Confessions of a Buyer’s Agent Who Takes Notes While Watching Property TV

Yes, I’m that person.

While most people watch Buy to Build, Location Location Location, Love It or List It or Selling Houses Australia with a glass of wine and vague opinions, I’m over here pausing the screen and typing notes into my phone like a slightly unhinged property detective.

Not the pretty stuff. Not the cushions. Not the dramatic reveals.

The developers. The build quality tells. The mistakes that keep repeating.

And before you ask — no, this isn’t a hobby. This is occupational hazard.

Why a Buyer’s Agent Watches Property Shows Differently

When you work as an active Buyer’s Agent — especially with off-the-plan purchases — you start to see patterns everywhere.

Who consistently underestimates build costs. Who overpromises on timelines. Who magically has the same issues across multiple projects in different states.

Property TV is a condensed case study reel. Years of development decisions, mistakes, fixes, and consequences — neatly packaged into an hour.

If you know what you’re looking for, it’s gold.

Off-the-Plan Isn’t “Set and Forget” (Despite What the Brochure Says)

Buying off the plan in South East Queensland — whether that’s the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, or the Gold Coast — is not a plug-and-play exercise.

You’re not just buying a future home or investment. You’re buying into:

a developer’s track record
a builder’s reliability
a contract structure
a timeline that will change
and a market that may look very different at settlement

Most buyers don’t see this. They see floorplans and lifestyle renders.

I see risk layers.

What I’m Actually Noting While Everyone Else Is Watching the Drama

Here’s what ends up in the Notes app on my phone:

Which developers appear repeatedly across projects (and why)
Which builds need rescuing halfway through
Where budgets blow out — and what caused it
When value is added through smart design vs cosmetic distraction
What actually improves resale and rental appeal years later

These aren’t random observations. They inform how I guide clients into — or away from — certain off-the-plan opportunities.

Why This Matters for Buyers in SE QLD

Off-the-plan stock across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast varies wildly in quality.

Some developments are:

thoughtfully designed
realistically priced
backed by credible teams

Others are:

rushed to market
built on optimistic assumptions
and held together by marketing copy

Knowing the difference requires more than access. It requires context.

This is where most buyers — and even many advisers — fall short.

The Advantage of an Active Buyer’s Agent (Yes, Even a Slightly Weird One)

I’m not a former Buyer’s Agent teaching theory. I’m actively placing clients into off-the-plan purchases right now.

That means:

I know what’s genuinely available (not just advertised)
I know which developers deliver — and which quietly disappoint
I understand how off-the-plan contracts really work in practice
and I know where buyers get caught out if no one flags the fine print

The TV notes? They’re just one more layer of pattern recognition.

Call it weird. Call it obsessive.

I call it protecting my clients.

Final Thought

Most people watch property shows for entertainment.

I watch them for confirmation. For warnings. For patterns repeating themselves in different postcodes.

And yes — the notes stay in my phone. Because the next Sunshine Coast, Brisbane or Gold Coast buyer I work with might benefit from something I spotted while everyone else was watching the reveal.

If that makes me the weird Buyer’s Agent?

I’m very comfortable with that.

— Kareema

Fully licensed Buyer’s Agent specialising in off-the-plan purchases across South East Queensland