Cost of selling a house in Australia: every fee, by state, in 2026
What it costs to sell a home in Australia in 2026, including agent commission, GST, marketing, conveyancing, mortgage discharge, CGT and withholding, with a worked total.
Selling a house in Australia usually costs the agent's commission plus GST, a marketing campaign, conveyancing, and the fees to discharge your mortgage. For most sellers commission is the largest item by far. On an illustrative $950,000 sale with commission of 2% plus GST (2.2%), $6,500 of marketing and about $3,500 of other costs, the total is roughly $30,900, or about 3.3% of the price. Sellers do not pay stamp duty; the buyer does. Capital gains tax applies only if the home was not your main residence for the whole time you owned it, and every seller needs an ATO clearance certificate to avoid 15% of the price being withheld at settlement.
This page is the overview for the Costs, Duty and 2026 Rules section. It links to a detailed guide on each cost.
The selling costs, item by item
| Cost | Who sets it | Typical basis | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent commission | Negotiated with the agent | Percentage of price, flat fee or tiered, plus 10% GST | At settlement, from the sale proceeds |
| Marketing | Agreed in the agency agreement | Dollar budget: portal listings, photos, floorplan, signboard, print | Often upfront or within 30 days, sometimes at settlement |
| Auctioneer fee | Agent or auctioneer | Fixed fee, if not included in commission | At or after auction |
| Styling, cleaning, repairs | You | Quotes from tradespeople and stylists | Before listing |
| Conveyancing or solicitor | Your conveyancer | Fixed professional fee plus disbursements | At or after settlement |
| Mortgage discharge | Your lender and land registry | Lender discharge fee plus government fee to register the discharge | At settlement |
| Fixed-rate break cost | Your lender | Calculated by lender if you repay a fixed loan early | At settlement |
| Settlement adjustments | Contract | Rates, water and strata levies apportioned to the settlement date | At settlement (can be a credit or a debit) |
| Capital gains tax | ATO | Only on the taxable part of a gain | In your tax return for the year of the contract |
Commission is not set by law in any state or territory. It is whatever you agree in writing with the agent. See real estate agent commission by state for how the agency agreement works in each state, and commission structures compared for the arithmetic.
A worked total
An illustrative sale of a three-bedroom house in a capital city:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $950,000 |
| Commission 2.0% + GST = 2.2% | $20,900 |
| Marketing campaign (portal listing, photos, floorplan, board) | $6,500 |
| Conveyancing and disbursements | $1,800 |
| Mortgage discharge (lender fee plus registration) | $500 |
| Minor repairs, cleaning and moving | $1,200 |
| Total selling costs | $30,900 |
| Proceeds before mortgage payout | $919,100 |
$30,900 / $950,000 = 3.25% of the price. If the mortgage payout figure is $480,000, the seller receives about $439,100 at settlement, adjusted up or down for rates and levies. You can redo this with your own figures in the selling costs calculator, and the net sale proceeds worked example adds settlement adjustments.
What differs from state to state
The type of cost is the same everywhere, but each state has its own rules that change the total:
- Agent rules. Each state has its own agents' law and regulator: for example the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 in New South Wales (NSW Fair Trading), the Estate Agents Act 1980 in Victoria (Consumer Affairs Victoria) and the Property Occupations Act 2014 in Queensland (Office of Fair Trading).
- Vendor disclosure. Sellers must give buyers prescribed documents before the contract is signed. Victoria requires a vendor statement (Section 32) under the Sale of Land Act 1962. New South Wales requires prescribed documents attached to the contract. Queensland introduced a seller disclosure statement for contracts from 1 August 2025 under the Property Law Act 2023. South Australia uses a Form 1 vendor's statement. In the ACT the seller must provide building and pest reports with the contract, which is an extra seller cost.
- Conveyancing. Licensed conveyancers can act in most states; in Queensland conveyancing is done by solicitors. See conveyancing fees.
- Land registry fees to register the mortgage discharge are set by each state's titles office and change each year.
The tax side of a sale
Three tax rules can affect what you keep:
- Capital gains tax. Your main residence is generally exempt if you lived in it for the whole time you owned it and did not use it to earn income. Rental periods, a home business or land over 2 hectares can make part of the gain taxable. Selling costs such as commission and legal fees are part of the cost base, so they reduce any taxable gain. See the main residence exemption.
- Foreign resident capital gains withholding. From 1 January 2025, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price on every sale, whatever the price, unless the seller provides a clearance certificate. Australian residents apply online to the ATO; it is free. See foreign resident CGT withholding.
- GST. Selling your own home is not subject to GST. Developers selling new residential premises charge GST, and the buyer must withhold part of the price for the ATO. Agent commission always attracts GST.
The buyer's side, for comparison
If you are selling to buy again, budget for the purchase costs too: transfer (stamp) duty by state, possible first home buyer concessions if you have never owned a home, the Victorian off-the-plan concession if you are buying an apartment in Victoria, and, if any buyer is a foreign person, the foreign buyer surcharges and ban. On a mid-priced home, duty for a buyer who gets no concession is often bigger than all of the seller's costs combined.
Checklist before you sign with an agent
- Written proposals from at least three agents, each showing commission, GST and marketing separately
- Commission payable only on settlement, not on exchange
- Marketing amount, timing of payment and whether it is payable if the home does not sell
- Length of the exclusive period and how to end it
- A conveyancer engaged so the contract and disclosure documents are ready before the first open home
- ATO clearance certificate applied for
- Mortgage payout figure and any break cost requested from your lender
The selling costs checklist has the full list.
Frequently asked questions
Are selling costs tax deductible?
Not as a deduction against income. For a property subject to capital gains tax, commission, advertising and legal costs of selling are included in the cost base and reduce the gain. For a home that is fully exempt, they have no tax effect.
Do I pay GST on my commission?
Yes. Agents registered for GST add 10% to their fee. Always compare quotes on a GST-inclusive basis: "2% plus GST" is 2.2% of the price.
Can I sell without an agent?
Yes. You still need a conveyancer or solicitor for the contract and disclosure documents, and you pay for your own advertising. Some sellers save the commission; others underprice the home and lose more than they saved. See the comparison of ways to sell.
When do I get my money?
At settlement, after the mortgage, commission and any withholding are paid out. Settlement is commonly 30 to 90 days after the contract, as agreed between the parties.
Official sources
- NSW Fair Trading — agency agreements and selling rules in NSW
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — selling property and estate agents in Victoria
- Queensland Government — seller disclosure and Office of Fair Trading guidance
- Australian Taxation Office — CGT, main residence exemption and clearance certificates
- Moneysmart (ASIC) — general guidance on the costs of buying and selling a home
