“During the auction he was poised and unruffled by the auctioneer's prodding, and I bought the property well below the price I was willing to pay.”
Kiki · shortlisting & auction bidding
Buyer's and vendor advocate · Office in Brighton · Melbourne's south-east
Buyers advocate Melbourne: sell and buy in the right order, with one advocate.
Upsizing into a school zone or downsizing from the family home? Petros Ttofari oversees your sale and manages your next purchase, so both run to one plan and one timeline.
Most people hire an agent to sell, then hope the next house turns up in time.
The first call is free and carries no obligation. Fees are explained in writing before any work begins.
In-person, street-by-street.
Not a report made from a listing.
Not a report made from a listing.
ONE AGENT
START TO FINISH
START TO FINISH
THE TWO-MORTGAGE PROBLEM
Buy first or sell first? The numbers move quickly either way.
Buy first, and you might carry two mortgages or bridging finance until your home sells. Sell first, and you might have nowhere to go — and buy the wrong house under pressure.
Say you sell for $1.4 million and buy for $2.2 million. The gap is $800,000 before stamp duty, which alone runs to more than $100,000 at that price. If the sale comes in $100,000 under, or the purchase $100,000 over, that gap grows by $100,000 on the same day.
A selling agent is paid to sell your home. A separate buyer's advocate is paid to buy the next one. Nobody is paid to make the two line up. That is the job we do.
See the Sequence Plan →CLIENT WORDS
What clients say about Petros.
5.0 ★★★★★ Google reviews for Bayside Advocacy
“Petros found us the perfect property, exactly where we wanted to be, for our forever home.”
Ben H. · long-term family home
“Our property sold a week before Christmas, and with two kids, we were quite worried about what our next step would be… We have now secured our dream block in Edithvale.”
Matt · sold first, then bought with Petros
ONE ADVOCATE, ONE PLAN
The Sequence Plan: one plan for both transactions.
Before you list or bid, we write one plan that covers your sale, your purchase, the right order and settlement dates — so you move once, not twice.
We work the order through with your mortgage broker, based on finance, timing and how scarce your next home is.
01
The sale. What your home is realistically worth, which selling agent suits it, and whether auction or private sale fits your timing.
02
The purchase. A written brief for the next home: school zone, street type, single level or not, and the price range your sale supports.
03
The order and dates. Buy first, sell first, or run both together — with settlement periods planned as one timeline.
THE ON-THE-GROUND CHECK MEET PETROS
One person accountable from the first call to settlement.
- Same process, directly with Petros. Buyers Advocate Melbourne is run by Petros Ttofari, founder of Bayside Advocacy in Brighton.
- Practical property experience. Petros built and ran a plumbing business, and has bought, renovated and developed his own property across Melbourne's south-east.
- A family move, understood. As a husband and father of three, he knows what it means to move around a school year.
- A smaller practice. Petros takes on a small number of clients at a time, and you deal with him directly.
OUR SERVICES
Both sides of your move, run to one plan.
Most upsizing and downsizing clients use vendor and buyer's advocacy together under the Sequence Plan.
Vendor advocacy
We shortlist and assess selling agents, help you appoint one, then oversee the campaign. We never sell the property ourselves.
Explore service →Buyer's advocacy
Your brief, search on and off market, assessment, due diligence, negotiation or auction bidding, and settlement support.
Explore service →Auction bidding & negotiation
Found your next home already? We check the price, agree a firm limit and bid or negotiate for you.
Explore service → Need both services? We explain exactly how the sale, purchase and fees work together on the strategy call.
Get clear on the next step → WHO WE HELP
Owners selling one home and buying the next.
Whether you are upsizing, downsizing or repositioning a portfolio, early planning keeps more options open.
↗
Families upsizing
More bedrooms, a garden and the right school-zone boundary before the next school year. We time your sale so you do not buy under pressure.
↗Downsizers
We help you choose the right selling agent, then find a next home that suits the next 15 years.
↗Sellers of long-held homes
We test each appraisal against comparable sales and oversee the campaign so you avoid discounts you do not need to accept.
↗Investors
Selling one property to buy a better one? We oversee the sale and assess the next purchase for land value and demand.
“
SOLD, AND NOWHERE TO GO YET
The Edithvale family: a sense of calm after selling first.
Matt and his wife sold their home a week before Christmas. They had two young children and no next home lined up. Petros went through the plan, price and location they wanted, attended inspections and reported on the realistic cost of value-adding improvements.
The result: a block in Edithvale and a considered next step, while they kept up with work and family.
KIKI Shortlisting + auction bidding
YOUR OPTIONS WHEN YOU SELL AND BUY
Who is accountable for making both sides line up?
| Selling agent, then buy yourself | Separate vendor & buyer advocates | Large multi-adviser firm | Buyers Advocate Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who plans the order | You | Nobody, unless they coordinate | A consultant for each side, if offered | Petros, under one plan |
| Who the sale adviser works for | The selling agent works for you but is paid on the sale | You | Yours | Yours only |
| Who buys the next home | You, on weekends | A buyer's advocate who may not know your sale timeline | Often a different consultant | The same advocate overseeing your sale |
| Coverage | Anywhere | One agency’s listings | Several states & cities | Melbourne’s south-east |
A larger firm suits you if you want a bigger team or a wider area. If you want one person accountable for both your sale and your purchase, that is what we offer.
