Real Estate Agent Commission Rates in Australia 2026

Real estate agent commission rates in Australia sit between roughly 1.8% and 3.5% of the sale price in 2026, with most capital-city sellers paying 2% to 2.5% plus GST. On an $850,000 sale at 2.2%, that's $18,700 in commission before GST — about $20,570 once the 10% is added.

Commission isn't regulated anywhere in Australia. There's no maximum rate, no government schedule, and no rule stopping you from asking for a different number. The rate on your agency agreement is the rate you agreed to, which means the single biggest lever on your selling costs is the conversation you have before you sign.

This guide covers what agents actually charge across each state, how GST and vendor-paid advertising change the total, and where the room to negotiate really is. If you want your own numbers first, the property selling costs quote calculator will give you a full breakdown in about 30 seconds.

Last updated: September 2026.

Key takeaways

• Real estate agent commission rates in Australia range from about 1.8% to 3.5% of the sale price in 2026, with a typical capital-city rate of 2% to 2.5%.
• Most agents quote commission excluding GST — add 10% to whatever percentage you're shown to get the real number.
• Commission is unregulated and negotiable in every state and territory. There is no legal maximum.
• A 0.5 percentage point difference is worth $4,250 plus GST on an $850,000 sale — that's usually a bigger saving than anything else on the list.
• Commission is not your only selling cost. Vendor-paid advertising typically runs $2,500 to $12,000, conveyancing around $1,400, an auctioneer about $800 and full property styling roughly $4,500.
• Total selling costs usually land between 3% and 4.5% of the sale price once marketing, GST, conveyancing and styling are counted.
• Rates are lowest where competition is highest — Melbourne and Sydney metro at the bottom, Tasmania, the NT and regional postcodes at the top.

Table of contents

1. How much is real estate agent commission in Australia?
2. Real estate agent fees by state in 2026
3. What do total selling costs actually come to?
4. Real estate marketing costs — what vendor-paid advertising adds
5. The fees that aren't commission
6. How do you go about negotiating real estate commission?
7. Flat fee, tiered and hybrid commission structures
8. What to check before you sign the agency agreement
9. FAQs

How much is real estate agent commission in Australia?

Real estate agent commission in Australia costs between 1.8% and 3.5% of the final sale price in 2026, plus GST. The average agent commission percentage in the capital cities sits around 2% to 2.5%; regional areas and smaller markets routinely run a full percentage point higher.

Here's what that looks like in dollars. The first figure is commission excluding GST — the number your agent will quote you. The figure in brackets is what actually leaves your settlement statement.

Bracketed figures include GST at 10%. This is a price indication only. Your tradie will confirm the final price after assessing the job — in a property sale, that's your agent confirming the rate and the price guide in writing.

Methodology: the dollar figures above are calculated directly from the rate card behind Leadkit's property selling costs calculator, which prices commission on a negotiable 1.5%–3.5% band with GST added on top. Leadkit built and owns that calculator — it's our own tool, not third-party research. The state-level rates further down are market observation drawn from published agent-comparison data, and they're directional, not a survey.

Two things drive where you land in that band. The first is competition: the more agents chasing listings in your postcode, the lower the rate. The second is sale price, because agents will shave the percentage on a high-value listing and hold firm on a modest one — the dollar commission still works out fine for them.

Commission is also almost always charged on the total sale price, not the amount above your reserve. A handful of agents structure it differently, which is where tiered deals come in later in this guide.

Real estate agent fees by state in 2026

Real estate agent fees by state vary by more than a full percentage point across Australia, driven almost entirely by local competition and median property values. Victoria and New South Wales metro markets are the cheapest; Tasmania and the Northern Territory are the dearest.

Percentages exclude GST. These are indicative market ranges, not a regulated schedule — your agent will confirm the rate in your agency agreement.

The Queensland and Western Australia numbers surprise a lot of interstate sellers. Brisbane and Perth are big markets, but the commission convention there settled higher than in Melbourne and Sydney and hasn't moved much. A Brisbane seller at 2.8% on a $900,000 home pays $25,200 plus GST; the same house in inner Melbourne at 2.0% costs $18,000 plus GST. Same job, $7,200 difference.

Regional rates run higher for a practical reason: fewer buyers, longer campaigns and much more driving between inspections. Agents covering a wide catchment genuinely spend more hours per sale, and the rate reflects it.

