Buyers Agent Fees in Australia by State and City: 2026 Guide

Buyers agent fees in Australia are unregulated, which means the range is wide and comparing quotes takes some care. This guide pulls together verified fee data for every state and territory as at June 2026, explains the three main fee structures, and flags the differences that matter most when you are deciding how to engage a buyers agent.

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How Buyers Agent Fees Are Structured

Before comparing numbers across states it helps to understand the three structures you will encounter.

Percentage of Purchase Price

The most common model for full-service engagements. The buyers agent charges a percentage of the final purchase price, applied after settlement. According to the industry body REBAA (Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia), the full-service average sits at 2% to 3% of purchase price plus GST, typically combined with an upfront engagement fee. The directory Which Real Estate Agent (WREA) puts the national range at 1% to 3% plus GST.

A percentage fee aligns the agent's incentive with your outcome in one sense: they are motivated to secure the property. However, a higher purchase price also produces a higher fee, which is why investor-focused buyers agents often prefer flat fees (see below).

Fixed (Flat) Fee

A fixed dollar amount, agreed upfront regardless of the final purchase price. Finder reports fixed fees running up to $15,000 for most residential properties nationally, though prestige-end agencies publish higher fixed rates. The appeal for buyers is certainty; the risk is that a flat fee applied to a lower-value regional property can produce a higher effective percentage than you would pay in a capital city.

Fixed fees are common for entry-level buyers, regional specialists and some investor-focused agencies. They also appear at the opposite end: some full-service prestige agencies quote fixed fees on properties well above $1 million, where a percentage would produce a very large number.

Tiered Fee

A variant of the flat-fee model where the dollar amount steps up in bands tied to the purchase price. Queensland agencies in particular publish tiered schedules openly (see the Brisbane section below). Tiered structures offer predictability without a linear link to price, which some buyers find easier to budget.

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The Three Service Levels

Most buyers agents offer three levels of engagement, each at a different price point.

Full search (also called full service): The agent handles the entire process: brief, research, sourcing, inspections, due diligence, negotiation or bidding, and coordination through to settlement. This is the most common engagement and the one the percentage and higher flat-fee structures apply to.

Assess and negotiate only: The buyer finds the property; the agent inspects it, advises on value, and negotiates or bids. WREA and other sources put this at roughly 0.5% to 1.5% nationally, or fixed at approximately $1,250 to $6,000 depending on the agent.

Auction bidding only: The agent attends one auction and bids on the buyer's behalf. Nationally, Propertybuyer describes typical fees of $500 plus $1,328 plus GST (attendance plus success fee); OwnHome publishes $500 plus $1,000 plus GST. The typical range across the country sits at $500 to $1,500 for a combined attendance-and-success structure.

For more on how each level works in practice, see How Buyers Agent Fees Work in Australia.

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Engagement Fees and Refundability

Almost all full-service buyers agents charge an upfront engagement fee (sometimes called a retainer) to begin the search. Nationally, these run from $1,000 to $10,000, with the common range sitting between $2,000 and $5,000. Sources including Streamline Property Buyers, Good Deeds, Propertybuyer and Your Property Hound note that engagement fees are commonly credited against the final fee at settlement but are typically non-refundable if you do not proceed to purchase.

Some agencies structure the engagement fee as 10% to 50% of the total estimated fee. Before signing any agreement, confirm whether the engagement fee is credited against the total, and what happens to it if the search does not result in a purchase.

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State-by-State Comparison Table

The table below compares full-service fee data across all eight states and territories. A note on sourcing: a significant portion of the republished state data traces to a single directory, WREA. Where agency-published figures are available, those are noted separately and are generally more reliable as a floor-and-ceiling check.

