Parents are increasingly hiring property advocates to give their adult children an edge in a market where entry-level home values have climbed close to 10% in a year, aiming to boost their chances of success but potentially deepening the divide between families who can afford this support and those who cannot.
In today’s heated housing market, first-home buyers are competing not only with each other but also with investors, and that pressure has pushed prices higher across the country. Property advocates, once seen as a service mainly for prestige or luxury buyers, are now being brought in by well-resourced parents who want guidance, less stress and fewer mistakes for their children’s first purchase. This shift has emerged as affordability has eroded over the past five years, which has made the process feel more complex and risky for inexperienced buyers.
The service is not cheap. Basic support such as auction bidding often starts around $5000, while full-service arrangements that include market research, shortlisting and inspections can run from about 1.5 to 3% of the eventual purchase price. At the same time, government incentives are fuelling demand. After an expanded national scheme allowed an unlimited number of eligible buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit under price caps, first-home mortgages reportedly surged by almost 50% in one month and lower-priced properties rose roughly 3.6% in value over just four months. However, brokers working in more affordable suburbs say most of their younger clients still rely on direct financial help from parents rather than paying extra for advocates, which suggests this strategy is concentrated in higher-income areas.
The broader picture looks like a market where professional support is becoming another tool for those with means, which could widen the gap between buyers who can outsource negotiations and those who must do everything themselves. Property advocates seem to help reduce emotional decision-making at auctions and can balance the influence of selling agents, but the value depends heavily on the fee structure and how much buyers are willing to do on their own. As prices keep climbing and incentives draw more people into the race, using paid experts may become more normal for first-home purchases, yet it also seems likely to spark ongoing debate about fairness, effectiveness and whether the extra cost really delivers a better outcome.
