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Real estate agent fees and commission in Canberra and the ACT can vary widely as agent fees are not set or regulated. The average commission rate ranges from 2.3% up to as much as 4%. Agent commission is usually lower in Canberra than it is throughout the rest of the ACT.
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The average real estate selling commission ranges from 2.3% to 4% in Canberra and the ACT – average rates can be very different from suburb-to-suburb.
Try entering your ACT suburb’s name into the tool below to see its average commission rate.
The figures shown are an average. Agents charge different amounts based on a range of factors, including property type, value and likelihood to sell.
As well as varying from suburb-to-suburb, commission rates in the ACT can be very different from agent-to-agent. There are a few different factors that can influence agent’s rates, such as experience, past results and what additional services they provide.
There are also several types of commission structures that have an impact on how much commission you’ll be charged.
A fixed commission structure charges a set percentage of your house’s selling price, no matter how much it sells for.
With a tiered commission structure, the rate varies on a sliding scale, with the agent getting a higher percentage on any amount above a target selling price. This gives the agent an extra incentive to get you a higher price.
Fixed price real estate agents are relatively new to the industry in Canberra/ACT. These agents charge a set fee that stays the same whatever price your house sells for.
It’s a good idea to compare multiple agents to give you the best idea of how competitive their rates are.
Selling a house is a complicated process and you may need to engage many different services to get the best price for your house and facilitate the sale. Make sure you’re aware of all the potential costs so you don’t get any nasty surprises.
Obviously, real estate agent selling fees and commission will make up a major part of selling your house in Canberra/ACT. You should make sure you find out exactly what services are included in your agent’s fees so you can properly budget for everything you’ll need to pay for.
Want an idea of what you could be paying? Have a look at our breakdown by popular suburbs in Canberra:
Note: Is your suburb not in the table? Check out our fees map above. Remember that these are estimates, and are negotiable with your agent.
Investing in a comprehensive marketing strategy is one of the most important things you can do the get a great price for you house. Getting your house seen by as many potential buyers as possible is absolutely vital.
A good marketing strategy will see your property advertised across a variety of mediums to maximise its exposure to potential buyers.
Most people these days like to browse for houses for sale online, meaning online advertising has become the primary channel for real estate marketing. This is where most of your potential market is, so you need to be there too.
The most popular real estate listing websites in the ACT is realestate.com.au.
Online advertising in the ACT can range from about $400 for a standard listing up to as much as $3,600 for a premier listing in expensive suburbs like Griffith.
Traditional mediums such as newspapers are also still a great way to get your property seen by more potential buyers. Many prospective buyers still prefer to browse listings in newspapers, especially less computer-savvy buyers.
It’s always a good idea to include multiple mediums in your to extend your audience. It also gives you the chance to reach prospective buyers multiple times, to leave them a lasting impression of your listing.
Major publications like The Canberra Times and local publications such as City News and The Word are good options in the ACT.
Other mediums to consider include flyers, brochures and investor databases.
A good real estate agent can help create a custom marketing strategy for your house to suit your location, potential buyers and your budget. Make sure you speak to agents you are considering choosing about their marketing ideas.
It’s vital to you get a quality real estate photographer to take photos that put your house in the best light. Quality photos vastly improve your listing and have a greater impact on potential buyers. This will be a huge help to your marketing efforts.
Good real estate photography should show your home in the most flattering angles and highlight its best features. Your photos should help your house stand out from other listings.
Photography may be included in a real estate agent’s fees. If not, they certainly should be able to recommend a good photographer.
To get your house looking great for photos, you might want to use a professional home staging services They will help remove clutter from your house and arrange furniture and ornaments to present your house in the best possible way. This is something you also may consider doing before inspections.
Professional home staging services in the ACT can range in cost from $2,000 to $8,000.
If you don’t choose to use home staging services, you should do your best to prepare your home for photography yourself.
If you decide to sell your house by auction, you will probably need to pay for an auctioneer, as this is generally not included in a real estate agent’s fees. Agents are usually not registered auctioneers themselves, but they will be able to recommend a good auctioneer with a solid history of results.
An auctioneer in the ACT will cost somewhere between $200 and $1,000. You may need to pay this fee more than once if it takes multiple auctions to sell your house.
You will be liable for the conveyancing/legal costs involved with preparing a contract for sale as the seller of a house. In Canberra and the ACT, this will cost between $700 and $1,300.
Learn more: Real Estate Agents In Canberra
The Canberra real estate market is unique in Australia, being the capital city and centre of federal politics. There is a high demand for property from high-income buyers and heavy restrictions on building/planning limit supply, so house prices are high. This means there is great opportunity for vendors to get a great price – choosing the best real estate agent for your property will maximise this opportunity.
To find the best real estate agent in Canberra you should compare multiple agents in your area, and arm yourself with knowledge on the average rates in your area.
Our compare tool lets your review recent sale performance of local agents in your area.
Once you’ve compared agents and narrowed it down to just a few, arrange to have a chat with the agents on your shortlist. You should ask them about what’s included in their fees, how they would approach your marketing strategy and what recent results they’ve had with properties similar to your own. It’s also important that you feel comfortable with your agent and trust that they do a great job.
