How do builder brokers get paid? A plain-English guide for Victoria

It depends on the broker. Some are paid by the builder, so you don't pay them directly. Others charge you a fee. TKBG is paid by the builder, so its service costs you nothing extra. Ask any broker to confirm how they're paid in writing.

TKBG is paid by the builder you choose, as a share of the builder's margin. You don't pay TKBG a fee, so the service costs you nothing extra. TKBG works with over 35 builders across Victoria.

It shouldn't, but check rather than assume. With TKBG, the builder pays from its own margin, so the service costs you nothing extra. With any broker, ask in writing whether using them changes your price or adds a fee.

It can, so ask. A builder-paid broker only earns when you build with one of the builders they work with. Ask which builders they work with, how they choose which ones to show you, and why they're recommending a particular one.

Don't wait to be told. Ask. The simplest protection is to have any broker put how they're paid in writing before you commit.

You can, but the basics matter more. Find out who pays the broker, whether you pay anything, whether it changes your price, and whether they're tied to one builder or compare several.

Who pays them, whether you'll pay any fee, what their service includes, and which builders they work with. Then check the builder yourself and get independent legal and finance advice before you sign.