Elena Whitcombe
Principal buyer's agent
Fifteen years in Brisbane property, the first half of it selling. Elena founded the agency after one too many buyers walked into a campaign with no one advising them. She takes the auction work.
About the agency
We started this because buyers kept turning up to auctions alone.
Ashgrove Property Partners was founded to give Brisbane buyers the same thing every vendor already has: a licensed professional whose entire job is getting them the better end of the deal. We work across the inner north-west, and we take instructions from buyers only.
Downsizers, upgraders, first-home buyers and investors — the brief changes, the method doesn't.
Four things we won't move on.
- We're paid by you, and only by you.
- No commissions from selling agents, no fees from developers, no kickbacks from mortgage brokers or building inspectors. If someone offers us money to steer you somewhere, the answer is no and we'll tell you it happened.
- Every price comes with its working.
- You get a written appraisal with the comparable sales attached before you make an offer. If we can't justify a number to you on paper, we shouldn't be recommending it.
- Your limit is your limit.
- Bidding and negotiating authority is set in writing before we act, and we don't come back mid-auction asking for more. Walking away is a legitimate outcome and sometimes the right one.
- We'll tell you when we're the wrong answer.
- If your budget and your brief can't meet, or you'd be better off spending the fee on the purchase, we'd rather say it on the first call than take an engagement we can't do well.
- 150+
- Purchases completed for clients across Brisbane.
- 30+
- Years of combined experience across the team, on both sides of the transaction.
- 4
- Licensed buyer's agents, so you always deal with a person and not a queue.
The team
The people who'll actually be at the auction.
Tom Farrelly
Senior buyer's agent
Runs the search and shortlist side, and knows the inner north-west street by street. If a house is on a bad fall or in the wrong catchment, Tom will have ruled it out before you see it.
Sarah Nguyen
Buyer's agent, investment
Handles investment briefs and interstate clients. Builds the yield and holding-cost model for every property we recommend, and is unsentimental about the ones that don't stack up.
Priya Raman
Buyer's agent & due diligence
Coordinates building and pest, flood and overlay searches, body corporate records and contract conditions, and chases everyone until settlement day is boring.
Jack Merrilees
Client manager
Your first call and the one who keeps the weekly shortlist moving. Books the inspections, sends the appraisals, and makes sure nothing sits in an inbox.
Working with us
What you can expect, week to week.
A weekly shortlist
Every property we've assessed against your brief, with the rejects listed and the reason given. You're never wondering what we did with the week.
Inspections done first
We walk through before you do, with photos and video for anything worth your Saturday. Interstate and overseas clients often never inspect at all.
Written appraisals
Comparable sales, condition notes, and a value range we'll defend. It's the document you use to decide, not a number over the phone.
Negotiation you can see
Offers, counters and the agent's behaviour reported back as they happen. You know what was said and what we said in return.
Due diligence coordinated
Building and pest, flood and overlay, body corporate records, and the contract dates your solicitor needs, all chased on your behalf.
Right through to keys
Finance dates, pre-settlement inspection, handover. The engagement ends when you're standing in the house, not when the contract is signed.
Have a look at what we'd be working from.
The buying brief builder takes about two minutes and gives you an indicative engagement fee at the end of it.