Selling property today is a very different experience from even a few years ago.
Vendors today are more informed, more analytical, and expect their agent to be more than just a salesperson; they want a trusted advisor who brings clarity, data, and strategy to the table.
The first thing vendors want is content and data. They’re no longer satisfied with vague statements like “the market is good.”
They want to know what’s really happening in their local market and how it affects their property.
For example, Melbourne’s median house price now sits at $953,454, while units average $636,605, reflecting annual growth of 4.0% for houses and 1.5% for units.
Vacancy rates are at historic lows, just 1.8%, and rents have climbed steadily, with the average weekly rent now around $640, up 4.1% last year.
These figures tell a story, and vendors expect their agent to interpret that story for them.
They also want transparency when it comes to timing. A vendor recently said to me, “Well, you’re always going to tell me that now is the best time to sell.”
My answer was simple: “It’s a good time for you to sell if you believe this is the best market for you to sell in.
Let me show you what’s happening today in your market.” When you can point to facts, like Melbourne’s auction clearance rates sitting between 72% and 75% this spring, the strongest performance since 2021, you shift the conversation from opinion to evidence. That builds trust.
Another expectation is market nuance. Agents often generalise: “The market is good, balanced, or bad.” But vendors want more than that.
They want an agent who understands the different segments, apartments, townhouses, houses, land, and how each reacts to supply and demand pressures.
They also want insight into buyer demographics. First-home buyers, for instance, are still struggling with affordability despite recent rate cuts; Melbourne households need nearly 10 years of income to afford a median-priced home, making it one of the least affordable cities globally.
Young families are balancing lifestyle needs with rising costs, while downsizers are feeling the pinch of inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
These challenges shape buyer behavior, and agents who understand them can help vendors structure their sale strategically.
Government policy is another factor vendors expect their agent to know inside out.
Programs like the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, which from October 2025 allows first-home buyers to purchase with just 5% deposits and raises Melbourne’s property price cap to $950,000, are game-changers.
Combined with shared equity initiatives under the Help to Buy program, these policies are boosting demand and reshaping buyer profiles.
Agents who understand these incentives can guide vendors on timing and marketing strategies that align with buyer motivations.
For Agents Starting Out Today
If you’re an agent entering the industry now, here’s the truth: study dialogue, but also study the data. Scripts and dialogues will make you a student of the game.
They teach you how to communicate, negotiate, and build rapport. But data will make you a trusted advisor.
When you understand the market, buyer demographics, and economic forces, you become the person vendors rely on for clarity and strategy.
That trust leads to referrals and repeat business, the lifeblood of a successful career in real estate.
The Bottom Line
Vendors today want an agent who combines hard data with tailored advice.
They’re looking for someone who understands market trends, buyer demographics, and economic influences, and who can turn that knowledge into a clear, strategic plan.
In short….. confidence & trust comes when knowledge replaces uncertainty.