HOW IT WORKS
A clear path from
sale to your next home.
Most buying clients secure a suitable property within 8 to 16 weeks.
Free strategy call
We discuss your home, next home, finance and timeline.
The Sequence Plan
One written plan for the sale, purchase, order and settlement dates.
Agent selection & campaign
We help appoint the right selling agent and oversee the campaign.
Search & assessment
We search on and off market and assess each home at street level and for condition.
Negotiation, both sides
We negotiate your sale with your agent and bid or negotiate on your next home.
Settlement
We coordinate with your conveyancer and broker so both settlements land as planned.
01
One plan for both transactions — so your sale and purchase stop pulling against each other.
02
Independent agent selection — so you appoint on evidence, not the highest appraisal.
03
Campaign oversight — so someone on your side reads the buyer feedback, not only the agent.
04
A written brief for the next home — so every property is judged against what your family needs.
05
Settlement dates planned together — so you move once.
06
A tradesperson's first read on condition — so you know what an older home could cost before you bid.
07
Limits agreed before auction day — so neither your sale nor your purchase is decided by emotion.
08
One person accountable — so you never re-explain your situation.
FEES
Clear fees before any engagement starts.
The first call is free. We explain exactly how fees work for your sale, purchase or both before you commit.
01
Selling: vendor advocacy is usually funded through a commission-sharing agreement with the selling agent, so your total cost can be comparable to using a selling agent alone.
02
Buying: fees usually have an engagement fee to start the search and a success fee when you buy. The total depends on your brief and price range.
03
Both: if you use both services, we explain exactly how the fees work together on the strategy call.
04
Not included: conveyancing, building inspections, mortgage broking, bridging finance costs and stamp duty are paid to those parties directly.
DETAILS THAT CHANGE THE OUTCOME
Small decisions can move the whole plan.
01
Inflated appraisals: we test every appraisal against recent comparable sales before you sign an agency agreement.
02
School-zone boundaries: one side of a street can sit inside a secondary college zone while the other does not.
03
Single-level scarcity: we start searching before your sale forces the timeline.
04
Auction or private sale: the right method depends on your property, the season and how quickly you need to move.
05
Reserve-price rules: from 1 October 2026 Victorian agents must publish the vendor's reserve before auction. Use it as one data point, not a valuation.
06
Downsizer super contributions: a long-held home can open options for your superannuation. Speak with your financial adviser before you sell.
OUR COMMITMENTS
Clear advice, even when the answer is not yet.
We tell you if the numbers do not support your next move, and never act for the other party in either transaction.
We already have an agent in mind.+
That is a good starting point. We can assess them alongside two or three others on pricing approach and campaign plan. If they are right, you appoint them with more confidence.
Will this cost more than a normal commission?+
Vendor advocacy is usually funded through commission-sharing with the selling agent, so the total can be comparable. We confirm the numbers for your sale before you commit.
We have lived here for decades. We know the area.+
You know the area better than most. We bring the current picture on pricing, buyer demand and the agents running effective campaigns right now.
We are not in a hurry.+
That is the best time to plan. Owners who start early choose the timing; owners who wait often have it chosen for them.
WHERE WE BUY
Melbourne’s south-east,
street by street.
We cover Melbourne's south-east, where Petros inspects, negotiates and bids every week. If your sale or purchase is outside these areas, we will tell you and point you to someone better placed.
Bayside
Brighton, Brighton East, Hampton, Hampton East, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Highett
Kingston
Cheltenham, Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Edithvale, Chelsea, Chelsea Heights, Bonbeach, Carrum, Patterson Lakes, Waterways, Dingley Village, Heatherton, Moorabbin
Glen Eira
Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Ormond, Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Glen Huntly, Elsternwick, Gardenvale, Caulfield, Caulfield North, Caulfield South, Caulfield East
COMMON QUESTIONS
Common questions about selling and buying together.
Have a question about your own move? You will speak directly with Petros on the first call.
Ask your question →What does a buyers advocate do?+
A buyer's advocate represents only the buyer. We search, assess, negotiate and bid for you. The selling agent represents the vendor.
What does a vendor advocate do?+
We help you choose the selling agent, set the pricing strategy and oversee the campaign. We never sell the property ourselves.
Can one advocate handle my sale and purchase?+
Yes. We act for you in both transactions: vendor advocate on the sale and buyer's advocate on the purchase. We never act for the other party.
Should I buy or sell first?+
It depends on your finance, timeline and how scarce your next home is. We work it through with you and your broker in the Sequence Plan.
How much does it cost?+
Vendor advocacy is usually funded through commission-sharing with the selling agent. Buyer's advocacy usually combines an engagement fee and a success fee. We confirm the exact figures on the free call.
Are you licensed and insured?+
Yes. Petros holds a Victorian estate agent licence, listed on the Consumer Affairs Victoria public register, and the practice is insured.
How long does it take?+
Most buying clients secure a property within 8 to 16 weeks. Selling campaigns vary with the method and season.
We have already sold. Is it too late?+
No. Many clients come to us after selling. We focus on buying the right home within your settlement period.
PLANNING A MOVE?
Start with one call.
In one free call, you will learn whether your sale supports your next purchase, which order makes sense, and what it would cost to have one advocate run both.