COMMISSION · 5 MIN READ
Ray White commission rates
Ray White does not publish a commission rate, and neither does any other major Australian agency. Here is what the market actually charges, what it costs in dollars, and how to get their real number.
Short answer
Ray White publishes no commission rate. Nobody does. It is negotiated per listing and differs between offices in the same brand. Expect somewhere near your state average, ask for the number in dollars rather than a percentage, and negotiate it.
Key takeaways
- Ray White does not publish a rate. Any site quoting you a precise Ray White percentage is guessing.
- Commission is negotiated per listing, and offices in the same network quote differently.
- State averages run from 2.0% in Victoria to 3.0% in Tasmania, commission only.
- Marketing is usually charged on top and is separately negotiable.
- Ask for one all-in dollar figure. Percentages hide the size of the number.
Why no agency publishes a rate
Ray White is one of the largest networks in Australasia, operating as a franchise group so each office sets its own fees. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
That is not evasiveness so much as structure. Commission is set per listing, and it moves with the property value, the difficulty of the sale, how busy the office is, and above all how much competition the agent thinks they face for your business. A published rate would remove the last of those, which is the one that works in your favour.
Ben’s insightI charged commission for fifteen years and I never quoted the same number twice in a row. The rate you are offered is a read on how likely you are to shop around. That is worth knowing before the appraisal, not after.
What you would actually pay
Since no agency publishes a figure, the honest baseline is the state average. These are the rates we publish on our own commission calculator.
| State | Typical commission | On a $700,000 sale | Kept on a $900 flat fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | 2.0% | $14,000 | $13,100 |
| NSW | 2.1% | $14,700 | $13,800 |
| QLD | 2.5% | $17,500 | $16,600 |
| WA | 2.5% | $17,500 | $16,600 |
| SA | 2.5% | $17,500 | $16,600 |
| TAS | 3.0% | $21,000 | $20,100 |
| ACT | 2.3% | $16,099 | $15,199 |
| NT | 2.7% | $18,900 | $18,000 |
State averages as published on our own commission calculator. These are commission only: marketing and campaign costs sit on top. Ray White does not publish a rate, so treat these as the market context for the conversation, not as their quote.
Commission is not the whole costThe figures above are commission only. Marketing and campaign spend is normally charged separately and can add several thousand dollars, which is why the total cost of selling on a $700,000 property commonly reaches around $24,250 once everything is counted.
Before you negotiate, know what you are negotiating over.
Ray White will quote you a percentage. The calculator turns it into the number that leaves your settlement, so you are arguing about dollars.
See what you’d keepWhat is negotiable
- The rate itself. The single most negotiable number in the transaction, and the one agents most expect to be asked about.
- The marketing budget. Both the amount and who carries it. Ask what is actually being bought with it.
- The agreement length. A shorter exclusive period costs the agency something and costs you nothing.
- A bonus structure. Some vendors agree a lower base rate with a higher share above a target price, which aligns the incentive far better than a flat percentage.
How to ask
Agents quote percentages because percentages sound small. The counter is simple: ask for dollars.
If my property sells for what you have just appraised it at, what is the total number I will pay you, including marketing? One figure, in dollars.
The question worth asking every agent
Ask it of two or three agencies on the same day and the range will surprise you. Agents expect this question from informed vendors and it does not offend anyone.
What the same sale costs on a flat fee
For contrast, and stated plainly: Unreserved charges $900 regardless of what your property sells for, and lists on realestate.com.au and Domain like any agency. You open the door at your own opens and the platform runs the enquiries.
On a $700,000 sale, commission alone. Marketing sits on top of every bar except the first.
Ben’s insightNone of this makes Ray White a poor choice. A good agent who genuinely runs your campaign and negotiates well can earn their fee, and we say where that applies on our comparison with traditional agents. The point is that you should know the number before you sign, and it should be a number you negotiated rather than one you were quoted.
Night and day vs an agent
“I’ve sold a property previously using an agent, and the contrast between them and Unreserved was night and day. We sold an investment property in Melbourne. The market was challenging, but we waited it out for the right buyer and sold for what we wanted. Can’t thank the team enough, and the app was really easy to use.”
Sarah B · Verified seller · Investment property, Melbourne
See what commission costs on your sale price
Put your price into the calculator and see the dollar figure next to a flat fee, then get a free valuation to check the price itself.
See what you’d keepCommon questions
What commission does Ray White charge?
Ray White does not publish a commission rate, and no major Australian agency does. Commission is negotiated per listing and varies between offices in the same network, by property value and by how much competition the agent faces for your business. The state averages on this page are the market context, not a Ray White quote.
Is Ray White commission negotiable?
Almost always. Commission is one of the most negotiable numbers in the transaction, particularly where an agent knows you are speaking to more than one agency. The rate, the marketing budget and who pays for it are all separately negotiable.
How much would Ray White cost on a $700,000 sale?
Depends entirely on the rate you agree and the state you are in. At the state averages published on our calculator, commission alone on $700,000 runs from about $14,000 in Victoria to about $21,000 in Tasmania, before any marketing spend. Ask for the figure in dollars, not as a percentage.
What is a good commission rate in Australia?
The useful question is not the percentage but the total dollars and what they buy. A lower rate on a bigger marketing bill can cost more than a higher rate with marketing included. Ask every agent to quote you a single all-in figure for a sale at your expected price.
How is Unreserved different from Ray White?
We charge a flat $900 rather than a percentage, and we are a licensed agency, so the listing appears on realestate.com.au and Domain exactly as it would through any agency. You open the door at your own opens; the platform handles the enquiries. Our Plus tier at $6,900 adds a licensed campaign manager who runs the rest of it for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben Williams
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Ben spent 15+ years as a licensed estate agent and conducted over 2,000 auctions before founding Unreserved. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Property & Valuation) from RMIT and is licensed across VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, and WA.