Question 1

What is a buyer’s agent?

Accepted Answer

A licensed professional who represents the buyer’s interests throughout the property purchase process — from research and sourcing through to negotiation and settlement.

Question 2

How much does a buyer’s agent cost?

Accepted Answer

Most charge a fixed fee, a percentage (1.5–3%), or a hybrid. CMD discusses fees transparently during the free discovery call.

Question 3

Can CMD help me buy property interstate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CMD is based on the Gold Coast and works with clients investing in markets across Australia.

Question 4

Does CMD provide financial advice?

Accepted Answer

No. CMD does not hold an AFSL. We recommend clients seek independent financial advice before making investment decisions

Question 5

What types of property does CMD help with?

Accepted Answer

Residential investment property, dual-income properties, development sites, and commercial property across Australian markets.

Question 6

Do I need to be local?

Accepted Answer

No. CMD is based on the Gold Coast and works with clients nationally.

Question 7

Can CMD help with a granny flat on property I own?

Accepted Answer

CMD can assess viability based on council zoning, lot size, and regulations, then connect you with builders and planners.

Question 8

What happens after settlement?

Accepted Answer

PM handover, tenanting, ongoing portfolio reviews. Long-term advisory, not one-off.

Question 9

Is the discovery call really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 20 minutes, no obligation.

Question 10

How quickly will CMD respond?

Accepted Answer

Within one business day.

Question 11

Do I need to be on the Gold Coast?

Accepted Answer

No. We work with clients nationally.

Question 12

What should I prepare?

Accepted Answer

Nothing specific. A general idea of goals helps.

Question 13

Buyer’s agent vs real estate agent?

Accepted Answer

Selling agents work for sellers to achieve the highest price. Buyer’s agents work for buyers to secure the best terms.

Question 14

Do I actually need one?

Accepted Answer

Not legally, but the advantages are significant: expert negotiation, independent due diligence, off-market access, and market research most individuals can’t replicate.

Question 15

Are buyer’s agents licensed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Must hold a valid real estate licence. CMD is licensed in Queensland.

Question 16

Is CMD insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CMD carries professional indemnity insurance.

Question 17

What legislation does CMD operate under?

Accepted Answer

CMD operates under the Property Occupations Act 2014 (QLD).

Question 18

Worth the money?

Accepted Answer

For most investors, yes. One bad decision usually costs more than the entire fee.

Question 19

Tax-deductible?

Accepted Answer

May be partially deductible. Consult your accountant.

Question 20

Different fees per service?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Acquisition, portfolio review, dual-income, development, and commercial each have different structures.

Question 21

Pay if no property found?

Accepted Answer

Terms outlined in the engagement agreement. Discovery call is always free.

Question 22

What areas does CMD cover?

Accepted Answer

CMD is based on the Gold Coast, licensed in QLD, and works with clients investing in markets across Australia.

Question 23

Buy interstate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CMD works with interstate investors and coordinates with licensed professionals in the relevant state.

Question 24

Who will I work with?

Accepted Answer

Cuan Roberts, founder and director. Personally involved in every engagement.

Question 25

What does a buyer's agent actually do?

Accepted Answer

A buyer's agent works for you — not the seller, not the agent, not anyone else. We search, shortlist, evaluate, and negotiate property on your behalf. The goal is to take the emotion out of it, apply an actual strategy to your situation, and find assets that perform. No guesswork. No rushing. Just the right property, at the right price, for the right reasons.

Question 26

How is CMD Properties different from other buyer's agencies?

Accepted Answer

Most buyer's agents will find you a property. We'll build you a strategy first. Before we shortlist a single address, we get across your full financial picture — borrowing capacity, tax structure, risk profile, cash flow. Then we go to work. And with Grant and Dan's construction backgrounds in-house, we can assess what a property is actually worth — not just what it's being marketed at.

Question 27

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Our fees depend on the scope of the engagement and the purchase price. We're upfront about it from the first conversation — no hidden costs, no surprises. But here's the thing worth considering: the cost of getting it wrong — overpaying, wrong location, wrong strategy — can far outweigh our fee over the life of a portfolio. Good advice pays for itself.

Question 28

Do I need to be based in Queensland?

Accepted Answer

Nope. We work with clients all over Australia and operate across QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, and SA. A lot of our clients are interstate investors buying in markets they don't live in — which is exactly where local knowledge and boots on the ground make all the difference.

Question 29

What types of properties do you focus on?

Accepted Answer

Investment-grade assets with strong fundamentals — land content, cash flow, long-term capital growth. We specialise in dual-income strategies, granny flat plays, duplexes, and development sites. But the right strategy always comes from your numbers, not ours. We fit the approach to the client, not the other way around.

Question 30

How can I contact Cuan Roberts?

Accepted Answer

You can contact Cuan on 0418 570 504 or by email at cuan@cmdproperties.au.

Question 31

Do you invest in property yourself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cuan is an active investor across builds, established properties, commercial assets, and development plays. We reckon an adviser who doesn't put their own money to work has a credibility problem. Skin in the game matters — and ours is very much in it.

Question 32

Can you share a client result you're proud of?

Accepted Answer

Katie came to us in 2020 — a single woman working for Queensland Health, buying her very first property. We secured a place in Pimpama for $429,000. Just under six years later, it's more than doubled in value. The equity and cashflow have given her the financial freedom to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot — and we're now working on her next two investment properties. At 40, on a single income, she'll own three. That's what the right strategy in the right location can do. Stories like Katie's are the whole point.

