Here’s why that matters when you’re buying your first home

If you’re trying to buy your first home, you already know how much trust the process requires.

You have to trust a mortgage broker to explain your lending options clearly. You have to trust a real estate agent to be transparent about price guides. You have to trust a conveyancer to explain the contract properly. You may also be relying on a buyer’s agent, broker or developer to help guide major financial decisions.

So when a new ABS report shows that trust in Australia has dropped to its lowest point in years, it matters.

The ABS 2025 General Social Survey found that only 49.9 percent of Australians believe most people can be trusted, down from 61 percent in 2020.

While the data is broader than property, it reflects something we hear from many women navigating the home buying process: they don’t know who or what to trust, whose advice is genuinely in their best interests, and how to confidently make decisions in a system they’re still learning to navigate.

Why trust matters when buying property

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make, and most people cannot do it entirely alone.

That means trust becomes a critical part of the process.

Many women tell us they feel unsure about:

• who to rely on
• whether recommendations are genuinely unbiased
• if online reviews are trustworthy
• and how to tell the difference between good guidance and sales tactics

When trust in institutions and industries is declining more broadly, it makes sense that first home buyers want clearer ways to protect themselves from being misled.

Understanding how to assess a mortgage broker, real estate agent, conveyancer, buyer’s agent or developer before committing can help you make decisions with more confidence, clarity and control at a time when the stakes are high.

How to assess who to trust when buying your first home in Australia

Trusting someone does not mean handing over control.

One of the most important things first home buyers can do is learn how to assess the people guiding them through the process before relying on their advice.

That does not mean becoming an expert overnight. It means knowing the right questions to ask and understanding where incentives may sit.

Questions to ask before working with a mortgage broker

A mortgage broker can be incredibly valuable, especially for first home buyers trying to understand borrowing power, lender policies and loan options.

But not all brokers operate the same way.

Questions worth asking include:

• How many lenders do you work with?
• Are there lenders you do not have access to?
• How are you paid?
• Why are you recommending this loan over others?
• What happens if my circumstances change later?

A good broker should be able to explain things clearly without making you feel rushed, pressured or uninformed.

If you leave conversations feeling confused or intimidated, that is important information too.

What to watch for with real estate agents

Real estate agents work for the seller, not the buyer.

That does not make them “bad”, but it does mean their role is to achieve the best outcome for the vendor.

For first home buyers, understanding that dynamic matters.

Things to pay attention to include:

• Whether price guides align with comparable sales
• Whether information is provided clearly and consistently
• How pressure or urgency is being used during negotiations
• Whether questions are answered directly

Confidence often comes from preparation. The more research you do on recent sales, property conditions and local market trends, the easier it becomes to spot when something feels off.

Why independent legal advice matters

Many first home buyers underestimate how important a good conveyancer or property lawyer can be.

Contracts can contain clauses, risks or obligations that are easy to miss if you do not review them properly.

A good conveyancer should:

• explain things in plain English
• encourage questions
• highlight risks clearly
• help you understand what you are actually committing to

Feeling “too embarrassed” to ask questions is something we hear often from women buying property for the first time, but good professionals will never make you feel uncomfortable for asking for clarity.

Online reviews are useful, but not enough on their own

Reviews can help, but they should not be the only thing you rely on when deciding who to trust.

Instead of only looking at star ratings, pay attention to:

• repeated themes in feedback
• whether reviews sound genuine and detailed
• how businesses respond to complaints
• whether recommendations come from trusted sources

Many first home buyers are also turning to communities, referrals and education platforms because they want more transparency and less sales-driven advice.

Confidence comes from understanding, not blind trust

One of the biggest myths in property is that confident buyers simply “know what they’re doing.”

Most first home buyers are learning as they go.

The difference is that informed buyers ask questions, slow down when needed and build enough understanding to make decisions without relying entirely on someone else’s opinion.

That is especially important in a process where multiple people may financially benefit from your decisions.

What women tell us they actually want from the home buying process

Many women are not looking for someone to make decisions for them.

They are looking for:

• clearer information
• transparency around costs and incentives
• guidance without pressure
• support understanding their options
• confidence navigating the process independently

That is very different from wanting someone to “take over.”

At Penny, we see this constantly. Women want to feel informed enough to make decisions from a position of clarity, not confusion or dependence.

Trust matters, but so does your own understanding

Buying your first home in Australia will always involve some level of trust.

But the goal is not blind trust.

The goal is understanding enough about the process, your finances and the people around you that you can make decisions with confidence.

Because when you understand what questions to ask, how incentives work and where to slow down, you are far less likely to feel powerless in the process.

And for many first home buyers, especially women navigating property for the first time, that confidence changes everything. 

Want clear, honest guidance on navigating the homebuying process, including how to find the right professionals for you? Sign up to the Penny newsletter at the bottom of the page www.urpenny.com/news.