close ties with estate agents (or, in the United States, real estate brokers), they know other local intermediaries who may flag exclusive confidential deals, such as lawyers, private bankers, investment managers or other professionals and they sometimes know personally the owners of the best luxury properties for sale in the area they cover. If this is what the buyer is looking for then the size of the company is less relevant as contacts are made over time and lie in the hands of a few experienced professionals who may operate within larger organizations as well as on their own. Buying agents also often have close ties with property developers where the agent can get access to new properties before they come onto the open market. The better buying agents will also have extensive knowledge of the properties in your target area and will contact owners of suitable properties directly to enquire if they would sell. This does put you in a weaker position in the negotiations but it means that you will have access to properties that other buyers won't and if your buying agent is a skilled negotiator then you may not have to pay a premium. At the other end of the spectrum there are agencies that act more like relocation companies, well organized, operate in various languages, help their clients with all required paperwork, are well connected to various professionals and other companies in order to provide a full-blown service; these companies may be less capable of scouting off-market transactions or deal directly with private property owners. Independent buying agents like to stress their autonomy from selling agencies who, depending on the country, either act on behalf of sellers or as mediators between the two parties (See The Independent,). On the other side some well known estate agencies also offer buying services despite reservations over conflict of interest. Because of the different nature of buying agencies, prospect buyers are often advised to contact more than one company to compare and contrast their benefits. As is often the case, it can be better to hire a professional who is more capable to listen and understand our needs even though his or her company does not entirely tick all the other boxes. Most buying agents have significant transactional experience; however, like estate agents, only few of these professionals have a surveying qualification so they may not be the best