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If you’re considering engaging a buyer’s agent, cost will likely be an important factor. It’s vital to understand how much to pay a buyer’s agent and whether they’re worth the investment.
If a buyer’s agent isn’t able to reduce your property purchasing costs, then their fee is too high. But if you can find a quality agent who can save you money, their costs are usually justifiable. To help you work this out, we have provided some general figures on the costs of a buyer’s agent, both nationally and by state and territory.
Table of Contents
Buyer’s agents in Australia charge based on one of three pricing models:
They may also charge additional fees or request an upfront deposit and payment via regular instalments. Deposits are normally deductible from the final fee.
Buyer’s agent fees are negotiable, so be sure to ask for a better deal. Find the top buyers agents here.
Buyer’s agents who charge a fixed fee have pre-set the cost of their services, and the fee will not change based on purchase price. However, fees will vary depending on the service provided, for example:
As a general idea, a buyer’s agent’s full-service fixed fee can be as low as a few thousand dollars or as high as $15,000. If you are purchasing a premium home, you may pay even more, but the savings you earn could make it well worth it.
PROS: You know the price upfront.
CONS: You will pay the same regardless of the cost of your house.
This pricing model differs from the fixed fee model because fees will change depending on property purchase price. Buyer’s agents set a fee for each predetermined property price bracket. This could look as follows:
PROS: You know the price upfront and will pay less if the property price falls into a lower bracket.
CONS: You could still be paying the same as someone buying a more expensive house, as the brackets can be wide-ranging.
Be sure to check which brackets and fees apply to your buyer’s agent of choice. Find the top buyers agents here.
If your buyer’s agent uses this model, the fee will be based on the purchase price of your property. This means any increase in price is likely to affect your buyer’s agent fee.
Most agents will charge between 1% and 3%, depending on the service they provide. The table below shows how this works.
Buyer’s agents will usually charge a lower percentage for a partial service and a higher percentage for a full service.
Conflict of interest: A buyer’s agent’s job is to find you the lowest price. But, in this model, a lower price means a lower fee for the agent. To solve this problem, some buyer’s agents charge a higher percentage for a lower price. For example:
PROS: You will pay according to the property price, so you could end up paying much less than someone buying a more expensive house.
CONS: You won’t know the exact cost until property price negotiations are complete. The buyer’s agent may not negotiate for the best price unless percentages are tiered.
A buyer’s agent may charge additional costs, depending on the service they provide. These could include:
Be sure to ask for a full schedule of fees before engaging a buyer’s agent. Find the top buyers agents here.
Buyer’s agent fees are tax deductible for investors. As these fees are part of the cost base of buying an investment property, they reduce capital gains tax when selling the property at a later date.
For owner-occupiers, buyer’s agent fees are not tax deductible.
Buyer’s agents can save you time and money by negotiating a cheaper price for your property. It’s important to choose a quality agent who does not have any conflicts of interest, like selling properties or earning commission from the owner or developer.
For a list of quality agents, have a look at our top Australian buyers agents list. Find the top buyers agents here.
If you do your research and find the right agent, you can potentially save thousands more than the buyer’s agent fee. The case study below shows how you could save with a buyer’s agent.
CASE STUDY
Melissa lives in Melbourne and has a budget of $550,000 to by a new investment property in Brisbane. She finds a buyer’s agent in Brisbane who charges 2.25% of the property purchase price for their full service. They charge a $3,000 upfront deposit, which is deductible from the final price. All prices are plus GST.
John also lives in Melbourne and has the same budget for an investment property in Brisbane. He decides to go it alone, rather than engaging a buyer’s agent.
Melissa’s agent finds her a suitable property in two weeks, and she flies to Brisbane once to view the property herself. John finds his dream home after three months of searching. It’s above his budget but he simply can’t say no. Within the three months, John flies to Brisbane four times to inspect properties and locations and the median property price in Brisbane increases by 1 per cent.
The end cost for each is calculated in the table below.
In this case, Melissa paid almost $25,000 less than John, even though she engaged a buyer’s agent.
The cost of engaging a buyer’s agent is not regulated in Australia. This means that it can vary depending on who you engage and where you want to buy. Here is a general state and territory breakdown, by major city.
Property prices in Sydney are higher than in other Australian cities, so agents fee can vary greatly. On average, you can expect to pay either 1.5–3% of the property purchase price or a fixed fee of $8,000 – $21,000, with an average of $14,500.
A bidding- or negotiation-only service will likely cost you more in Sydney, with an average cost of $1,000 per property. Find the top buyers agents in Sydney here.
Buyer’s agent fees in Canberra are mid-range when compared to other states. You can expect to pay anywhere from 1.8% to 2.8% of the property purchase price.
For agents who charge a fixed fee, you are looking at an average of $12,000, but you may find buyer’s agents who charge on either side of this. Find the top buyers agents in Canberra here.
Buyer’s agents in Melbourne can set their own fees, but they typically charge between 1.2% and 2.75% of the property purchase price. Like Sydney, Melbourne house prices are high, which can lead to wide-ranging buyer’s agent fees.
Fixed fee agents will charge anywhere between $3,500 and $10,500. You could engage a buyer’s agent for auction bidding or negotiation services for as little as $500 + GST per auction or negotiation. You could also request a due diligence check for about $500 + GST. Find the top buyers agents in Melbourne here.
Brisbane-based buyer’s agents are not regulated but usually charge 1–2.7% of the property purchase price or a flat fee of $6,000–$18,000.
If you are looking to engage a buyer’s agent for negotiation or bidding only, you can expect to pay between $500 and $1,000 for each of these services. You can also opt for inspections only at a rate of $550 per inspection. Find the top buyers agents in Brisbane here.
If you’re buying in Adelaide, you’re in luck. South Australian buyer’s agents charge some of the lowest fees in Australia. For the percentage pricing model, the lowest rate is 1.5% and the highest is 2.4%.
Fixed fee agents usually charge an average of $10,000, but you will likely find agents charging less than this. Find the top buyers agents in Adelaide here.
Buyer’s agents in Perth will charge anywhere between 1.8% and 2.5% of the property purchase price or a fixed fee of about $11,000. Find the top buyers agents in Perth here.
In Hobart, a buyer’s agent fees are likely between 1.5% – 2.5% of the property purchase price or a fixed fee of $13,000 – $20,000. This varies considerably depending on the quality of the agent and the level of service.
We recommend My Hobart Home, who we consider Hobart’s top buyer’s agent. Find the top buyers agents in Hobart here.
Buyer’s agents in Darwin normally charge between 1% and 3% or the property purchase price. An agent who uses the fixed fee pricing model usually charges between $5,000 and $15,000. Find the top buyers agents in Darwin here.
A quality buyer’s agent will always cost you money, but you can get your money back and more if they find you the right house for the right price. It’s vital to:
Most importantly, look at reviews and ask questions to determine whether a buyer’s agent is the right one for you. Find the top buyers agents here.
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