Cate Bakos Property

What Cate Bakos Property does

Cate Bakos Property is a boutique, founder-owned buyer's advocacy firm established in 2014 by Cate Bakos and headquartered in Yarraville, Melbourne. The firm provides end-to-end residential property purchase services for individual homebuyers and property investors across Melbourne metro and Victorian regional markets (Ballarat, Geelong, and coastal areas). Core service lines include Buyer's Advocacy Services, Qualified Property Investment Advisory, Negotiation and Auction Bidding, Home Finding, and Regional Purchases — each covering property search, due diligence, negotiation, auction bidding, property manager selection, and post-sale support.

The business operates on a professional services revenue model, charging bespoke fees for buyer representation engagements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is sales-led and brand-led, anchored by Cate Bakos' 20+ years of industry experience, national awards (2018 #1 National Buyer's Agent of the Year, 2026 Australian Buyer's Agents Award), industry governance roles (Chair of PIPA, former President of REBAA 2019-2023), and a multi-channel content ecosystem including two co-hosted podcasts (The Property Trio, The Melbourne Property Hour), a weekly Monday Minute video series, a Sunday Blog, and two published property investment books.

The firm has no proprietary technology platform; all value creation rests on human negotiation expertise, cultivated selling-agent relationships providing off-market property access, and Cate Bakos' personal brand. The team comprises approximately 6-7 personnel including Cate Bakos, Jade Barnden (Buyer's Agent with legal background), Emma Mace (Customer Service), Lynn Tran (Acquisition Support), Renee Berger (Post-Sales Advocate), and Christopher Sybenga (Work Placement Student). The firm has assisted over 2,500 clients with property purchases over its operating history, with no disclosed institutional investment or venture funding.

Name

Cate Bakos Property

Legal name

Cate Bakos Buyers Advocate and Qualified Property Investment Advisor

Website

https://catebakos.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cate Bakos Property is a boutique Melbourne buyer's advocacy firm founded in 2014 by Cate Bakos, providing end-to-end property search, due diligence, negotiation, and auction bidding services for individual residential homebuyers and property investors across Melbourne metro and Victorian regional markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Buyer Advocacy Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Buyer advocacy services
• Property investment advice
• Auction bidding
• Home finding services
• Property negotiation

Headquarters

HQ city

Yarraville

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Buyers Advocacy Services: Professional services revenue from providing end-to-end buyers advocacy including property search, due diligence, negotiation, auction bidding, and post-sale support. Services include Qualified Property Investment Advisor, Home Finding, Negotiation & Auction Bidding, and Regional Purchases across Melbourne and Victorian regions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cate Bakos Property is a boutique, independent buyer's advocacy firm offering end-to-end property purchase services in Melbourne and Victorian regional markets. Core services include buyer's advocacy, qualified property investment advisory, negotiation and auction bidding, home finding, and regional purchases, supported by educational content through podcasts, a blog, and published books.

Product overview

Cate Bakos Property operates as a boutique, independent buyer's agency offering a portfolio of personalized services centered on buyer's advocacy for Melbourne and Victorian property markets. The core service suite includes Buyer's Advocacy Services (a comprehensive end-to-end offering), Qualified Property Investment Advisory, Negotiation & Auction Bidding, Home Finding, and Regional Purchases. These core services are supported by educational content platforms including The Property Trio and The Melbourne Property Hour podcasts, the Monday Minute video series, and the Sunday Blog. The company also extends its reach through published property investment books, notably 'The Buy Right Approach to Property Investing' and 'Successful Property Investment.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Property Trio: Australia's fiercely independent property podcast co-hosted by Cate Bakos with David Johnston and Mike Mortlock.
• The Melbourne Property Hour

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted over 2,500 clients with property purchases, strategies and decisions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Real Estate Buyers Agents' Association (REBAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cate served as President of REBAA from 2019 to 2023, having previously served as Vice President for two years. Her leadership roles in this national body demonstrate her dedication to enhancing professional standards and supporting industry growth.
• Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCate Bakos serves as the appointed Chair of PIPA, demonstrating leadership within the property investment sector. She is dedicated to fostering community, leadership, and recognition within the property investment sector and contributes to PIPA's Awards of Excellence Program and educational initiatives.
• The Property Trio (David Johnston & Mike Mortlock)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCate co-hosts the popular podcast series 'The Property Trio' with fellow industry experts David Johnston and Mike Mortlock. This platform allows her to share insights and discuss trends in property, positioning her as a thought leader in the Australian property investment community.
• The Melbourne Property Hour (Lisa Parker)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCate joined forces with fellow buyer's agent and long-time friend Lisa Parker to launch The Melbourne Property Hour podcast. This platform brings together two of Australia's most respected buyer's advocates to unpack the realities of buying, investing, and building wealth through property.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Henderson Advocacy: Melbourne-based buyer's advocacy firm providing buyer representation across Melbourne metro and regional Victoria. Led by David and Nicola Henderson. Highly comparable given same geography (Melbourne/Victoria), same service mix (search, negotiation, auction bidding), and same target customer (homebuyers and investors).
• Property Wizards: Melbourne-based buyer's agency offering property search, negotiation, and auction bidding services. Comparable given same geography, same service offering (buyer advocacy for residential properties), and same target market of Melbourne homebuyers and investors.
• Cohen Handler: National buyer's agency providing buyer representation across Australia with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. Founded by successful buyers advocates with a focus on both owner-occupier and investor clients. Comparable because both firms monetize buyer advocacy in a fee-based model targeting the same end customers in the residential market.
• Propertybuyer: Australia's longest-established buyer's agency, founded in 1994. Operates across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other state capitals with a multi-agent team model. Directly comparable as both firms provide fee-based buyer representation, property search, and negotiation services to Australian homebuyers and investors, though Propertybuyer is significantly larger and multi-state.
• DDP Property Buyers Advocates: Melbourne-based buyer's advocacy firm providing full-service buyer representation for residential purchasers. Comparable as both firms operate as boutique Melbourne-focused buyer's agencies offering property search, due diligence, negotiation and auction bidding services to similar clientele.
• Metropole Property Investment Strategists: National property investment advisory firm offering buyer advocacy, investment strategy, and wealth planning services. Operates across multiple Australian states with a team of strategists. Comparable because both firms target property investors and offer end-to-end acquisition support including strategy, search, negotiation, and portfolio advice.

Broad incumbents

• Empower Wealth: Larger Australian property investment advisory and wealth management firm offering buyer advocacy as part of a broader property investment and financial planning portfolio. Comparable because both firms serve property investors and offer advisory/buyer representation, though Empower Wealth has a much broader service mix and multi-state presence.
• Rethink Investing: Multi-state Australian buyer's agency and property investment advisory with a larger team. Provides buyer advocacy, investment strategy, and portfolio management services. Comparable given similar buyer advocacy services and investor focus, though Rethink Investing has a national footprint versus Cate Bakos Property's Victoria-only scope.

Others

• Real Estate Buyers Agents Association (REBAA): National industry association representing buyer's agents in Australia, of which Cate Bakos is a former President. Included as an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; the firm relies on REBAA for industry standards, accreditation, and credibility signals that support its buyer advocacy positioning.
• Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA): Industry body representing qualified property investment advisors in Australia, currently chaired by Cate Bakos. Comparable as an industry ecosystem organization whose QPIA credential Cate Bakos Property leverages for credibility, and whose membership signals differentiation versus non-credentialed buyer's agents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubestudio.youtube.com/channel/UCNZzSr0ISxlUeAhm8dq6R7w/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cate-bakos-property

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cate Bakos Property