First Home Buyers
Stepping onto the ladder with guidance through every unfamiliar detail.
Why Penny Black
Four reasons to work with us.
In an off-the-plan purchase you have a lawyer for the contract - but no one working in your commercial and buying interests. We have sat on every side of the transaction, as buyers, developers and agents, so we see what you cannot see from the outside.
01
You don't know what you don't know
The biggest risks in off-the-plan are the ones you cannot see - floor-plan flaws, finish and material quality, and contract terms written to favour the developer. We know exactly what to look for, and we improve what others miss.
+Why this mattersMost buyers focus on price. The real value is in the detail - a better floor-plan, the right finishes, and contract terms that protect you. These are the things that shape how you live in the home and what it is worth later.
02
First to market
Melbourne's first and only specialist off-the-plan buyers agency & advisory service. While others dabble, this is all we do.
+Why this mattersOff-the-plan is a different discipline to established property. Specialising in it means we see every new project, understand how they are priced and sold, and know where the genuine opportunities are.
03
Both sides of the table
Australia's only buyers agency & advisory service with decades of off-the-plan sales and direct development experience. We have sat where the developer sits.
+Why this mattersBecause we have developed and sold off-the-plan ourselves, we understand how projects are structured, priced and marketed - so we know what represents fair value and where there is room to move.
04
Performance guarantee
On our full-service engagement, if we do not save you at least our 2% fee, you do not pay. That is how confident we are.
+Why this mattersWe only win when you do. Our full-service fee is structured so the savings we find cover our cost - the guarantee simply puts that commitment in writing.
Four kinds of next chapter. One quiet way of getting there.
Our clients arrive at this point for different reasons. The common thread is a desire for a home that fits the life they want now, not the one they were living in earlier.
Meet the directors
Three perspectives. One practice.
Penny Black brings together property, finance, and vendor advisory under one roof - each with distinct expertise, united by a shared standard of client care.
Fil Gacesa
Co-Founder & Buyer's AgentFil leads the buyers agency practice. Having sat on the developer side of off-the-plan himself, he knows exactly what buyers cannot see - the floor-plan compromises, the questions of finish and quality, and the contract detail that decides whether a purchase is genuinely fair. His role is to turn the uncertainty of buying off-the-plan into confidence and clarity.
Morgan Owen
Co-Founder & Finance DirectorMorgan funds developments for a living, so she reads a project the way a lender does - she knows from the inside which developments are well structured and financially sound, and which only look that way on paper. That insight protects our clients from buying into projects that do not stack up. Through the extended Penny Network, she can also arrange the financing behind a client's purchase, connecting them with the right lenders and structuring funding that is ready to perform when it is needed.
Jeff Anderson
Head of Vendor AdvisoryJeff brings over 40 years of real estate experience to the practice, including more than 4,000 auctions personally conducted. As head of vendor advisory, he guides clients through the sale of their existing property - whether that is the family home or an investment holding - with the care and market knowledge of a true industry stalwart.
Engagement
How to work with us.
Most clients engage Penny Black for the full service - end-to-end representation from search to settlement. The fee simply flexes to reward those who already have a project or two in mind.
Also available
Explore our other core services.
Beyond our full-service buyer representation, there are two further ways to work with Penny Black - a second opinion when you need it, and advice on the home you are leaving behind.
The Penny Black guarantee
If we do not save you our fee, you do not pay.
Our full-service fee is 2% of the purchase price. On that engagement, if we do not save you at least the fee amount, you do not pay. That is how confident we are in the value we deliver.
Book a discovery callVendor advisory
Representing you on the home you are leaving.
For many of our clients, the next chapter starts with a sale. Jeff Anderson represents you through it - acting as the conduit between you and the selling agent, and keeping the campaign accountable to one thing: your result.
We are not the listing agent. We sit on your side of the table, making sure the price, the terms, and the timing all work to maximise your sale and dovetail with your off-the-plan purchase.
Meet Jeff Anderson
The Penny Black Way
How we work.
Every engagement follows a structured, transparent process - and it starts delivering value before the property search even begins.
Immediate value, before the search begins
Step 01
Organise valuation for your home
Step 02
Provide home size and floorplan of current living
Step 03
Visit your home, review current living amenity
Step 04
Discuss criteria, budget, what is important to you
Step 05
Initial recommendation on size and type of property
Step 06
Identify suburbs where size and budget work together
Ready to start with the groundwork?
Book a complimentary discovery call and we will begin delivering value before the search even starts.
“
In an off-the-plan purchase, you have a lawyer for the contract - but no one working in your commercial and buying interests. No one telling you what represents fair value, or what to look for. We exist to change that.
Fil Gacesa
Co-Founder, Penny Black
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about working with Penny Black. Can't find what you're looking for? Book a discovery call and we'll walk you through it.
Book a discovery callA 15-minute conversation. No agenda but yours.
The discovery call is how we begin every engagement. It is a complimentary, unhurried conversation about where you are, what you are looking for, and whether we are the right fit.
- 01Tell us about your situation and what you are looking for.
- 02We outline how a typical engagement runs, end to end.
- 03You decide, in your own time, whether to take a next step.