Selling and buying in the same year? Check our guides to conveyancing fees across Australia and stamp duty in NSW so the whole move is budgeted, not just the sale.

What do total selling costs actually come to?

Total selling costs in Australia typically land between 3% and 4.5% of the sale price once commission, GST, marketing, conveyancing and any styling or auctioneer fees are added together. Commission is the biggest single line, but it's usually only about two-thirds of the bill.

These scenarios are calculated from the rate card behind Leadkit's calculator, using its default fees for each optional line.

"Other" covers conveyancing ($1,400), the auctioneer fee ($800) and property styling ($4,500) where they apply. GST is applied to commission and marketing. This is a price indication only. Your agent will confirm the final figures after assessing your property.

Notice the pattern: the percentage falls as the sale price rises, but the dollar total climbs steeply. The $500,000 regional seller pays the highest rate and the smallest bill; the Sydney seller pays the lowest rate and hands over nearly $50,000.

The rate card behind Leadkit's property selling costs calculator is built the way agents actually quote — a negotiable percentage, GST added on top, and advertising charged as a separate line the seller pays either way. In practice it's those separate lines, not the headline percentage, that decide whether a campaign costs $26,000 or $50,000.

Want your own numbers? Run the free property selling costs quote calculator and see commission, marketing, GST and net proceeds broken out line by line.

Real estate marketing costs — what vendor-paid advertising adds

Real estate marketing costs in Australia typically run $2,500 to $12,000 for a residential campaign in 2026, and in almost every case the seller pays. This is called vendor-paid advertising, or VPA — the agent fronts or arranges the spend, and you're invoiced for it whether or not the property sells.

That last part matters. Commission is contingent on a sale; VPA generally is not. If your campaign runs its four to six weeks and the property passes in, the advertising bill still arrives.

The three tiers in Leadkit's calculator mirror what agencies actually package up:

• Basic — around $2,500. Portal listing, professional photography and a signboard. Enough for an in-demand property in a hot suburb.
• Standard — around $6,000. Upgraded portal placement, floorplan, copywriting and a longer campaign. The default for most metro sales.
• Premium — around $12,000. Adds video, drone, print advertising and a paid social campaign. Common on premium listings and larger Melbourne and Sydney campaigns.

The biggest variable inside those numbers is portal placement. Listing upgrades on the major portals are priced by postcode, so the identical placement costs meaningfully more in Mosman than in Mount Isa — and the top-tier upgrades can account for more than half of a premium campaign on their own.

Ask for the VPA schedule itemised before you agree to it. A line that reads "marketing package — $8,500" tells you nothing; a schedule showing portal placement, photography, floorplan, signboard and print lets you cut the pieces you don't want.

The fees that aren't commission

Beyond commission and advertising, most Australian sellers pay three more costs: conveyancing, an auctioneer fee if they go to auction, and property styling if they choose to present the home professionally.

Conveyancing for a sale — around $1,400. A sale conveyance is usually dearer than a purchase because of vendor disclosure obligations and preparing the contract of sale. Leadkit's rate card prices it between $500 and $3,000 depending on complexity; you can price your own with the conveyancing quote calculator.

Auctioneer fee — around $800. Charged once, on the day, if you sell by auction rather than private treaty (listing at a fixed asking price and negotiating individually). Some agencies fold it into commission; many bill it separately, so check.

Property styling — around $4,500. Furniture hire and presentation for a four to six week campaign. Optional, and genuinely worth modelling both ways: it's real money up front against an uncertain lift in the result.

Capital gains tax. If you're selling an investment property rather than your main residence, CGT can dwarf every other line on this page — see our guide to capital gains tax on investment property.

The Australian Taxation Office treats agent commission and marketing as costs of sale, which is why GST applies to both. If you're selling an investment property, those costs generally form part of your cost base — worth confirming with your accountant, because it changes the CGT maths.

How do you go about negotiating real estate commission?

Negotiating real estate commission works because the rate is unregulated — there's no schedule the agent is bound to, and the first number they quote is an opening position, not a fixed price. Sellers who get three appraisals and compare the full cost package routinely land 0.2 to 0.5 percentage points below the first rate they were offered.

On an $850,000 sale, half a percentage point is $4,250 plus GST. That's the single highest-value hour of work in the whole campaign.

