How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in Australia? 2026 Guide

Selling a house in Australia typically costs between 2.5% and 5% of the sale price, once you account for agent commission, marketing, conveyancing and the extras most sellers overlook. On a $700,000 home that is $17,500 to $35,000 before you pocket the proceeds.

The spread is wide because the largest single cost — agent commission — varies considerably by state, by location and by negotiation. This guide breaks down every component so you can budget accurately before your property goes to market.

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The Quick Answer

For a typical Australian residential sale, expect these broad ranges:

Component	Typical Range	Notes
Agent commission	1.5% – 3.3% of sale price	Varies by state; deregulated and negotiable
Marketing	$3,000 – $8,000 (metro)	0.5–1% of price is a useful rule of thumb
Conveyancing (seller-side)	$700 – $2,500	Conveyancer vs solicitor; transaction complexity
Auction fee	$400 – $1,000	Only if selling by auction; some agents include it
Optional extras	$2,650 – $9,500	Staging, pre-sale inspection, mortgage discharge

Total (excluding optional extras): roughly 2% to 4.5% of sale price, plus fixed costs of $4,100 to $11,500.

The sections below explain each component, how it varies by state and how to keep costs in check.

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What Goes Into the Cost of Selling a House

Agent Commission

Commission is the largest variable cost for most sellers. It is calculated as a percentage of the final sale price and paid to the agent at settlement.

Agent commissions in Australia are fully deregulated — there is no minimum, maximum or regulated rate. The figures below are industry observations from published market data as at June 2026 and should be treated as guides, not guarantees. Actual rates depend on the agent, the property, competition in your local market and how hard you negotiate.

National Commission Comparison Table

State/Territory	Avg % (est.)	Realistic range	Metro guidance
NSW	~2.0%	1.5% – 2.8%	Sydney ~1.84%
VIC	~2.0%	1.2% – 2.9%	Melbourne ~2.43%
QLD	~2.4%	2.0% – 3.3%	Brisbane ~2.56%
SA	~1.99%	1.6% – 3.0%	Adelaide ~1.61%
WA	~2.4%	2.0% – 3.5%	Perth metro 2.0–2.5%
TAS	~2.96%	2.5% – 3.5%	Hobart 2.5–3.0%
ACT	~2.0%	1.44% – 2.5%	All-metro jurisdiction
NT	~2.8%	2.5% – 3.5%	Darwin ~2.55%

Source: published industry data as at June 2026. All figures are estimates — sources differ materially; the conservative or most widely cited figure has been used as the headline. See individual state guides for detailed sourcing.

A few patterns stand out. Tasmania carries the highest average commission of all mainland and island states. Queensland and the Northern Territory run noticeably above New South Wales and Victoria. Adelaide is among the cheapest major markets for commission, though regional South Australia climbs toward 3%. Sydney's commission rate is low by national standards but Sydney's high property prices mean the dollar amount is still very large.

Regional vs metro. Commission rates in regional and rural areas tend to run higher than metro averages. A property in Orange, NSW might attract 2.74% where Sydney averages 1.84%; in Broken Hill it can reach 3.23%. Sources do not publish a definitive regional average for most states, but the pattern is consistent.

How commission is calculated. Most agents quote a flat percentage of the final sale price. Tiered or sliding-scale structures (a higher rate on value above a threshold) exist but are less common. Commission is GST-inclusive in quotes, or quoted exclusive with GST added — always confirm before signing the agency agreement.

For more detail on commission by state, see our guides to real estate agent fees in NSW, VIC, QLD and SA, or use the agent commission calculator to model a specific price point.

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Marketing Costs

Marketing is the cost of getting qualified buyers in front of your property. It covers the portal listing, professional photography, a for-sale signboard and — at the higher end — video, floorplan and a social media campaign.

A widely used rule of thumb is 0.5% to 1% of the property price. On a $700,000 home that is $3,500 to $7,000.

In capital cities, a typical campaign runs $3,000 to $8,000, though premium inner-city properties regularly exceed this. Regional properties tend to cost less in dollar terms — no published source gives a firm regional dollar range, but the same 0.5–1% rule provides a reasonable estimate applied to the lower price point.

