 After spending hours poring over real estate ads both online and in newspapers I was ready to give up my plan to buy an investment property for my retirement. All I knew was that I had very little idea of where to even start looking. Paul was recommended to me by my son as someone who could find me the house/unit that I was looking for. Paul had found him a property and organized everything while my son was in New Zealand. Within weeks Paul had found me an apartment which suited me perfectly, researched the area for other places of a similar type, talked to people on the body corporate, presented me with contracts to sign and convinced the vendors to accept an offer I was more than happy with. In fact the price we paid for the unit was $45,000 less than the previous sale in the building. Since Paul assisted me with my purchase another unit sold in the block for also $45,000 above what he was able to secure my property for. And guess what, my property is better! It didn’t end there. He found me a lawyer, liaised with them as well as the vendor’s agents, organised rental appraisals, painting and recarpeting quotes and met with the sitting tenant to discuss a workable arrangement for a continuing tenancy after sale. All of this and more with boundless energy and enthusiasm. I can’t wait for my next venture!" Lorna Perry
 We had recently decided to invest some money into real estate. We had an initial consultation with Paul of Secret Agent to discuss what we were looking for and what exactly we wanted in an investment property. We were impressed with Paul’s knowledge of the market in a range of areas, he explained crucial and important factors in buying differing investment properties and he was so friendly and easy to speak to. Paul put together a plan and suggested that we buy a block of flats as an investment. We agreed, so Paul got to work sourcing blocks in areas that we had discussed. There were several possibilities currently being marketed which Paul brought to our attention and he eventually located an entire block of apartments in St Kilda which were ideal, but not before a thorough dismissal of many which were unfeasible. We liked what was presented by Paul and Secret Agent. An entire block gave us control of our investment as well as multiple high revenue streams that capitalized on a shortage of rental properties in the inner city. The property was going to auction and we thought we had little chance. Yet Paul's clever tactics were second to none. He had planned where to stand, what numbers he would take and bid on and the type of bidding style that would see the property knocked down to us for less. It meant that on the day we were far less stressed and had full confidence that with Paul we would be given the best possible chance. What we ended up paying was on the lower side of what we thought the property might have been worth. In addition to this, Paul also arranged for all the units to be rented and a future sub division plan that is sure to make our investment even more prosperous. Paul provided the plan, found the property, provided the research, bid and secured the property at auction, provided the after sales care and set up the tenancies. We were extremely happy about our purchase and would definitely use Paul again in our next investment venture. George David and Bill Davison
 We contacted Paul through the Secret Agent website upon finding a property we really liked. He was happy to provide us with a reference from the beginning - and this positive reference held true throughout the process of preparing for auction and beyond. Utilising the Secret Agent, and Paul as buyers advocate was well worth it, not only in helping us secure a property at a favourable price, but in the provision of time, advice and support for the whole nerve racking process, not forgetting removing the stress of having to bid at auction. Paul was always happy to provide updates and opinion about the home, worked in a discrete and professional, but always approachable manner, has been generous with his time and shows a genuine interest in property and individual needs. His support has extended beyond the auction process, in providing post purchase advice and support. We would not hesitate in recommending Paul and 'Secret Agent' to anyone considering the purchase of a property. Claudia and Jason R
 Coming from a state where auctions are not the norm and houses sold for a price negotiated between the parties, we were feeling a little overwhelmed by the bidding process at auctions. From the outset, Paul’s friendly and professional approach put us at ease and we felt comfortable that we had found someone we could trust to put in charge of the stressful bidding process as well as all discussions and negotiations with the vendor’s real estate agents. . We located the property we wanted, which was either one of two virtually identical units for sale in the same group of four with auctions only two weeks apart. Paul provided us with some solid information about sales in the area and talked to the two different listing agents on our behalf, giving us valuable insight into the expectations of the two sales. Based on Paul’s advice on the day we didn’t end up bidding at the first auction, despite the final bid being below our limit. This proved to be the right move, as the final sale price negotiated by the highest bidder ended up being above our limit. Only just, but enough to mean that any bid made by us would have been beaten, our top price would have been revealed and we may have even pushed up the expected reserve price for the second unit because of this. At the next auction Paul bid confidently on our behalf, making only one bid just before the final hammer-down that was four times the current bid increment. Despite the auctioneers’ valiant efforts, no-one else was willing to offer another bid after one this big and so late in the auction. This was well within our limit, but below the reserve and Paul expertly led us through the negotiation process that followed to agree on a final price. We bought the property on the day below our budgeted amount and for much less than the identical property that sold only two weeks before. Paul’s service following the auction was thorough and we felt well supported throughout the entire process. No request from us was ever too much to ask and Paul gave us regular updates on all aspects of the purchase process. We would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking to buy a house. Jason and Jill Steadall
 The decision to hire an agent to seek and negotiate the sale on a suitable investment property for our Association was not taken lightly.
However, it was decided that the contracting of an expert to search, locate, liaise and negotiate for a suitable property on our behalf would pay for itself.
And that it did! Paul Osborne from Secret Agent worked diligently to locate suitable properties within our thin price range, focusing on suburbs that would meet out requirements of being a good sound investment in a safe and liveable area.
Of the properties suggested we jointly selected the most appropriate and Paul’s negotiating skills secured the property for $336,000, $13,500 under the asking price. More impressively, our skills and knowledge in the industry had previously provided Paul with the suggestion that perhaps $343,000 should have been a good first offer. We were prepared to go even higher to $348,000 to secure the property.
By securing the property for $336,000, contracting Paul, even after taking into account his fee, has saved us money even on what our first offer would have been. Had we gone to our final offer we clearly would have cost ourselves a significant sum.
What we were most impressed about however is the time that Paul saved us in finding the property. Scheduling inspections when it suited us was a great advantage, and his diligence in researching the area and previous market trends gave us the confidence to select our property with confidence.
We did not speak much prior to contracting Paul as to what his responsibilities would be after sale, but here he has continued to excel. He has ensured that payments have been made on time, contracts have been sent to the right people, and that suitable inspections have been allowed to occur.
I highly recommend Paul Osborne of Secret Agent to anyone looking to purchase either an investment property or residential home. He will save you valuable time looking for the right property, but most importantly he will save you money." Peter Roach, General Manager, Dandenong Basketball Association
Working with Paul, in our case from a distance, was an absolute delight! Paul knows the industry very well, is highly respected and quickly grasped our needs and expectations. He worked very hard on our behalf and gave sage advice at every turn, on what to look for and what to ask; he was intuitive and insightful. Communication was regular, efficient and no question was ever too silly to ask!! We are delighted with the property we now own thanks to Paul’s support, advice and knowledge! We cannot speak highly enough of Paul’s professionalism and commitment to getting the best for his clients. Norm & Sue Dean, Dubai, UAE
Hi Paul. Just a quick note to thank you for your time, energy and most importantly game plan in bidding for the property in Ivanhoe. We found you via Google and were impressed with the real life results and your advice. Unfortunately the property wasn't to be our but we'd use you again for bidding - especially when I become emotionally invested in the property (as I was). Thanks again, Peta. Peta
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