State/Territory	Full-Service Range	Typical Fixed Fee	Notes
NSW (Sydney)	1.5% to 3% plus GST	$8,000 to $21,000	WREA average $14,500; prestige firms higher
VIC (Melbourne)	1.2% to 2.75% plus GST	$3,500 to $25,000	Wide bimodal split; budget flat-fee cluster from $3,850
QLD (Brisbane)	1% to 3% plus GST	$6,000 to $30,000+	Agency-published tiers well above WREA directory band
SA (Adelaide)	1.5% to 2.4%	Average $10,000	WREA describes these as among the lowest in Australia; thin published data
WA (Perth)	1.5% to 2.5% plus GST	$8,000 to $25,000	Per Buyers Agent Perth and WREA average $11,000
TAS (Hobart)	1.5% to 2.5%	$13,000 to $20,000	WREA range; My Hobart Home (local source) $14,000 to $18,000 inclusive of GST
ACT (Canberra)	1.8% to 2.8%	Average $12,000	WREA single source; limited local agency data
NT (Darwin)	1% to 3%	$5,000 to $15,000	WREA indicative only; no NT-local agency publishes fees publicly

Use the Buyers Agent Fee Calculator to apply any of these ranges to a specific purchase price.

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NSW: Sydney Fee Detail

Which Real Estate Agent puts Sydney full-service fees at 1.5% to 3% or a fixed $8,000 to $21,000, with an average around $14,500. Agency-published figures sit higher at the full-service end: Good Deeds Buyers Agents lists full search at 1.5% to 2.5% with a fixed minimum of $15,000 rising to $100,000 and above for prestige properties. Unicorn Buyers Agents publishes 1.5% to 2.5% full service, noting that a $2 million purchase typically runs $30,000 to $40,000, and an auction-bidding-only service fixed at $1,500 to $3,500. Buyers Domain lists full search fixed from $17,500. At the budget end, flat-fee operators undercut the market meaningfully.

For more, see the full NSW buyers agents guide.

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VIC: Melbourne Fee Detail

Which Real Estate Agent puts Melbourne full-service fees at 1.2% to 2.75% or a fixed $3,500 to $10,500. Property Update cites 2% to 3% plus GST for full service. National Property Buyers publishes 1.5% to 2% for a full premium search.

Melbourne has a visible budget flat-fee cluster. Concierge Buyers Advocates starts from $3,850; Property Home Base publishes a tiered GST-inclusive structure: $5,500 for properties under $400,000, $6,600 for $400,000 to $800,000 and $7,700 above $800,000. Full-service firms at the other end of the market commonly sit between $8,000 and $25,000. This bimodal split is a Melbourne-specific feature and makes like-for-like comparison harder than in other states.

For more, see the full Victoria buyers agents guide.

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QLD: Brisbane Fee Detail

Brisbane has a notable gap between directory-listed ranges and what agencies publish on their own websites. Which Real Estate Agent lists full-service fees at 1% to 2.7% or $6,000 to $18,000. Agency-published tiers sit higher. Streamline Property Buyers publishes fixed fees of $12,000 to $20,000 (or 1.7% to 3% plus GST), tiered at $17,500 plus GST for a $750,000 to $1 million purchase and rising to $30,000 plus GST for $2 million to $2.5 million. Your Property Hound publishes a detailed step schedule: $13,000 plus GST up to $650,000, $16,000 to $950,000, $19,000 to $1.25 million and stepping up $3,000 per $300,000 bracket to $46,000 at the top of their published range, with a $2,000 plus GST non-refundable engagement fee.

For more, see the full Queensland buyers agents guide.

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SA, WA, TAS, ACT and NT: What the Data Shows

South Australia: WREA describes Adelaide fees as 1.5% to 2.4% with an average fixed fee around $10,000, noting these are among the lowest in Australia. Published agency data in SA is thin. If you are researching buyers agents in Adelaide, ask for itemised quotes rather than relying on published ranges.

Western Australia: Buyers Agent Perth and WREA cite 1.5% to 2.5% or a tiered $8,000 to $25,000 plus GST, with a WREA average of $11,000. Perth's market has grown significantly over the past two years and buyer demand for buyers agents has increased alongside it.

Tasmania: WREA puts Hobart at 1.5% to 2.5% or $13,000 to $20,000 flat. Local source My Hobart Home publishes $14,000 to $18,000 inclusive of GST. Tasmania's market is smaller and fewer buyers agents operate here; independence can be harder to verify.

ACT: WREA is the single published source: 1.8% to 2.8% or an average of $12,000. No Canberra-based agency publishes fees publicly that this guide can cite.

