Austin Buyer Representation
Buy an Austin home withbetter access and better judgment.
The search isn’t just finding a house. It’s knowing which one deserves your attention, what it’s worth to you, and when to walk away.
Diana RobertsTexas Agent · California Broker · Certified General Appraiser
Diana’s services for buyers
See it first. Then know what it’s worth.
Every service Diana offers buyers starts with the same advantage: access to homes most buyers never see, read by an agent who is also a Certified General Appraiser.
See It First · Private, early and off-market access
A Compass Collection, set up and watched by Diana.
Your private, curated Austin home search inside Compass, including the homes that are not on the public websites. One Compass One login carries you from first search through closing and after.
- Private Exclusives
- Coming Soon
- Make Me Sell
- The MLS
Diana builds Collections around your criteria and sends the matches as they appear: Private Exclusives, Coming Soon homes, Make Me Sell matches and new MLS listings. No endless scrolling.
With Diana’s invitation you get your own access to Compass. Search like you would on the big home search sites, plus the homes they don’t show.
Know what to pay, even for a home with no public price history.
How Diana reads valueDistanceBuying from anywhereAn appraiser’s read on the lot before you fly in, and a Texas contract you can sign from afar.
Moving to AustinThe dealOffer to closingStrategy, negotiation, inspection, appraisal and every deadline after acceptance.
Under contractThe marketZIP by ZIPLive market reports for the west side of Austin, read neighborhood by neighborhood.
Market reportsSelling instead? Your home, your choice of path
Diana is the best real estate agent we’ve met. Knowledgeable, honest and always available. Looking for a team to guide you through what can be a stressful experience, Diana is your best choice!
Available Now
Homes Diana is representing right now.
Every home here has its own page with the photos, floor plan, Diana's notes and what to know before you tour.
01 / Your Search
Your search should be built around you, not around a portal.
Diana sets up a Compass Collection, your private, curated Austin home search inside Compass. It works two ways. Use both.
02 / See More of the Market
The market is bigger than the MLS.
Diana works the public market and the homes that appear earlier or more quietly.
Active listings
New listings, price changes, relists and competing inventory, not just today’s asking price.
Compass Coming Soon
Public first on Compass.com and Redfin.com, from Compass’s own listing data, before the MLS, for days, weeks or months under local MLS rules.
Available Private Exclusives
Shared inside the Compass network instead of on public websites, as the seller directs. Agents from other brokerages can review them at a Compass office.
Make Me Sell
Owners who are not selling share the price that would move them. If your offer meets it, Diana brings it to them. No listing, no days on market.
Why Search With a Compass Agent
Anyone can look. A Compass agent sees it early and works it directly.
Diana sends you the right Private Exclusive, Coming Soon and Make Me Sell matches as they come into Compass, and you can search Compass yourself, 24/7. Through her Austin agent network she also hears about homes before they’re listed, inside and outside Compass.
03 / Understand the Property
Understand the property before you decide what it is worth to you.
Diana’s appraisal training changes the questions she asks. Comparable selection matters, but so do the lot, condition, quality, construction, privacy, view, function, improvements and current alternatives.
- Comparable selection
- Current market conditions
- Construction quality
- Physical condition
- Floor-plan utility
- Lot usability and privacy
- Views and orientation
- Renovation execution
- Direct competition
- Likely resale appeal
Appraisal training informs Diana’s brokerage advice. She never appraises a home she represents: formal appraisals, including luxury home appraisal, are separate engagements provided through The Appraisal Shop.
Learn more about Diana04 / New Construction
A beautiful finish package can hide a mediocre real-estate decision.
Diana has worked alongside developers on more than 12 residential projects. For a buyer, the useful part is not the project count. It is knowing what to look at before the finishes distract from the property itself.
Start with the ground.
Orientation, lot utility, grade, privacy, road influence, drainage, surrounding development and whether the lot premium actually makes sense.
Look past the model home.
Floor-plan function, materials, construction quality and choices that may be expensive or impossible to correct later.
Not every upgrade creates value.
Some options improve utility and marketability. Others are personal preference. Incentives can also distort the headline price.
Think about the eventual resale.
Builder inventory, future phases, nearby lots and product positioning may matter again when the home returns to market.
Diana worked alongside developers through development-site acquisition, construction-stage decisions, market positioning and completed-home sales. She was not the builder or general contractor.
05 / Make the Decision
The house can be right without every number being perfect.
Is this the right property?
How well does it solve what you are actually trying to solve: location, function, lifestyle, timing, privacy, space and the compromises you are willing to make?
Is the value supportable?
What do the best alternatives, relevant sales, condition, lot, construction and current competition tell us about the price?
What leverage actually exists?
Seller motivation, competition, market time, financing, timing, option period, appraisal exposure and terms can matter as much as the headline number.
Diana’s job is not to make every house work. It is to help you recognize the one that works well enough, and structure the decision with clear eyes.
After the Offer Is Accepted
The negotiation is not over. It has just changed.
Inspection, repairs, appraisal, financing, title and contract deadlines can all create new decisions after buyer and seller agree.
