Three kinds of help, and how they are paid
A listing broker
A listing broker may introduce a buyer or publicise a property. Ask what is included beyond the introduction and how the person will handle documents and negotiation.
A portal
A portal can put a property in front of a wide audience. It does not replace property-specific pricing, buyer qualification or transaction management.
An adviser on a written mandate
An adviser works to an agreed written scope: pricing, document readiness, buyer qualification, negotiation and execution. The fee and responsibilities should be clear before work begins.
Seven questions to ask anyone before you sign
What have you closed recently at this ticket?
A good answer: A good answer refers to completed work, not a list of unverified listings.
A warning sign: A warning sign is a long list of asking prices without a clear example of what actually completed.
Will there be a written mandate?
A good answer: A good answer explains the scope, fee and responsibility in writing before marketing begins.
A warning sign: A warning sign is being asked to start with vague promises and settle the terms later.
Is the fee written down?
A good answer: A good answer makes the fee and the point at which it becomes payable clear before the work starts.
A warning sign: A warning sign is an answer that leaves the fee, its trigger or another party's fee open-ended.
What is your position on full cheque?
A good answer: A good answer is direct about the transaction structure it will and will not handle.
A warning sign: A warning sign is a casual answer about cash components, side arrangements or changing the recorded price.
Who actually handles the file?
A good answer: A good answer identifies the person responsible for pricing, visits, documents and negotiation.
A warning sign: A warning sign is not knowing who will attend viewings, coordinate the papers or call you back.
What happens when you travel?
A good answer: A good answer explains continuity, access to the file and who can make progress while someone is away.
A warning sign: A warning sign is a process that stops because all information sits with one unavailable person.
Can I speak to two references?
A good answer: A good answer offers relevant past clients where appropriate and with their permission.
A warning sign: A warning sign is pressure to decide quickly without any way to verify the working relationship.
How to use the seven questions
Ask the same questions of each person you are considering, then compare the answers on the same basis. The aim is not to catch someone out. It is to understand whether the person has a working process for your property, your ticket and your situation — or simply a confident answer in the moment.
A useful answer is specific. It explains what will happen first, who is responsible for each part of the work, how the fee and mandate operate, and what the person will not do. A vague answer can sound reassuring, but it leaves the difficult decisions for later, when an interested buyer or a registration date is already putting pressure on the seller.
Ask for a process
A clear process covers the first review, the document pack, pricing, buyer qualification, negotiation and the handover to the legal, tax and registration work.
Ask for ownership
You should know the named person who holds the file together, how decisions return to you, and what happens if that person is unavailable.
Ask for limits
A credible adviser can say what they will not do, what needs a lawyer or CA, and when a property or a proposed structure is not a fit.
What a useful first meeting should produce
A first meeting does not have to end in a mandate. It should leave both sides clearer about the property, the ownership, the documents available now, the timing and the transaction structure. If the work is a fit, the next step should be defined: which documents to review, whether a site assessment is needed, what pricing work will be done and who will revert when.
For a seller, that is a better result than a flattering number delivered before the property has been reviewed. For a buyer, it is more useful than a stream of listings without a discussion of what the documents, floor, location and attached rights mean in the particular property.
Where the transaction involves an NRI seller, co-owners, a loan, redevelopment or a builder floor with unclear rights, the process may need more preparation. That is a reason to identify the issue early, not to make an unsupported promise about the outcome.
A mandate is a working agreement, not a name on a listing
A written mandate should make the scope and responsibility clear. Before signing, understand the pricing approach, fee, duration, marketing route, who speaks to buyers, what information will be shared and how changes in the plan are agreed. The value of clarity is highest when a buyer appears and decisions need to be made quickly.
There is no single marketing route that fits every property. A quiet approach, targeted outreach or broader exposure can each have a place. The important point is that the route is agreed for the property in front of you, rather than being an automatic answer to every mandate.
Who we are right for
Grey Beard is for owners and buyers working on a serious South Delhi transaction at ₹10 crore and above who want the process to be clear before it becomes urgent. That can mean a sale, a purchase, an NRI sale, or a redevelopment decision. The common thread is a willingness to document the mandate, prepare the papers, use banking channels for every rupee and take independent legal and tax advice where it is needed.
The work suits clients who value a single accountable point of coordination: someone who can keep the commercial, document and communication work moving without pretending to replace a lawyer, chartered accountant, lender or architect. It also suits clients who prefer a considered process over a large list of unqualified introductions.
Who we are not for
We are not the right advisory if the title of your property is deficient; you are looking for black money; there are disputes in the property you want to sell; you are looking to defraud anyone through the transaction; or you have a bad track record of keeping commitments.
You want a clean, fully documented transaction in South Delhi — and you are ready to move.
How we work
Grey Beard operates exclusively in South Delhi. Each part of the market is a mini market, and useful advice comes from knowing the builders, actual transaction context, reliable players and the ones to avoid. The team keeps a small number of mandates, works from a commercial office in Panchsheel Park, and is clear about the transaction structure it will handle.
Questions about appointing an adviser
Do I need an adviser or can I sell directly?
You can sell directly. An adviser can be useful when the transaction needs pricing, document coordination, buyer qualification and a managed process. The right choice depends on the property, your experience and the complexity of the sale.
What does a written mandate commit me to?
It records the scope, fee, approach and expectations before work starts. Read the terms carefully and take independent advice if you need it.
Should I appoint more than one adviser?
The answer depends on the mandate and marketing plan. What matters is that responsibility for pricing, buyer communication and documents is clear rather than duplicated.
What is the difference between a broker and an adviser?
A listing broker may focus on introducing a buyer. An adviser on a written mandate works across pricing, documents, buyer qualification, negotiation and execution. Ask what the person takes responsibility for and how that is recorded.
Take independent legal and tax advice before signing a mandate or acting on a property transaction.