Marketing is usually paid upfront or deducted from the deposit at exchange, separately from commission. Some agents bundle basic marketing into their commission; most bill it independently.

What Marketing Typically Covers

Item	Indicative Cost
Portal listing (realestate.com.au / Domain)	$600 – $2,800
Professional photography (+ video at upper end)	$300 – $1,500
Floorplan	~$370
Copywriting / listing description	~$180
For-sale signboard	$70 – $350
Brochures / open-inspection handouts	~$200

Source: published industry data as at June 2026.

One decision to make early: who controls the marketing spend? When agents bundle marketing into a package, sellers lose visibility over what is actually being spent and where. Requesting itemised quotes from two or three agents before signing makes it easier to compare costs and negotiate.

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Conveyancing (Seller-Side)

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring the property from your name to the buyer's. As a seller, your conveyancer (or solicitor) prepares the contract of sale, handles discharge of mortgage, deals with the buyer's legal team at settlement and distributes funds.

Seller-side conveyancing typically costs $700 to $2,500, with a national typical figure around $1,400. NSW tends to run at the upper end ($700–$2,500 average ~$1,400); Victoria sits in a $400–$2,000+ range; Queensland and most other states land at $500–$2,200.

Source: published industry data as at June 2026.

A licensed conveyancer is usually cheaper than a solicitor. A solicitor is worth the premium if the transaction involves a trust, a deceased estate, boundary issues or other legal complexity. For a straightforward residential sale, a licensed conveyancer is the more common choice.

For more on the conveyancing process from exchange to settlement, see Conveyancing in Australia: Contract to Settlement.

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Auction Fee

If you sell at auction, the auctioneer charges a separate fee. This is typically $400 to $1,000 for a standalone auctioneer. In some states (QLD, SA, TAS and ACT) it can be as low as $200; where the listing agent holds an auctioneer's licence, the fee may be included in the commission.

Auction is not right for every property or every market. For a comparison of auction vs private treaty sale methods, see Auction or Private Treaty: Choosing the Right Sale Method.

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The Costs Sellers Forget

These three items appear in the final settlement statement but are rarely discussed upfront.

Home Staging

Professional staging — bringing in hired furniture and styling a property for photography and open homes — is optional but common in competitive markets. Costs run $2,000 to $8,000, depending on the size of the property and how many rooms are styled. A basic partial-staging package from around $1,000–$3,000 covers the main living areas; a full fit-out of a four-bedroom house typically runs $5,000–$8,000.

Source: published industry data as at June 2026.

Pre-Sale Building and Pest Inspection

Commissioning your own combined building and pest inspection before going to market typically costs $450 to $900. This gives you the information you need to fix or disclose issues proactively rather than having a buyer's inspection derail a sale in progress. In NSW and ACT, vendors are often expected to provide a building report with the contract.

Source: published industry data as at June 2026.

Mortgage Discharge

If you have a home loan on the property, you will pay a discharge fee to your lender when the mortgage is paid out at settlement. The bank's own fee is typically $150 to $600 (typical ~$350), and there is a separate government fee of $100 to $200 to register the discharge of mortgage at the land registry. This second fee varies by state — confirm the current rate with your conveyancer.

Source: published industry data as at June 2026.

A note on capital gains tax. If the property being sold is an investment property (not your principal place of residence), a capital gains tax liability may arise on any profit. CGT rates and calculations depend on your holding period, ownership structure and personal tax position. Speak with your accountant before settlement — this is not a vendor cost to estimate generically, and figures vary significantly by individual circumstances.

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A Worked Example: $750,000 Sale in Sydney

To see how the numbers stack up, here is a worked example at an example sale price of $750,000 in Sydney.

Item	Calculation	Amount
Agent commission	1.84% × $750,000	$13,800
Marketing	Mid-range metro campaign	$5,500
Conveyancing	Typical NSW seller-side	$1,400
Auction fee	If selling by auction	$700
Subtotal (standard costs)		$21,400
Optional: staging	Mid-range, 3-bed	$4,000
Optional: building + pest inspection	Combined	$650
Optional: mortgage discharge	Bank fee + registration	$550
Total (all items included)		$26,600

As a percentage of the sale price: 2.85% to 3.55% depending on which optional items apply.