06 / Diana’s Buyer Process
Clear decisions from the first conversation through closing.
Diana’s job is not to pressure a buyer into a house. It is to improve the quality of the decision, protect leverage and keep the transaction moving with clarity.
Define the search
Price, timing, architecture, school considerations, commute, lake access, privacy, property type, newer construction and genuine non-negotiables.
Build the Collection
Diana creates the personalized Compass workspace and begins curating active, Coming Soon and available private-market opportunities.
Study the market
Review competing inventory, recent sales, listing histories, price movement, builder competition and the correct micro-market for each serious option.
Evaluate the property
Condition, construction, lot, floor plan, restrictions, taxes, improvements, location risks, maintenance and likely resale appeal.
Structure the offer
Price, financing, option period, appraisal exposure, timing, inclusions and terms are built around the specific home and seller.
Manage the close
Diana coordinates inspections, negotiations, lender, title, contract deadlines, property questions and final walkthrough. See what happens after the offer is accepted.
07 / Where Diana Works
West Austin, Lake Travis and the communities between.
The guide explains the place. The market report shows the movement. Diana’s Compass Collection handles the live home search.
08 / Buying From Somewhere Else
You can buy well from far away. Someone has to translate Texas.
Diana sold homes in California before moving to Austin in 2020, and she was born in Budapest. For buyers coming from another state or another country, she translates what does not travel: the Texas contract, the closing, the taxes and the house itself, read with an appraiser’s eye before you travel.
Early Access From Away
See It First before you book the flight.
Matching Private Exclusive and Coming Soon homes go straight into your Collection, so a short trip is spent on the two or three homes worth seeing.
How See It First worksBuying at the Top of the Market
Lake Austin, Westlake, Barton Creek and estate property.
Waterfront, acreage and one-of-a-kind homes need a deeper read on comparables, privacy and resale.
Buying a luxury home in AustinBuyer Questions
What Austin buyers ask Diana.
Direct answers about the search, value, new construction and private inventory.
How can I search homes if Diana’s website does not have an IDX feed?
Two ways. Diana sends you the homes that fit, including Coming Soon, Private Exclusives and homes outside your search lines, and with her invitation you can search Compass yourself, 24/7. One Compass One login covers the search, the contract and your documents after closing.
What is the difference between Compass Coming Soon and Private Exclusive?
A Coming Soon home is public first on Compass.com and Redfin.com, from Compass’s own listing data, before the MLS, for days, weeks or months under local MLS rules. A Private Exclusive is not on public websites: it is shared inside the Compass network as the seller directs, and agents from other brokerages can review it at a Compass office.
How does Diana’s appraisal background help a buyer?
It brings discipline to comparable selection and the analysis of market conditions, lot, construction, condition, renovations, functional utility, views, privacy, direct competition and likely resale appeal.
Can Diana help me compare a builder home with a resale home?
Yes. The comparison should go beyond base price. Diana can help evaluate lot premium, upgrades, incentives, taxes, HOA or club costs, warranties, completion timing, construction quality, future builder competition and how the finished property may compete at resale.
Can Diana help if I need to sell another home before buying?
Yes. Diana can coordinate the Austin purchase strategy with the timing, preparation and valuation of the current home. If you are moving to Austin from another market, her Austin relocation page explains how she keeps the two sides connected.
Does Diana only represent luxury buyers?
No. Diana’s focus is the quality of the decision rather than a marketing label. Her core work is concentrated in West Austin, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Serene Hills, Westlake, Barton Creek, Lake Travis and selected Central Austin communities.
What happens after my offer is accepted?
The transaction moves into a new phase that can include the option period, inspection, repair negotiations, appraisal, financing, title, insurance, contract deadlines and final walkthrough. Diana’s Under Contract in Austin guide explains the practical decisions that can arise after buyer and seller agree.
I am moving from California. What is different about buying a home in Texas?
Texas has no state income tax and no real estate transfer tax, so property tax is the main carrying cost. A title company, not escrow, closes the sale, and the TREC contract gives you an option period to end the contract for any reason. Diana, a California Broker and a Texas Agent, walks through each difference before you offer. Her relocation guide has the full list.
Keep Exploring
Your next question probably lives here.
Each of these goes deeper on one part of the buying decision.
Start With Clarity
Your best home search should not look like everyone else’s.
Tell Diana where, when and how you want to live. She will build your Compass Collection, begin curating the opportunity set and help you understand the property before you decide what it is worth to you.
Diana Roberts · Austin Real Estate Advisor · Compass
Texas Agent · California Broker · Certified General Appraiser
512.888.8326 · diana.roberts@compass.com · Compass profile ↗
Compass programs, including Private Exclusive and Coming Soon, are subject to seller direction, availability, brokerage policy, applicable MLS rules, law and program-specific terms, and not every home will be available through them. Diana Roberts provides real estate brokerage services through Compass in Texas. Her appraisal credentials inform her brokerage analysis but brokerage advice is not a formal appraisal assignment. Diana’s appraisal services are provided through The Appraisal Shop. Appraisal and brokerage are separate engagements.