What actually moves the number:

1. Get three appraisals. Not for the price guide — for the bargaining position. Agents quote differently when they know they're in a competitive process.
2. Compare total cost, not percentage. A 2.0% agent with a $10,000 VPA bill is dearer than a 2.4% agent with a $4,000 campaign on an $850,000 sale. Work out both totals before you decide.
3. Ask what's included at that rate. Does it cover the auctioneer? Styling consultation? Weekend opens for the full campaign?
4. Negotiate the VPA, not just the commission. Agents guard the percentage but will often trim the advertising schedule, because it isn't their income.
5. Put the agreed rate in the agency agreement. A verbal "we'll look after you" is worth exactly nothing at settlement.
6. Don't chase the lowest number blindly. An agent who instantly drops 0.8 points to win your listing has just shown you how they'll handle a buyer's offer.

That last one is genuine, not a hedge. Negotiation skill is the product you're buying. The cheapest agent who talks you into accepting the first offer costs far more than the 0.3% you saved.

Flat fee, tiered and hybrid commission structures

Not all Australian agents charge a straight percentage. Three alternative structures are common, and each suits a different kind of sale.

Flat fee. A fixed dollar amount regardless of sale price, typically $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the service level. The maths favours you on a high-value property and works against you on a modest one. Most flat-fee agencies offer a lighter service model, so read the inclusions carefully.

Tiered commission. A lower percentage up to an agreed threshold, and a much higher percentage on everything above it — for example 2% up to $900,000 and 10% on the excess. Done well, it aligns the agent's incentive with your result. Done badly, the threshold is set so low that the agent banks the bonus on a mediocre sale. Never sign a tiered deal without working out the total at three different sale prices.

Fixed fee plus bonus. A set fee for the campaign, plus a performance payment if the sale exceeds an agreed number. Same logic as tiered, same warning about where the threshold sits.

A quick comparison on an $850,000 sale, to show how far apart these land:

Illustrative only, based on the structures described above. Your agent will confirm the final terms in writing.

Also check whether your agreement is exclusive agency (one agent, one fee, for a set term) or open listing (multiple agents, whoever sells gets paid). Exclusive is the standard in Australia and usually buys you a harder-working agent; open listings can leave you arguing about who introduced the buyer.

What to check before you sign the agency agreement

Your agency agreement is the legally binding document that sets the commission, the term, the marketing spend and what happens if the property doesn't sell. It's also where sellers get caught, because it's signed at the end of an appraisal when everyone's feeling optimistic.

In New South Wales, agency agreements are governed by the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 and administered by NSW Fair Trading. The agreement must be in writing, signed by both parties, and given to you within 48 hours. There's a cooling-off period of one business day — it runs until 5pm on the next business day or Saturday after you sign, and it can be waived only with the approved Fair Trading form. Victorian sellers should check the equivalent rules through Consumer Affairs Victoria, and Queensland sellers through the Office of Fair Trading Queensland.

Five things to read before you sign:

• The commission rate and whether it's stated inclusive or exclusive of GST. Get this unambiguous in writing.
• The agency term. Ninety days is common; anything longer locks you in if the relationship sours.
• The marketing schedule and who pays if the property doesn't sell. Almost always you.
• The rebates and referral disclosure. In NSW the agreement must state the source and estimated amount of any rebate, discount or commission the agent receives — including from the portals and any recommended conveyancer or broker.
• The continuing-commission clause. This is the one that bites: it can make you liable for commission if a buyer the agent introduced comes back and buys after the agreement ends.

For current median price context to sanity-check any appraisal, the Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes residential property price data by capital city each quarter.

FAQs

Q: What is the average real estate agent commission rate in Australia in 2026?

A: The average agent commission percentage in Australia is roughly 2% to 2.5% plus GST in the capital cities, and 2.5% to 3.5% in regional areas. The national spread runs from about 1.8% at the sharp end of metro Melbourne and Sydney to 3.5% in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and remote postcodes. On an $850,000 sale, 2.2% comes to $18,700 before GST. Because commission is unregulated, an "average" is a starting reference rather than a rate you should expect to be offered. Browse Leadkit's free calculator library to model your own figure.

Q: Is real estate commission negotiable in Australia?

