I want to Sell My House - How much is Real Estate Agent commission in NSW?
So you've decided to Sell your property, but you're unsure what the usual commission rate is? Unfortunately there is no short answer to that question - Due to reductions in regulations, there really is no ‘standard’ real estate agent commission anymore. The good news is that you can negotiate the commission you pay your agent, or even better yet - You can now opt to sell the property yourself and pay No Commission at all.
In terms of legal regulations, there is no legislation in NSW that governs what real estate agents charge to sell your property. The rate you pay an agent depends on a number of factors including your location, the value of your property, the current market and the real estate agent you are dealing with. There are also a number of other factors.
If you would like a sense of what you could pay, the national average is around 2% to 2.5% of the sale price of your home - with a low of 1.6% and a high of 4% (or higher)
Expert tips: 40 tips for Selling your own Home
If you're selling your property in NSW through a Real Estate Agent. The average real estate agent commission is usually 2.1% of the sale price.
Take a look at the graph below to compare commission rates in your area:
Depending on which agencies you choose to use, the rates or commission a real estate agent charges varies. Most of the time the commission will be in addition to the advertising expenses. An average advertising package from a Real Estate varies from $700 to $4,500 (or higher)
An agent may be prepared to take a smaller cut of the commission simply because the value is higher than the average sale, and at the end of the day, they still get paid an enormous fee for a relatively small amount of work.
If you have a different, or unusual property, a Real Estate agent is likely to charge you a higher fee as there may be a bit more time involved in getting the property sold.
The commission real estate agents charge in NSW varies quite widely depending on where you live. If you live in a metro Sydney area - where there are lots of agents competing for your business - you can expect to be charged a lot less than a regional area postcode.
When there are a lot of Real Estate agents in a single area, then agents will generally lower their commission rates in order to get the property sold. To get business they are forced to lower their rates. The reverse applies in rural areas, where fewer agents mean there is less competition for listings, which results in higher commissions.
How do you know if your Real Estate agent is any good? A good sign is to Look for recent sales of properties similar to yours.
An agent is essentially advertising your house online for you, then taking the phone call from the buyer and contacting you to arrange the inspection. While it may not seem like rocket science, it's always best to have an agent with a good phone manner.
Understanding commission structure
There are a few different commission structures when it comes to agents. There is a fixed and tiered commission structure. Fixed is very straightforward - you multiply your sale price by the commission rate. The Tiered option is where the agent has incentive to sell the house for higher with bonus, or added incentives.
Fine tune your negotiation skills
If you aren't able to sell the property yourself, then its a good idea to negotiate your commission amount with the agent prior to signing any commission or agency agreement.
Here's some additional helpful links below:
Should I Choose a Real Estate Agent with a Cheap Commission Rate?
Join the Thousands of Australian Home Owners Each year who sell their own Homes & pay No Real Estate Commission.
- Watch the Explainer video below -
We assist Australian property owners to Sell or Rent their own property without paying ANY real estate commission!