Free Calculator · Updated 18 May 2026
Model tiered or flat commission, marketing fees, conjunctional splits, GST, and your monthly book projection. Designed for Australian principals and listing agents pricing a campaign.
Selecting a market pre-fills typical commission rates. Override any field below to model your own scenario.
How to use this calculator
Step 1
Choose the closest market preset — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, or a regional state. The calculator pre-fills typical commission ranges so you start from a defensible baseline.
Step 2
Tiered models (base rate + premium above a threshold) are common in Sydney and Melbourne above $1M–$1.5M. Flat structures work well in mid-market regional sales where there's less upside above a clear ceiling.
Step 3
Itemise the marketing budget (photography, portal upgrades, signboard, brochures, auction costs) and dial in the listing agent split — typically 40–60% to the agent depending on the role and seniority.
Step 4
Enter expected sales per month to see gross commission and net to the agency at scale. Useful for budgeting recruiter spend, marketing pre-pay capital, and trust-account cashflow.
Practical Tips
In Sydney's metro market, the most common tiered structure applies a base rate of around 1.8% up to a threshold (often $1.5M) and a premium rate of around 4% on every dollar above it. Vendors generally accept the premium because it explicitly aligns the agent with chasing a higher sale price.
Marketing is almost always invoiced up-front, not deducted from commission at settlement. Cap the schedule, attach a line-item breakdown to the agency agreement, and refund unused items if the campaign ends early — this is increasingly an OFT expectation in NSW and QLD.
If you're open to conjunctional arrangements, document the split (50/50 is standard) and any non-compete on the buyer database before introductions are made. Vendor consent under the agency agreement is also required — most standard agreements include the clause but check yours.
Commission and marketing fees attract 10% GST when the agency is registered. Trust-account money (deposits) is not your income and is not GST-able until it's drawn down as commission on settlement under your trust accounting rules. Keep the two workflows distinct in your books.
Indicatively: Sydney sits around 1.8–2.5% (tiered structures common above ~$1.5M), Melbourne 1.6–2.5%, Brisbane 2.5–3.0%. Regional markets generally run higher (2.5–3.5%) because lower price points need more % to cover the same workload. These are directional — agency competition, vendor leverage, and exclusivity terms all move the number.
Tiered structures (lower base rate up to a threshold, higher premium rate above it) align the agent's incentive with achieving a top sale price. For properties expected to sell close to the threshold, tiered usually nets the vendor a higher sale even after the bigger premium slice. For predictable mid-market sales, a flat percentage is simpler and often produces a similar outcome.
Marketing fees (photography, signboard, portal ads, brochures, auction costs) are typically pre-paid by the vendor up-front and are separate from commission. They're charged on a cost-plus or capped basis and are not refunded if the property doesn't sell unless explicitly agreed in writing. Always check whether the marketing schedule is itemised and capped.
If another agency or a buyer's agent introduces the eventual buyer, the listing agency typically splits gross commission with them — usually 50/50, sometimes 60/40 in favour of the listing side. The split is agreed before introductions are made. The vendor still pays a single commission figure; the split happens between the agencies on settlement.
Yes. Real-estate agencies registered for GST (turnover ≥ $75,000) must add 10% GST to both the commission and the marketing fee. The vendor pays GST-inclusive amounts at settlement; if the vendor is also GST registered and the property is a taxable supply, they may be able to claim a GST credit — your accountant should confirm based on the property's status.
Under standard NSW / VIC / QLD agency agreements, commission is earned when an unconditional exchange or contract is reached with a buyer introduced by the agent, and payable at settlement. Some agreements treat commission as earned at exchange even if settlement is delayed — read the agency agreement carefully, especially for off-the-plan or long-settlement deals.
OneBookPlus is the all-in-one platform for Australian agencies — listing pipelines, vendor reporting, agent commission reconciliation, marketing-fee tracking, and GST-ready invoicing. Free to start, no card required.
Last reviewed and updated: by Bishal Shrestha
About the author
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, and small business consulting across Australia. Bishal has reviewed commission structures and PM fee benchmarks with AU real-estate principals.
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