Can you negotiate fees and commissions with ACT real estate agents?

Your ability to negotiate fees and commissions will depend on your location (whether you're closer to the CBD or further out). To negotiate fees and commissions with your potential real estate agent, it's vital that you have the correct, up-to-date information and data to inform your bottom line and fully understand the process of how commissions and fees are calculated. Knowing the agent's fees, commissions and performance in your suburb before you meet them puts you in a great position to negotiate.

What is fixed rate commission?

Fixed-rate or fixed fee means you agree to pay a set, predetermined amount upon the sale of your property. Because it's a fixed fee, you pay the same amount, no matter the final sale price. This flat fee approach gives you certainty over the fee, but it can also sometimes cause fear that the agent will sell the house quickly, even if that results in a lower price.

What is a tiered commission structure?

The tiered percentage option operates on a sliding scale, and many believe this is a better option as it encourages agents to secure a higher sale price. For example, you may agree to a 2% commission rate if the sale price is $480,000 or less and an additional amount for a higher sale price. So, if the sale price is $500,000 you'll pay 2% on first $480,000 (being $9,600) and, for example, 10% on the additional $20,000 (being $2000). The total commission payable would be $11,600.

What are the average real estate marketing fees?

While some ACT real estate agents include advertising and marketing fees within their commission, most agents charge it as an additional cost. Advertising and marketing costs vary widely, depending on the campaign and your property's location. For example, if your property is listed for $500,000, budget $2000 to $5000 for marketing and advertising.

What's included in the marketing costs?

Experienced real estate agents will create a print and digital marketing campaign that expertly targets your key buyer demographic. The marketing and advertising costs should include: Online advertising, including property listings on real estate websites; advertising in local newspapers and magazines; open house signs and for sale signs; professional photography and videography; flyer and brochure creation for open for inspections; and social media amplification of your property listing.

How much are auctioneer fees?

Most real estate agents will charge auctioneer fees on top of commission. This is the service fee for registered auctioneers on auction day. A Western Australian auctioneer can cost between $200 and $1000.

Real Estate Agent Fees in New South Wales

Q: What are home staging fees?

Home staging services include preparing your home for inspections, a professional photo shoot and auction day. It may involve simple styling tips or furnishing the entire property for the selling campaign's duration. Home staging costs range from $2000 to $8000 depending on the level of service, property size and the campaign's duration.

Q: What other potential real estate fees should you be aware of?

Other fees to consider when your property sells include: conveyancing fees and legal costs (typically $700 to $1300 in the ACT); mortgage discharge fee (typically around $1000); moving costs (about $800); and capital gains tax.

Compare what local agents would actually charge for your property — typically 1.8%–3.0% of sale price — side-by-side in minutes.

The ONLY platform that shows agent’s fees
Trusted by 1.4M Australians each year
100% FREE for homeowners and landlords

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Trustpilot reviews

Introducing Real Estate Agent Fees in New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, with around 8.4 million residents and roughly two-thirds in Greater Sydney — the country's largest metro market and most expensive property market. Sydney's high property values and deep agent pool drive strong competition for listings, while regional NSW (Newcastle, Wollongong, the Central Coast) is one of the most substantial regional markets in the country.

Real estate agent commissions in NSW typically sit in the mid-to-lower range of the national 2–3% band, with regional areas trending higher than Sydney. Comparing 2–3 local agents directly is the most reliable way to find a competitive rate.

Choose Smarter With Commission Insights

Understanding what drives commission helps you compare agents confidently and choose the one who delivers real value, not just the lower price. Always compare at least 3 agents to find the right one for you. To understand how commission rates are calculated, check out our blog!

Location & property value

Rates change by suburb and home value. Metro areas and high value homes often attract lower fees.

Agent experience

More experienced agents may charge higher fees but typically deliver stronger results.

Inclusions & services

Marketing, staging and other extras vary by agent and can influence your final cost.

How To Find The Right Agent In 3 Steps

If you’re looking to sell your property in , we can help you find an agent with a strong track record and who can offer you the most competitive commissions.

Find an agent

Takes 2 minutes • No obligation

SEARCH

Share your goals and property type

Tell us about your property and goals. We’ll show you agents in your area who match your needs.

Hand holding a smartphone displaying a property search app asking if the user is looking to sell or rent a property.

compare

Compare top agents by performance

See agents side by side including fees, sales history, marketing approach, reviews and more.

Comparison grid of four real estate agents showing their photos, commission rates, marketing budgets, property sales performance, and homeowner reviews.

Connect

Select agents you want to speak with

Choose the agents you like best and connect directly. No pressure, no obligation, just expert help when you’re ready.

Smiling middle-aged couple looking at a smartphone with a notification bubble saying, 'You've connected with Jane!'

Find an agent

Takes 2 minutes • No obligation

Why Use LocalAgentFinder to Find The Right Agent

Google gives you a list of names. A friend gives you one opinion. LocalAgentFinder gives you verified sales data, real reviews, fee comparisons and marketing approaches for every agent in your suburb, all in one place, for free.

Features

DIY Research

Friend’s Referral

Compare multiple agents side-by-side

Ranked by Performance

See recent sales history

Maybe

Agent marketing strategies

Maybe

Agent commission fees

Trusted By Over +1.4M Australian Homeowners & Landlords

Four green stars and one gray star, representing a 4 out of 5 Trustpilot rating.

