularly important given that we are new to the Sydney market.
We were also grateful that you made yourself so accessible as our busy jobs make it difficult to deal with these sorts of matters during work hours. Your graciousness at our late night calls was particularly commendable.
Your advice on the best strategy for acquiring the property was the most valuable…On our own, we would surely have missed out at auction. Your management of this process also took away a considerable amount of stress.
…Overall we think it’s fair to say that your service is exceptional and unlikely to be matched, so congratulations and thank you again.”
“It was the first auction I’d ever experienced so I was very nervous but am so glad now that I have it and for a very good price, thanks to you! The money I’ve saved will certainly go a long way to making further improvements in the future…
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us in the purchase of our new home…the information you provided on each of the properties was invaluable. Your support and encouragement along the way also made the job of finding a new home much easier and the expertise you showed on auction day certainly helped to calm my nerves!
I will definitely seek your assistance again in the future for any other property purchases I need to make and will also be recommending your service to anyone I know who is looking to purchase a property.”
“… [T]hanks for your assistance on the purchase of our property… Your patience in looking at a number of properties prior to our purchase was greatly appreciated. I valued your advice on the tactics of engaging with the vendors’ agents and your balanced and dispassionate view on the re-sale prospects of the properties we looked at. I’m sure we will use your services the next time we are looking for a property.”
“Chris Curtis acted as our buyer’s agent on the purchase of our home. He was able to respond to our request to act in a very short time frame and provided us with objective, well researched and comprehensive written advice on the value of our target property relative to other available properties in the area.
Once we decided to proceed, Chris took over all dealings with the vendor’s real estate agent and quickly positioned us as the buyers to be first dealt with by the vendor’s agent. His advice during the negotiations stage and his conduct of these negotiations was of great assistance. Despite a most competitive and emotional buying environment he was able to secure our property for us.
At all times we found Chris to be most professional, available to us, reassuring and communicative. His coolness, calmness and pragmatism were a bonus. His presence in the process meant that we could stay arms length from the negotiations and leave it in the hands of a professional advocate. Testament to all of this, we are now living happily in our new home.
We have no hesitation in recommending using Curtis Associates as a buyer’s agent.”
“Chris Curtis has an exceptional knowledge of the upper end of the Sydney property market and has developed an enviable network of contacts within the real estate industry, providing him a significant competitive advantage in sourcing and securing outstanding properties. Chris made sure he really understood what we were looking for in a property and was then able to meet our requirements in a timely and professional manner. The service was invaluable in our recent relocation… I highly recommend Curtis Associates.”
“I just wanted to thank you again for all your assistance in sourcing and negotiating the purchase of our house… We had initially thought there was little possibility of finding a place that met our criteria within our compressed timeframe…
Moving back to Australia after five years in London, [we] were very keen to buy however were a little concerned about our lack of knowledge of the market and our ability to devote the necessary time to the search and execution. The service that you provided with respect to focusing our search efforts, negotiating the purchase and coordinating all the third parties were invaluable to us given our circumstances.
I appreciated your frankness and honest advice which ensured we never had any unrealistic expectations about the market and were comfortable in being more or less aggressive in the pursuit of a particular property.
I have no doubt had it not been for your efforts that we would be back on the rental train rather than living our dream…
I have no hesitation in recommending your services to friends and colleagues and I look forward to speaking again when it comes time to upgrade.”
“Chris. Thanks again… for the result we achieved in buying…on the weekend, both in the execution of the auction strategy and in the post auction negotiations…we would be happy to (and indeed have already) recommended your service to others.”