There are two main commission structures used by real estate agents: fixed commission and tiered commission.
A fixed commission rate is simply a fixed percentage of the selling price of a house. No matter what price the house sells for, the agent receives a fixed percentage as their commission.
Tiered commission structure is a bit more complicated. There is usually a fixed rate that applies up until an agreed upon target amount, then a higher rate applies to any amount above the target. For example, a rate of 2% is set up to a target of $500,000 and a rate of 5% for any amount above $500,000. If a house sells for $600,000 under this structure, the agent would receive 2% of $500,000 and 5% of $100,000 for a total commission payment of $15,000.
The advantage of tiered commission is that it gives your agent a much bigger incentive to get a higher price for your house. Generally, a tiered commission structure is more appropriate for more valuable properties.
A new pay structure for real estate agents has recently come onto the scene in Canberra, with some agent now offering fixed fees. See below for more about this.
Learn more: What Are The Different Real Estate Agent Fee Structures?
Fixed price real estate agents have recently entered the market in Canberra, removing the commission structure and offering a set fee that stays the same no matter how much a house sells for. This is somewhat of a “disruption” to the market, with real estate agents having operated under commission for over 100 years in Australia.
With a fixed fee, you know exactly how much your agent will for selling your home. However, taking a way an agent’s commission can also remove their incentive for getting you a higher price. When charging commission, it’s in an agent’s best interest to get the best price they can for your house. Their fee will be higher if they get you a better price, but you’ll be left with more money in your pocket from the higher sale price.
Like regular real estate agents, fixed price estate agents charge their fee once they have sold your house. This may incentivise them to reach a quick sale at a lower price. The quicker they sell your house the quicker they will be paid, and they don’t have to worry about losing money if they don’t get a good price.
In our experience, the commission system works well for both agents and vendors and makes sure you are both aiming for the same goal.
No, agent fees and commission rates are not regulated in Canberra and the ACT. Agents are free to set whatever fees and commissions they like, which is why there can be such variance in rates.
Competition of agents and availability of houses are the main factors that affect how much agents charge, which is why average rates are so different between metropolitan Canberra and other areas of the ACT.
Real estate agent fees and commission rates vary widely in Canberra and the ACT due to a number of factors.
The location of your home has probably the most influence on how much your agent’s rate will be. Agents charge lower rates in Canberra than they do in the rest of the ACT, as there is more competition from other agents and more houses available for sale. Agents n Canberra need to keep their rates down to stay competitive, and can afford to as there are more opportunities to make sales.
Outside of Canberra, there are less houses on the market and less competition from other agents, so commission rates are higher. Agents need to make more per sale as there are less opportunities for sales.
The more expensive your property, the more likely your agent will be to negotiate a lower rate, and vice-versa for less expensive houses. This is because agents will make a good amount on a lower rate on a house that sells for a relatively high amount. They need to set their rates higher for lower value houses to ensure they still get paid a fair amount for their work.
Agents with more experience are likely to charge higher rates, while those who are less experienced are likely to charge less.
You could can often get a better deal with a newer agent looking to build up their experience, but this can be risky if you’re not completely confident in their abilities. It’s a good idea to look at their recent experience with houses similar to your own to see if have been able to get good results.
Not all agents include the same services in their fees. Some agents may have more inclusions in their fees, possibly making them a better value option even if their fee are relatively high.
Make sure you are completely clear on what is included in an agent’s fees before you make a decision.
Compare agents in your area now to see how their rates stack up.
You can absolutely negotiate on agent fees and commission rates in the ACT, and it’s something that we encourage to make sure you get the best deal.
With their being such high demand for houses in Canberra and relatively few becoming available, you have a good chance of agents negotiating to secure your business.
Making it clear you are talking to multiple agents is also a good way to negotiate a lower rate, as they will know they need to be competitive.
You may find it a bit harder to negotiate outside of Canberra, but it’s still worth the effort, especially if you are selling a high value property. Agents will be more likely to lower their rates for a more expensive house as they will still end up with a good amount of commission even with a slightly lower rate.
You should be careful when considering a lower commission agent and make sure you look into the reasons they are charging a lower rate. It may be that they are new to the industry and looking to build up their experience, or they may have had less success with past sales.
Be aware that even if an agent charges you less commission, it could end up costing you more money in the long run if they take a longer time to sell and get you a lower price.
Look at the agent’s past results in selling houses similar to your own, including how long it took them to get a sale. Compare these results with other agents in your area to see how they stack up.
As well as real estate agent fees and commissions and marketing costs, there a few other possible costs you should be aware of.
You may have repairs that need to be done or perhaps you feel a renovation could increase your home’s value. Depending on the work done, these costs can be substantial.
When you sell your home you will probably need a removalist, or at least need to rent a moving van if you do the moving yourself. Depending on the size of your home, a removalist will generally cost somewhere between $500 and $3,000.
You might need to pay a mortgage discharge fee or other costs your lender charge for ending your mortgage early. Speak to your lender for more information about this.
If you’re currently living in the house you’re selling and you sell it for more than you bought it for, you may need to pay capital gains tax. The ATO website has more information on this.
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