Local Agent Finder was a fantastic tool

I had no idea how to find a good real estate agent to sell an investment property. Local Agent Finder was a fantastic tool that let me see all the relevant statistics for agents in the area. With a few clicks it had connected me with my top 3 agents & I was booking in appraisals. I’m impressed that this is available at no cost to me & it saved me so much time. I would definitely recommend Local Agent Finder.

— Shannon de Groot

Cut through the dozens of agents in my area

Local Agent Finder helped me cut through the dozens of agents in my area, see real reviews, transparent prices and arrange to have relevant agents pitch to me. Through this process I met an agent who had a philosophy on selling that made sense to us, and together we achieved an excellent result.

— Stuart

Good outcome!

Process was relatively simple and gave good outcomes. I had phone contact with 3 agents within 10 mins of my search. Pleasing. Local Agent Finder did all the work for me!!!

— Brian

100% recommend using Local Agent Finder

What a fantastic site. We purchased an investment property interstate and had no local knowledge of Property Managers in the area. I googled Property Managers and Local Agent Finder popped up. I filled in a quick questionnaire of what I was searching for and within the hour I had a response and within the day I had 3 Agency's contact me. It really took the headache away of me having to research and do all of the chasing. I 100% recommend using Local Agent Finder to save yourself time and hassle.

— Juleigh B.

Found great agent who came the next day

Awesome experience with the ease of renting a property – Found great agent who came the next day to the property to inspect and advise course of action. Very satisfied.

— Debra

Local Agent Finder did all the hard yards

Very helpful and found the perfect company to manage my property. I'd recommend using Local Agent Finder if you. have a property you would like to be managed by a property management company. Local Agent Finder did all the hard yards.

— Lyndal

Suprised at how good this website is

Got callbacks from genuine realtors who were actually interested in helping me and looking after my property, and saved money too and got better service.

— Sahil

FAQ

What are real estate marketing fees in New South Wales?

Some NSW real estate agents include marketing fees within their commission, and other agents will charge it as an additional cost. It's a good idea to request a breakdown of marketing costs from your real estate agent before you sign on to ensure you'll get the most bang for your buck. However, depending on the property value, marketing and advertising costs vary widely, ranging from $2500 to $12,500 or 0.5 to 1% of the property value.

What's usually included in marketing costs?

Experienced agents will create an extensive print and online marketing campaign that targets your key buyer demographic. The more potential buyers who know your property is for sale, the likelihood you'll sell for the highest price possible. Therefore, the marketing costs should include the following:

Property listings on real estate websites like realestate.com.au and domain.com.au that include a floor plan. The copywriting should be compelling and entice people to view your property.
Property listings in local print publications such as newspapers and magazines
A sign board for your property
Professional photography and videography
Flyer and brochure creation for open for inspections
Social media amplification of your property listing

How much are an auctioneer's fees?

Similar to marketing fees, some real estate agents will charge an auctioneer fee on top of the commission amount. This is for the professional auctioneer's services on auction day. An auctioneer fee generally sits at around the $600 mark.

What are home staging fees?

Home staging is the process of preparing your home for inspections, professional photos and auction day. Home staging services may involve simple styling tips all the way to furnishing your home for the duration of the selling campaign.

A good real estate agent will either be able to give you Home staging advice themselves, generally as a part of their commission, or may connect you with professional home stagers in your area.

In NSW, home staging costs can range from $2000 to $8000 depending on the level of service, property size and the campaign's duration. We recommend getting tips from your real estate agent as a first step and hiring a professional based on their recommendation.

What are the average conveyancing fees in NSW?

Solicitors in NSW typically charge between $700 and $1300 for legal and conveyancing costs.

What other potential real estate fees should you be aware of?

Other potential fees to be aware of when your property sells include moving costs, capital gains tax and a mortgage discharge fee, which can be between $150 and $1000.

Can I negotiate the commission real estate agents charge?

Absolutely! You are within your rights to negotiate the commission a real estate agent charges if you believe it's above average or doesn't reflect the current market conditions. Work on your negotiation skills, then speak to a few local agents to see if they're flexible.

While speaking to the agents competing to sell your home, remember to ask what's included in their commission rate. It's also beneficial to mention that you're speaking to a few prospective agents because agents will typically negotiate if they know they're competing with other agents.

Knowing the agent's fees, commission and performance in your suburb before you meet them puts you in a great position to negotiate. LocalAgentFinder's leading online comparison platform, selling guide and agent questionnaires gives you access to this information, contact details and more.

What are the different commission structures?

There are two main commission structures: fixed fee versus commission. As the name suggests, a fixed-fee real estate agent charges a predetermined rate. So the agent will get the same flat fee commission whether a property's final sale price is $250,000 or $750,000. The main reason people choose fixed fee agents is that the fee is generally significantly lower than regular agent commission rates. Secondly, houses don't typically stay on the market for long, as agents need a high turnover to earn a decent salary.

The other commission structure is a percentage fee of the final amount the property sold for, as discussed in length above. However, there's also a tiered commission structure to be aware of. This is when a real estate agent gains an extra commission, like a bonus, based on the final sale price. It's an incentive for real estate agents to work hard to get a higher sale price. For example, the agent's commission might be 1.75% for a sale price below $700,000, 2% for a price up to $750,000 and 2% plus a bonus if over $750,000.

Real Estate Agent Fees & Commissions by State