Indicative figures, not quotes
Commission is not regulated in the Northern Territory and every other line is quoted individually by agents, conveyancers and lenders. The ranges here are typical market figures as at September 2026. Get written quotes for your own sale and confirm anything tax-related with the ATO or a registered tax agent.
The Northern Territory has the lowest capital-city prices in the country and commission in the upper-middle of the national range, typically 2.4% to 2.7%. On the Cotality Darwin median of $647,259 in August 2026, that is $15,500 to $17,500 before GST. Darwin was also the only capital where values were still rising in August 2026.
Like WA and Tasmania, the Territory has no vendor statement, so the legal costs before listing are small; the buyer's four-business-day cooling-off period on a private treaty sale is the main timing rule your conveyancer will plan around.
What it costs to sell in the Northern Territory
Commission is the biggest line, not the only one. This is the the Northern Territory summary in the Northern Territory’s numbers, worked at a $800,000 sale. The cost of selling a house in the Northern Territory guide goes through every line and what is different in the Northern Territory; the national cost of selling guide explains each line in full.
| Cost | Typical range | At $800,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Agent commission Negotiable; GST of 10% usually applies on top. | 2.4% to 2.7% | $19,200 to $21,600 $20,000 at the typical 2.5% |
| Marketing and photography Portal listing, photography, floor plan and signboard. Quoted by the agent and payable whether or not the property sells. | $2,000 to $8,000 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Conveyancing or solicitor Professional fee plus searches and disbursements. | $800 to $2,500 | $800 to $2,500 |
| Contract and title search No vendor statement is required in the NT; the agency agreement sets out the fees and the estimated selling price. | $100 to $300 | $100 to $300 |
| Auctioneer (if you sell at auction) Only if you sell at auction; sometimes included in the agency agreement. | $400 to $1,200 | $400 to $1,200 |
| Mortgage discharge (if you have a mortgage) The lender's fee to release the mortgage at settlement. Break costs on a fixed-rate loan are separate and can be far larger. | $150 to $400 | $150 to $400 |
| Total Low end: private treaty, no mortgage, everything at the bottom of its range. High end: auction with a mortgage, everything at the top. | 2.8% to 4.3% of the price | $22,100 to $34,000 |
As at September 2026. Commission is this guide’s typical the Northern Territory range. The marketing, conveyancing, auctioneer, discharge and contract and title search figures are indicative ranges: each is quoted individually and no the Northern Territory survey publishes them, so treat them as a budget, not a price list. What the contract and title search must contain: NT Government: Dealing with a real estate agent. Capital gains tax is separate and applies to an investment property, not the home you live in.
Selling costs calculator for the Northern Territory
Preset to the typical the Northern Territory commission of 2.5% and the mid-point of the contract and title search range. Change any figure, add your loan balance, and the result shows what lands in your account at settlement. The full selling costs calculator covers every state.
Your sale
Agent
Typical in NT: 2.4% to 2.7%, most often around 2.5%.
Most quotes exclude it. Check the agency agreement.
Portal listing, photos, floor plan, signboard. Typically $2,000 to $8,000; payable even if it does not sell.
Legal and presentation
Typically $800 to $2,500 including disbursements.
the Northern Territory: typically $100 to $300.
Optional. Styling alone often runs $2,000 to $8,000 for a six-week campaign.
Pool safety or smoke alarm certificates, strata certificates, removalists.
Mortgage
Leave at 0 if the property is unencumbered.
What selling costs you in the Northern Territory
- Agent commission (2.5%)
- $20,000
- GST on commission
- $2,000
- Marketing and photography
- $4,000
- Conveyancing or solicitor
- $1,400
- Legal documents and searches
- $200
- Total cost of selling (3.5% of the price)
- $27,600
- Net proceeds before the loan
- $772,400
- Estimated cash at settlement
- $772,400
Indicative only. Commission is negotiable and every other line is quoted individually. Capital gains tax on an investment property and rates or water adjustments at settlement are not included; the CGT calculator covers the tax.
Commission in the Northern Territory
Agents in the Northern Territory typically charge 2.4% to 2.7% of the sale price, with around 2.5% the most common rate. At the $800,000 this guide works its examples at, that is $19,200 to $21,600, or $20,000 at the typical rate, before GST. On the Darwin median dwelling value of $647,259 (Cotality, August 2026) the same range is $15,534 to $17,476, with $16,181 typical. The difference between the top and bottom of the range on a median Darwin sale is $1,942, which is why the rate is worth a conversation. Our the Northern Territory commission guide has the detail and the negotiation guide the method.
Two checks before you compare rates. Ask whether the quote includes GST: a 2.5% rate excluding GST is 2.75% all-in. And ask what is included: some agents bundle the auctioneer and part of the marketing, others charge every item separately, so the cheaper rate is not always the cheaper agent. See fixed fee vs commission for the alternative models.
No vendor statement; the contract and title search
The NT requires no Section 32-style disclosure. Your conveyancer or lawyer prepares the contract and obtains a title search, typically $100 to $300, and for a unit the body corporate disclosure the Unit Title Schemes Act requires. The buyer arranges their own building and pest inspections and has four business days to cool off on a private treaty contract, forfeiting 0.25% of the price if they do.