NT: WREA is the only available source, putting Darwin at 1% to 3% or $5,000 to $15,000. No NT-local buyers agent publishes fees publicly. Treat these figures as indicative only.

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What Drives the Differences Between States?

Several factors explain why fees vary:

Market volume and competition. Sydney and Melbourne have the highest buyer demand and the most buyers agents. More competition suppresses the floor (budget operators are viable) without necessarily reducing the ceiling (prestige agents command premium fees in high-value markets).

Average purchase price. A percentage fee applied to a $2 million Sydney property produces a larger dollar fee than the same percentage on a $600,000 Hobart property. Some buyers agents in expensive markets shift to fixed fees precisely to avoid quoting a number that sounds alarming.

Auction culture. States where auctions dominate (primarily NSW and VIC) have more demand for auction-bidding-only services, which creates a separate, lower-cost tier that drives down perceived average fees.

Regional vs capital. No source publishes a dedicated regional fee range for any state. Flat-fee firms that charge a fixed amount regardless of location produce a higher effective percentage on cheaper regional purchases. If you are buying regionally, ask explicitly how the fee is calculated.

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Percentage vs Fixed: Which Works Better?

Neither is universally better. The key questions are:

• What is your target purchase price? At lower price points (under $600,000), a flat fee may be lower than the equivalent percentage. At higher price points ($2 million plus), a flat fee caps your cost.
• Are you an investor? Property Update and Unicorn note that investor-focused buyers agents commonly prefer flat fees because they remove any incentive tied to a higher purchase price. Tax treatment for investors is generally a capital gains tax cost-base addition rather than an immediate deduction; confirm with your accountant.
• How certain is your brief? If your property brief is tight and well-defined, a flat-fee agent whose scope is clear may be lower risk. If your brief is broad or the search is expected to take longer, a percentage agent has more skin in the search.

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GST

Most buyers agent fee quotes are expressed exclusive of GST. Add 10% to any quote that does not state "inclusive of GST" to arrive at your total cost. The Property Home Base Melbourne tiers noted above are an exception: those are published inclusive of GST. Always confirm when comparing quotes.

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What Is NOT Included

Buyers agent fees do not cover:

• Conveyancing or legal fees (budgeted separately; see Conveyancing in Australia if that content is available)
• Building and pest inspections (usually $400 to $700 per property)
• Strata or owners corporation searches where applicable
• Stamp duty (a government charge separate from all agent fees; use the Stamp Duty Calculator to estimate your liability by state)

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How to Compare Quotes

When you approach buyers agents for quotes, ask for:

1. The total fee structure (percentage, fixed or tiered) and whether GST is included or excluded.
2. The engagement fee amount, whether it is credited against the total and whether it is refundable if you do not proceed.
3. What is included in the fee (search, inspections, due diligence, negotiation, settlement coordination).
4. Whether the fee changes if the purchase takes longer or requires inspecting more properties than expected.

The ten-question guide at How to Choose a Buyers Agent walks through the full vetting process. You can also use the Buyers Agent Fee Calculator to compare the cost of any quoted percentage across different purchase price scenarios.

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A Note on Data Sources

Much of the state-level fee data available online traces back to a small number of directories, primarily Which Real Estate Agent. Where agency-published price lists exist (as in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane), those are noted above and are a better check on real-world fee levels. For SA, ACT and NT especially, the published data is thin and you should treat ranges as indicative rather than definitive. Asking buyers agents directly for a written fee schedule is always the most reliable approach.

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Where AgentBridge Fits

AgentBridge does not charge buyers anything. Properties distributed through AgentBridge reach a national network of 80 or more buyers agents, each of whom sets their own fees independently from AgentBridge. The fee data in this guide reflects what individual buyers agents publish or have published about their own services; it is not an AgentBridge price schedule.

When a buyers agent in the AgentBridge network acts for you on a property, any fee arrangement is between you and that buyers agent directly. AgentBridge's role is on the distribution side of the transaction.

To explore properties being distributed through the network or to be matched with buyers agents active in your target market, visit the AgentBridge matcher or use the Buyers Agent Fee Calculator to model costs against your budget.

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General information only, not financial, legal or taxation advice. Buyers agent fees in Australia are unregulated and negotiable; confirm current fees directly with any buyers agent before engaging them.