New places, new faces: meet the who's who of the home-buying process

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New places, new faces: meet the who’s who of the home-buying process

From the moment you start choosing between lenders to the day you move in, you’re going to meet a bunch of new people in your home-buying journey. Let’s find out a little more about who they are, what they do and how you can get the most out of their expertise along the way.

The ING Home Loan Specialist

I’m your ING Home Loan Specialist. I’ll be there from the moment you have your first home loan question to when you want to discuss your borrowing power. I’m your go-to from when you’re ready to start your application right through to when you head into settlement. You can call me on 133 464 for your home buying needs to speak to me. I’ll be your number one contact at ING, so reach out to me for any questions or help.

The JLL buyer’s advocate

When you’re in the pre-approval period for a home loan with ING, you’ll get to meet me (if you want to). I’m a buyer’s advocate from independent property buying experts JLL Australia. We’ll have a 30-minute chat, where you can throw all sorts of questions at me, like: am I buying in the right area, how do I negotiate, how do I make an offer, what’s the difference between private treaties and auctions, how do I deal with real estate agents, and more – way more. I’m here to help give you a better chance of finding and securing the home of your dreams.

The real estate agent

I’m your real estate agent. You’ve either chosen me to help you find your first home or you might’ve fallen in love with the house I’m helping the vendor (the owner, that is) sell. I’m the person who helps you and the seller do important things like negotiate on price. I can also help you find a home, if you haven’t yet. You can ask me about things like recent sales in the area, why the seller is selling, whether there are any issues with the property, how long it has been on the market – and you can even ask me for the suburb’s profile to find out about things like schools and transport.

The building inspector

I’m a home (or building) inspector. The most important thing I do is protect you from buying a house that has underlying issues that you might not notice when you visit yourself. I look for things like structural issues, faulty roofs, rising damp, electrical problems, safety issues and pest damage. Basically, I look for a whole lot. I’ll even offer advice on repairs, including their potential costs.

The conveyancer

My time to shine is when you’re deep in the settlement nitty-gritty, but you can bring me on to do things like review a property’s contract of sale before you make an offer or get geared up to bid. But mostly, I handle the transfer of ownership – the process to legally hand over the property from the seller to you, the buyer. I wrangle the paperwork and handle the documents. I also do things like check on titles and check if there’s any debt on the property, but my focus is on making sure settlement goes through nice and smoothly.

The solicitor

Hi! I’m a solicitor. You can go with a conveyancer or you can go with me. I basically do the same tasks as a conveyancer, but with a little difference. Because of my legal background, I generally have a broader knowledge of the law. The conveyancer and I are both perfectly qualified to help with property transactions, but consider working with me for property transactions that might be more complex or risky, or if you need additional legal advice.

The buyer’s agent

I can be a huge help in your home-buying journey. I’m a buyer’s agent and I am on your side. Sometimes it can feel like things are stacked against buyers in the property market, but that’s where I come in. I’m licensed to help you buy your first home – and the kind of help I can offer includes searching, evaluating and negotiating (even bidding for you at auction!). So, while real estate agents are on the seller’s team, I’m completely in your corner, future home buyer.

The depreciation specialist

Most of you won’t come across me, but I play an important role for anyone who is investing. I can help you save money and improve your cash flow by discovering property tax depreciation deductions for you. I’m here to help you make the right claims at tax time so that you can maximise your tax savings and get the most out of your investment, investor.

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Important information
Any advice in this article does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and you should consider whether it is appropriate for you. Before making a decision in relation to our home loan products, you should read the Terms and Conditions booklet and Fees and Limits schedule, available at ing.com.au or by calling 133 464. All applications for credit are subject to ING’s credit approval criteria. Fees and charges apply. ING is a business name of ING Bank (Australia) Limited ABN 24 000 893 292, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 229823.

In relation to our credit products, you should consider our Terms and Conditions booklet, Fees and Limits Schedule, Credit Guide and Key Facts Sheet available at ing.com.au when deciding whether to acquire, or to continue to hold, a credit product.