Every cost and document to check before you sign an agency agreement and before settlement.
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Use this checklist from the day you start talking to agents until settlement. It follows the order in which costs are usually committed: the agent's proposal, the agency agreement, the contract and vendor disclosure, tax paperwork and the settlement statement.
Why the order matters. Most selling costs are fixed when you sign the agency agreement, not when the home sells. The commission rate, the marketing budget and whether marketing is payable even if the home does not sell are all set in that document. Reading it with the checklist beside you is the cheapest way to avoid a dispute later.
Example. A seller who ticks the clearance certificate item early avoids having 15% of the price withheld at settlement. A seller who checks the agent's final invoice against the agreement can pick up a commission calculated on the wrong rate, or marketing charged twice.
Limits. Disclosure documents, cooling-off rules and agency agreement forms differ between states. The checklist covers the common steps; your conveyancer or solicitor will add state-specific items. Progress is saved only in your browser. See the agent selection checklist for the questions to ask at interview.
Costly Mistakes and Official Sources
The real estate agency agreement clauses behind most commission and marketing disputes in Australia: exclusive periods, introduction clauses, continuing authority and more.
Worked Cost Examples and Checklists
A practical method for comparing selling agents in Australia, with questions to ask, how to test price estimates against comparable sales and a weighted scoring example.
