Australians sell homes through a well-oiled machine of agents, auctions and six-week campaigns. Sellers who understand the machine — especially what's negotiable — routinely keep tens of thousands more. (Buying instead? That's our first home buyer's guide; this page is the other side of the table.)
Choosing and paying the agent
- Commission is negotiable, always. Typical ranges: 1.5–2.5%* in capital cities, 2.5–3.5%* regionally. On a $900,000 sale that's a $9,000+ conversation — have it. Tiered incentives ("2% to $900k, 5% of anything above") align interests better than flat rates.
- Interview three agents. Ask each for recent comparable sales they handled (not suburb averages), their buyer database size, and days-on-market record. An agent's job is buyers they already have.
- Beware the appraisal auction — agents quoting fantasy prices to win your listing, then "conditioning" you down for weeks. The agent with the highest appraisal and no comparable evidence is selling you, not your house.
- Agency agreements: exclusive agreements of 60–90 days are standard; read the marketing budget and early-termination clauses before signing.
Auction or private treaty?
- Auction (dominant in Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra): 4-week campaign, transparent competition, unconditional exchange on the day — no cooling-off for buyers, deposit paid immediately. Brilliant in hot markets and for unique homes; expensive flop risk in flat ones (a publicly passed-in home starts negotiations wounded).
- Private treaty (everywhere else): listed price, offers, negotiation. Slower, calmer, allows conditional offers (finance/inspection clauses) which widen the buyer pool.
- Hybrid options — "for sale by negotiation", off-market to the agent's database — suit sellers valuing discretion.
The real cost of selling*
| Item | Typical range* |
|---|
| Agent commission (on $900k) | $13,500 – $22,500 |
| Marketing (photography, listings, signboard, floorplan) | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Auctioneer (if auctioning) | $400 – $1,000 |
| Styling/staging (often the best ROI in the list) | $2,000 – $8,000 |
| Conveyancing/solicitor | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Minor pre-sale works, mortgage discharge fee | $500 – $5,000+ |
Rule of thumb: total selling costs run 2.5–4%* of the sale price. Professional styling and photography consistently out-earn their cost — buyers scroll past dark phone photos.
Tax: the two-minute version
- Your main residence is generally CGT-exempt — most owner-occupiers pay no capital gains tax on sale.
- Investment properties pay CGT on the gain, with a 50% discount after 12+ months' ownership for residents; the gain lands in your tax return in the year contracts are exchanged, not settled — timing a late-June vs early-July exchange can shift the bill a full year.
- Ex-expats note: the main-residence exemption has been sharply restricted for non-residents at time of sale — if you're overseas and selling, get advice before signing, and see our returning-expat guide.
Campaign to settlement, start to finish
- Prepare (2–6 weeks): declutter, garden, fix the small stuff buyers photograph; commission the contract of sale from your conveyancer before listing (legally required to show buyers in most states).
- Campaign (3–5 weeks): open homes Saturdays, agent feedback weekly — ask for actual buyer numbers and price feedback in writing.
- Sell: auction day or offer acceptance → contracts exchanged, buyer's deposit (usually 10%) held in trust.
- Settlement (30–90 days): conveyancers coordinate payout of your mortgage, adjustments for rates/rent, and the balance to you. Keys go on settlement day — book the movers for the day after in case of delays.
* Figures marked with an asterisk are approximate market ranges observed as at July 2026, not fixed or legislated amounts. They vary by state, provider and year, and are provided for planning only — always confirm current prices, fees and thresholds with the official source or provider before deciding.