Question 33

How do you handle things when deals go sideways?

Accepted Answer

COVID was the ultimate stress test. Supply chain blow-outs pushed land development timelines out by 18 months in some cases, and builders were moving to pass construction cost increases — some over 15% — straight onto buyers. We negotiated hard and protected our clients from those costs without losing their properties. The ones who held their nerve? Their properties have since doubled in value within four years. Markets get hard. What matters is who's fighting for you when they do.

Question 34

Can CMD help with finance and property management too?

Accepted Answer

We're not a mortgage brokerage or property management firm, but we work closely with trusted partners in both spaces. We can point you in the right direction and coordinate the whole process end to end — because a great acquisition is only great if it's set up properly from day one.

Question 35

How long does the whole process take?

Accepted Answer

From initial strategy session to unconditional contract, typically four to twelve weeks — depending on your readiness, the market, and the strategy we're running. We don't rush deals for the sake of it. The right asset at the right price takes the time it takes.

Question 36

How can I contact Daniel Benson?

Accepted Answer

You can contact Daniel by email at dan@cmdproperties.au.

Question 37

What's Dan's role at CMD Properties?

Accepted Answer

Dan is a Partner and Business Manager — which means he's across both the operational side of CMD and the client experience. He's not just keeping the lights on behind the scenes. His construction background means he adds genuine technical value when it comes to assessing properties, scoping renovations, and making sure the numbers clients are working with are actually grounded in reality.

Question 38

What's CMD Projects — is that the same as CMD Properties?

Accepted Answer

Good question, and a fair one. CMD Projects is Dan's separate specialist roofing business, operating across residential, industrial, and insurance work. Different entity, but the expertise feeds directly into what CMD Properties does. When we're assessing renovation potential or true cost-to-complete on a property, Dan's not working off industry averages — he knows exactly what things cost because he's pricing jobs every week.

Question 39

How does Dan's background actually help me as a client?

Accepted Answer

25 years in construction means Dan can look at a property and see what a first-time investor might miss. What will that reno actually cost? Is the build quality what it appears? What's the realistic scope of works? These aren't small questions — and getting the answers wrong can turn a good deal into a bad one fast. Dan's the person who makes sure that doesn't happen.

Question 40

How can I contact Grant Marshall?

Accepted Answer

You can contact Grant by email at grant@cmdproperties.au.

Question 41

What does Grant actually do at CMD Properties?

Accepted Answer

Grant brings something most buyer's agencies simply don't have: real, in-the-trenches construction knowledge. As a partner, he provides the kind of property assessment and oversight that turns a good purchase into a great one. Think of him as the person who makes sure what looks good on paper also stacks up in real life.

Question 42

How does 25 years in construction help me as a buyer?

Accepted Answer

When you're buying an investment property, most people are flying a bit blind on the physical stuff. Grant can walk a site and tell you what the building inspection glossed over, what a renovation will actually cost, and whether the structure is as solid as the sales pitch. That alone has saved CMD clients from some very expensive mistakes.

Question 43

What kinds of projects has he worked on?

Accepted Answer

Big ones. The Brisbane Law Courts. Mater Hospital Adelaide. Adelaide Oval. Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. These are complex, high-pressure, multi-million-dollar builds — the kind where attention to detail isn't optional and cutting corners has consequences. That's the standard Grant brings to every property he assesses.

Question 44

How can I contact Nikola Ziemska?

Accepted Answer

You can contact Nikola by email at marketing@cmdproperties.au.

Question 45

Who does CMD work for?

Accepted Answer

CMD works for property buyers. Our role is to research, source, negotiate, and secure investment property on your behalf.

Question 46

Financial advice?

Accepted Answer

No. CMD does not hold an AFSL. We recommend independent financial advice.

Question 47

How does CMD research markets?

Accepted Answer

Systematic methodology: multi-source data analysis, demographic and infrastructure research, on-the-ground market intelligence, and proprietary assessment frameworks.

Question 48

Dual-income strategy?

Accepted Answer

Two rental incomes from one title. Main dwelling plus granny flat or duplex. Higher yields.

Question 49

Cash flow or capital growth?

Accepted Answer

Depends on your situation. Most portfolios need both. CMD helps define the balance.

Question 50

How to pick a suburb?

Accepted Answer

Data-driven: population, infrastructure, yields, vacancy, supply/demand. Systematic research, ground-validated.

Question 51

What is rentvesting?

Accepted Answer

Rent where you want to live, invest where the numbers work.

Question 52

How many properties to retire?

Accepted Answer

No universal answer. CMD’s portfolio advisory helps map a plan. Seek independent financial advice.

Question 53

Discovery call?

Accepted Answer

Free 20-minute conversation. Goals, budget, timeline. No cost, no commitment.

Question 54

How long to buy?

Accepted Answer

Typically 6–12 weeks. Complex briefs may take longer.

Question 55

Inspect in person?

Accepted Answer

Not essential. CMD provides detailed reports, photos, and video. You’re welcome to visit.

Question 56

What due diligence?

Accepted Answer

Building/pest, strata, council, flood, contract review, comparable sales, rental appraisal.

Question 57

After settlement?

Accepted Answer

PM handover, tenanting, ongoing portfolio reviews. Long-term advisory.

Question 58

How to get started?

Accepted Answer

Book a free discovery call or send a message. 20 minutes. No preparation needed.