Use the cost-of-selling calculator to model your own property and location.

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How to Reduce Selling Costs

Negotiate Commission

Commission is negotiable. The range exists precisely because agents will move if you push. Getting comparable quotes from three local agents is the most reliable way to understand where rates actually sit in your market and to create competitive pressure. Be cautious of agents who sharply undercut on commission but mark up on marketing, which is a common way the margin is recovered elsewhere.

Scrutinise the Marketing Budget

Ask agents to itemise the marketing spend rather than quoting a single bundled figure. Question whether the full budget is necessary for your property type and suburb, and whether lower-tier portal placements will achieve the same reach. In slow markets, some elements of a premium campaign have limited incremental impact.

Consider the Sale Method

Auction adds the auctioneer's fee and typically demands a higher marketing spend for the vendor-paid advertising campaign. Private treaty can be a lower-cost approach, though market conditions drive which method is likely to produce the better outcome. See the auction vs private treaty guide for a more detailed comparison.

Time the Settlement Date

Your conveyancer and lender can advise on settlement timing. A settlement period that avoids a rate-lock rollover on a fixed loan can save break costs that dwarf all other fees combined.

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The AgentBridge Alternative

AgentBridge is a property distribution business — a different way to reach qualified buyers. Rather than listing with one agent for a commission, the property is distributed simultaneously to a national network of 80+ buyers agents, each with their own book of qualified buyers. AgentBridge charges a distribution fee, not a commission.

The distribution fee operates on a sliding scale:

Sale price band	Total distribution fee
Up to $300,000	Flat $5,000
$300,000 – $600,000	2.0% of sale price
$600,000 – $1,500,000	1.75% of sale price
$1,500,000 – $3,000,000	1.50% of sale price
$3,000,000+	Negotiated (floor 1.25%)

Source: AgentBridge published fee schedule, June 2026.

Using the $750,000 Sydney example above: the distribution fee would be 1.75% × $750,000 = $13,125, compared to the commission of $13,800 at Sydney's metro average. The distribution fee includes the referral share paid to the buyers agent who introduces the buyer — no additional cost to the seller.

Marketing, conveyancing, optional staging and mortgage discharge costs remain the same under either approach. The difference is in the primary fee structure: one agent charging a commission vs a network engagement charging a distribution fee, with the buyers already sourced.

AgentBridge is not for every property. It tends to work best where there is a defined buyer profile — investors, interstate buyers, buyers agents already active in that market — rather than owner-occupiers searching the portals. For the right property, the distribution model can produce an off-market or pre-market result that bypasses vendor-paid portal advertising entirely.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost to sell a house in Australia? Based on published industry data as at June 2026, the total selling cost for a typical Australian residential property runs roughly 2.5% to 4.5% of the sale price for standard items (commission, marketing, conveyancing), or up to 5% to 6% if staging, inspection and mortgage discharge are included.

Is agent commission tax-deductible when selling a house? For an investment property, selling costs including commission and conveyancing may be deductible as part of the CGT cost base calculation. For an owner-occupied principal place of residence, the CGT exemption applies in most cases and the question of deductibility is moot. Speak with your accountant about your specific situation.

Can I negotiate agent commission in Australia? Yes. Commissions are fully deregulated in every state and territory. The range published by industry sources reflects what agents actually accept, not a floor. Negotiation is standard, particularly in competitive markets or for higher-value properties.

Are marketing costs paid upfront or at settlement? Marketing costs are usually paid upfront or on invoice before the campaign runs, separate from commission (which is paid at settlement). Some agents offer deferred marketing arrangements where costs are bundled into the final settlement statement, but this is less common.

Do I need to pay GST on agent commission? Yes. Agent commission quotes are typically GST-inclusive or quoted exclusive of GST with GST added. Always confirm whether a quoted rate includes GST before signing the agency agreement.

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This article provides general information only. It is not financial, legal or taxation advice. All figures are sourced from published industry data as at June 2026 and are estimates — actual costs depend on the property, location, agent and market conditions. Confirm current figures with the relevant provider before relying on them.