Real Estate Commission NSW: Average Rates & Agent Fees (2026)

Average real estate commission in NSW

In New South Wales, real estate commission typically runs from 1.8% to 2.5% of the final sale price, and around 2% is the most common rate. Commission is charged as a percentage of what your property sells for, paid by you as the seller out of the sale proceeds at settlement, and it is negotiable.

NSW sits at the lower end of the national range. States and territories with smaller sale prices, such as parts of regional Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, tend to see higher percentage rates because the dollar amount of commission has to cover the agent’s costs on a lower sale figure. In NSW, where Sydney and the major coastal and regional centres carry high property values, agents compete hard for listings and the typical rate settles around 2%.

That said, the rate moves with the property and the area. A straightforward home in a high-turnover Sydney suburb might attract a rate closer to 1.8%, while a lower-priced or harder-to-sell property in a thinner regional market might sit nearer 2.5%. The headline percentage matters far less than the dollar amount it produces, which is where the worked examples below come in.

Worked examples by sale price

Because commission is a percentage, the dollar figure scales with your sale price. The table below shows what the typical NSW range looks like in dollars at three rates: 1.8% at the lower end, 2% as the typical rate, and 2.5% at the higher end.

These figures exclude GST, which usually adds 10% on top, and they cover commission only, not marketing or conveyancing. For an exact figure on your own sale price, use our commission calculator, which has a NSW setting and turns the percentage into dollars for you.

How commission is structured in NSW

The standard structure in New South Wales is a flat percentageof the sale price. The agent quotes a single rate, say 2%, and that rate applies to the whole sale price whatever the property eventually sells for. It’s simple to compare between agents, which is why most NSW vendors see it.

Some agents offer a tiered or performance-based structure instead. A tiered agreement might apply one rate up to a target price and a higher rate on everything above it, which rewards the agent for pushing past the figure you both expect. Done well, this aligns the agent’s incentive with yours, since they only earn the premium rate if they get you a premium result. It’s worth asking about, especially if you think there’s upside in your sale.

Almost all NSW agents work on a no sale, no feebasis. Commission is only payable if the property sells, and it comes out of the proceeds at settlement rather than being paid upfront. That’s a big part of why agents are motivated to achieve the best price they can.

What the commission usually covers:

• Appraisal and pricing strategy. The agent assesses the property and recommends a price or reserve.
• Listing and campaign management. Coordinating the sale process from listing through to exchange and settlement.
• Open homes and inspections. Hosting inspections, qualifying buyers and reporting feedback to you.
• Negotiation. Negotiating with buyers on your behalf to achieve the best price and terms.

What’s usually charged separately, on top of commission:

• Marketing and advertising. Listings on the major property portals, signboards and social or print campaigns.
• Photography and video. Professional photos, floor plans, and any video or drone work.
• Styling and staging. Optional, but common in Sydney, where presentation drives the early competition.

Marketing costs are normally payable whether or not the property sells, unlike commission, so confirm those figures separately before you sign.

Is commission negotiable in NSW?

Yes. Commission in New South Wales is deregulated, which means there is no government-set rate and no legislated minimum or maximum. Every agent sets their own rate, so the percentage on the first agency agreement you read is an opening number, not a fixed price.

How to negotiate commission in NSW without shooting yourself in the foot:

1. Compare two or three agents.Getting competing appraisals gives you both leverage and a sense of what’s fair in your suburb. Choose agents who genuinely sell your type of property locally, not whoever letterboxes you most.
2. Negotiate the rate and the marketing. The commission percentage is only half the cost. The marketing budget is often where the bigger savings sit, so push on both rather than fixating on the headline rate alone.
3. Be wary of the cheapest. An agent who negotiates an extra $20,000 on your sale earns their commission back many times over, even at a slightly higher rate. The lowest quote is rarely the best result. Ask each agent to back their number with recent comparable sales in your area.

For context, all agents who sell property in New South Wales must be licensed through NSW Fair Trading, and many belong to the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW). Neither body sets commission rates, but checking that an agent is properly licensed is a sensible first step.

Commission vs your other selling costs

Commission is the largest single cost of selling in NSW, but it isn’t the only one. On top of the agent’s fee you’ll pay for marketing and photography, conveyancing or legal work, usually some presentation or styling, and a small mortgage discharge fee if you have a loan to pay out. If the property is an investment rather than your home, capital gains tax can be larger than commission again.

To see how commission fits into the full picture, read the full cost of selling, which walks through every line item with a worked example. And if you want to see how NSW compares with the rest of the country, the national agent fees guide sets out commission ranges state by state and what’s included.

Get the right agent first

The cheapest commission rarely means the best return. The agent who gets you a stronger sale price more than covers a slightly higher fee, so the order that saves the most money is to pick the right agent first, then negotiate the rate.

1. Get an accurate value. Before you talk fees, know what your home is worth. Our guide to how much your house is worth covers the three ways to value a home and how to land on a figure you can trust.
2. Choose the agent on results, not rate. The how to choose a selling agent guide covers the interview, the over-quote trap and what to negotiate.
3. Size the commission. Run your price through the commission calculator so you know exactly what the fee means in dollars before any conversation.