It's usually one of the first questions sellers ask, and it's a fair one: what does a real estate agent actually charge to sell a home? The honest answer is that it depends — on the property, the agent, the campaign and the type of sale, and commission structures and rates are individually negotiated and can change over time. But there's a lot more to this conversation than a percentage, and understanding it properly could be worth tens of thousands of dollars to you.
Why the cheapest agent isn't always the best choice
Every seller wants to keep costs down, and that's completely rational. But in real estate, choosing on price alone is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. A lower commission can quickly cost far more than it saves if the agent gives you inflated price advice to win the listing and then manages you down during the campaign, fails to generate real buyer competition through weak marketing, lacks the negotiation skill to hold firm when buyers push back, hands your sale to junior staff after the listing is signed, or pushes for a fast sale rather than the best possible one. A small difference in commission is irrelevant if the agent achieves a meaningfully lower price than a skilled negotiator would have. What matters is what ends up in your bank account after settlement, not what you saved on the fee.
A word on high-volume agents
Some agents in northern Adelaide are very good at winning listings — strong branding, recognisable signboards, impressive social numbers. But a high sales count isn't the same as a strong result for the vendor, which is why agent rankings don't always tell the full story. Before you sign with anyone, ask directly:
- Will you personally manage my sale from start to finish?
- Who conducts buyer follow-up after inspections?
- Who negotiates when offers come in?
- Who provides me with regular feedback and updates?
- Will I be dealing mainly with you, or with your team?
In some high-volume operations, the lead agent is the face, while the day-to-day campaign management, buyer follow-up and offer negotiation are handled by assistants. That's not automatically a problem — but you deserve to know before you sign.
What a good full-service agent should actually do
Before you commit to anyone, make sure they can clearly explain who your buyer actually is (first-home buyer, family upgrader, investor, downsizer, developer — each has different motivations and a different ceiling on what they'll pay); where your property sits in the market right now, based on current comparable sales and active demand, not where it sat months ago; the right method of sale for your property and why; a marketing strategy with genuine reach; how buyers will actually be followed up; how they negotiate a low offer or manage multiple offers; and how, and how often, they'll communicate with you.
My approach to commission and service
I don't compete on price — I compete on result. My fee is discussed and agreed based on the specific property, campaign and situation, whether that's residential, commercial, business or a more complex sale, rather than a single fixed number quoted before I understand what I'm being asked to do. The sellers who get the best outcomes aren't the ones who found the cheapest agent — they're the ones who found the right one: someone who understood their property, knew their buyer pool, ran a campaign that created genuine competition, and negotiated hard when the offers landed.
If you'd like an exact fee quote for your own property, get in touch and I'll talk you through it directly.