Agency agreements under the Agents Licensing Act
Agents are licensed under the Agents Licensing Act 1979 and must be appointed in writing, with the commission and expenses stated, before they act; the NT Government's guidance is that the agreement should also record the agent's estimated selling price. There is no statutory maximum term or seller cooling-off period, so negotiate the length of the exclusive agreement and the marketing budget before signing. NT Consumer Affairs and the Agents Licensing Board take complaints.
Mostly private treaty, small marketing budgets
Auctions are rare in Darwin and regional NT, so the auctioneer line seldom applies, and marketing budgets typically sit at the lower end of the $2,000 to $8,000 range. Conveyancing is handled by lawyers and conveyancers at fees in the national $800 to $2,500 range.
Tax
Stamp duty is the buyer's cost. Your main residence is normally exempt from capital gains tax; an investment is not, and the CGT calculator gives an estimate after selling costs. The Territory has no land tax.
Since 1 January 2025 every seller of Australian property needs an ATO clearance certificate before settlement, whatever the price. Without one the buyer must withhold 15% of the price and pay it to the ATO, and you wait for your tax return to get it back. The certificate is free, applied for online, and usually issued within days; ask your conveyancer to lodge it the week you list.
Where you can save
- The rate. Every 0.1% on a $800,000 sale is $800. Get three appraisals, ask each agent to justify their rate against their last ten results, and ask for a tiered structure that pays more above a target price.
- Marketing. Insist on an itemised schedule, choose the portal tier that fits the price bracket, and ask about rebates. A $4,000 campaign sells most suburban houses; $8,000 is for a premium listing, not a default.
- Presentation. Spend where it returns: a clean, decluttered, freshly painted home photographs like a styled one. Our guide to what to fix before selling ranks the jobs, and home staging costs shows when styling pays.
- The method of sale. An auction adds the auctioneer and usually a bigger marketing budget. It earns that back in a competitive market and not in a slow one; auction vs private treaty sets out when.
- Timing the loan. If you are on a fixed rate, ask the lender for the break cost before you list. It can be larger than every other line in the table combined, and a settlement date after the fixed term ends may avoid it.
As a share of the price, the Northern Territory selling costs at $800,000 run 2.8% to 4.3% before tax. The national guide to the cost of selling a house explains each line in full.
Cost of selling in other states
- Cost of selling a house in New South Wales: commission 1.8% to 2.5%.
- Cost of selling a house in Victoria: commission 1.6% to 2.5%.
- Cost of selling a house in Queensland: commission 2.3% to 2.9%.
- Cost of selling a house in South Australia: commission 1.8% to 2.75%.
- Cost of selling a house in Western Australia: commission 2% to 2.8%.
- Cost of selling a house in Tasmania: commission 2.5% to 3.25%.
- Cost of selling a house in the ACT: commission 1.8% to 2.25%.
Sources and methodology
- Agents Licensing Act 1979 (NT)
- NT Government, Dealing with a real estate agent, and Buying and selling a home
- Cotality Home Value Index, August 2026 results (capital city median dwelling values) · released 1 September 2026
- ATO, Foreign resident capital gains withholding: clearance certificates (15% withholding on every sale without one, from 1 January 2025)
- ATO, Capital gains tax: your main residence, and selling a rental property
- Commission ranges are Your Property Guide's compiled market figures (September 2026). Marketing, conveyancing, document, auctioneer and discharge figures are indicative ranges quoted individually by suppliers; no state publishes a survey, so treat them as a budget.
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Common questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in the Northern Territory?
On an $800,000 sale, budget roughly $22,000 to $33,000 all-in: commission of $19,200 to $21,600 (2.4% to 2.7%, plus GST), marketing of $2,000 to $8,000, conveyancing of $800 to $2,500, contract and title search of $100 to $300, and a mortgage discharge fee if there is a loan. On the Darwin median of about $650,000, commission alone is $15,500 to $17,500.
Is there a vendor statement in the NT?
No. The Territory has no Section 32 or Form 1 equivalent. Your conveyancer prepares the contract and a title search, and the buyer does their own due diligence within the four-business-day cooling-off period.
What is the average real estate commission in the NT?
Typically 2.4% to 2.7% of the sale price, with around 2.5% common. Commission is negotiable and GST of 10% usually applies on top.
Does the NT have land tax?
No. The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction without land tax, so there is no land tax adjustment at settlement for an investment property. Capital gains tax is federal and still applies to an investment.
Who pays stamp duty in the Northern Territory?
The buyer. The seller pays no duty on the sale.
Keep reading
Real estate commission in the Northern Territory
Typical the Northern Territory rates, worked examples and how to negotiate.
ReadSelling costs calculator
Every line of the bill, with net proceeds after your loan.
ReadThe cost of selling a house in Australia
The national guide to each cost line.
ReadHow to negotiate agent commission
Tiered structures and the questions that move the rate.
ReadHow to choose a selling agent
Compare on results, not rate.
ReadAgency agreements by state
What the agreement must say and the clauses to change.
Read