A: Yes — commission is negotiable in every Australian state and territory, and there's no legal maximum. Maximum rates were deregulated decades ago, so the figure on your agency agreement is purely a matter of agreement between you and the agent. The practical way to negotiate it is to get three appraisals and compare total cost rather than percentage alone, because an agent on a lower rate with a $10,000 advertising schedule can easily cost more than a higher-rate agent running a lean campaign.

Q: Do you pay GST on real estate agent commission?

A: Yes. Agent commission and vendor-paid advertising both attract GST at 10%, and most agents quote their rate excluding it. A 2.5% rate is really 2.75% of the sale price once GST is added — on a $1,000,000 sale that's $27,500 rather than $25,000. Always ask whether a quoted rate is inclusive or exclusive of GST and have the answer written into the agency agreement. If you're selling an investment property, the commission usually forms part of your cost base for capital gains purposes.

Q: What are real estate marketing costs in Australia?

A: Vendor-paid advertising typically costs $2,500 to $12,000 for a residential campaign in 2026, depending on the tier. A basic campaign of portal listing, photography and a signboard sits near $2,500; a standard campaign with upgraded placement, floorplan and copywriting runs around $6,000; and a premium campaign with video, drone, print and paid social lands near $12,000. Portal upgrades are priced by postcode, so the same placement costs more in an expensive suburb. Marketing is generally payable whether or not the property sells.

Q: Which state has the highest real estate agent fees?

A: Tasmania and the Northern Territory carry the highest typical commission rates in Australia, commonly 3% or more, with some remote postcodes quoted near 3.8%. Queensland and Western Australia sit above the national average too, generally 2.5% to 3%. The cheapest markets are metro Melbourne and metro Sydney, where rates commonly start around 1.6% to 1.8% because of the sheer number of agents competing for listings. Lower property values and thinner agent competition are what push regional and small-market rates up.

Q: What are total selling costs on a $1 million property?

A: Expect roughly $33,000 to $45,000 in total selling costs on a $1,000,000 Australian sale. At 2.2% commission that's $22,000 plus $6,000 marketing, $2,800 GST and $1,400 conveyancing — about $32,200, or 3.2% of the sale. Add auction and styling and you're closer to $38,000. Our full guide to property selling costs walks through every line. These are indications only; your agent and conveyancer will confirm the final figures.

Q: Can I refuse to pay for marketing if my property doesn't sell?

A: Usually not. Vendor-paid advertising is generally payable regardless of the outcome, because the money has already been spent with portals, photographers and printers. That's exactly why the advertising schedule is worth negotiating harder than the commission rate — it's the part of your bill that carries risk. Some agencies will agree to cap the VPA, defer it to settlement, or absorb part of it if the campaign runs past a certain point. Ask, and get the answer in the agreement.

Q: How do buyer's agent fees compare to selling agent commission?

A: Buyer's agents charge either a flat fee or a percentage of the purchase price, and the structures are quite different from selling commission. They're paid by the buyer, not the seller, and a full-service engagement commonly runs a fixed fee plus a smaller success component. Our guide to buyer's agent fees in Australia has the current ranges. If you're selling and buying in the same market, budget both separately — they don't offset.

Final tips before you list

Real estate agent commission rates in Australia are one of the few big property costs you can genuinely change with a conversation, and most sellers never have it. Stamp duty is fixed by the state. Conveyancing barely moves. Commission and marketing are the two lines with real room in them.

Four things worth doing before you sign anything:

• Model your total selling costs first, so you walk into the appraisal knowing what 2.0% versus 2.5% means in dollars for your property.
• Get three appraisals in the same week and compare the full package — rate, GST treatment, VPA schedule, term and inclusions.
• Read the continuing-commission and rebate clauses, not just the headline percentage.
• Check the agent is licensed through your state regulator — NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, depending on where you're selling.

Do that and a half-point saving on an $850,000 sale is about $4,700 including GST, for maybe two hours of work.

Want to see your selling costs before you meet an agent? Use the free property selling costs quote calculator — enter your expected sale price, commission rate and campaign type for an instant breakdown of commission, marketing, GST and net proceeds. Takes 30 seconds, no signup. Results are a price indication only; your agent will confirm the final figures after assessing your property.

Run a real estate agency, buyer's agency or property service? Embed a free Leadkit calculator on your site in 60 seconds and turn the "what will it cost me to sell?" question into a lead with full contact details attached.