COMMISSION · 7 MIN READ
Ray White, McGrath, Harcourts, LJ Hooker, Barry Plant and Jellis Craig commission rates
None of these agencies publishes a commission rate, and neither does any other major Australian network. Here is what the market charges by state, what it costs in dollars, and how to get each agency’s real number.
Short answer
Ray White, McGrath, Harcourts, LJ Hooker, Barry Plant and Jellis Craig publish no commission rate. Nobody does. It is negotiated per listing and differs between offices in the same brand. Expect somewhere near your state’s typical rate, ask for the number in dollars rather than a percentage, and negotiate it.
Key takeaways
- None of these six agencies publishes a rate. Any site quoting you a precise percentage for one of them is guessing.
- Commission is negotiated per listing, and offices in the same network quote differently.
- Typical rates run from 2.23% in the ACT to 3.25% 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
Like every other major Australian network, none of these six agencies publishes 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 typical rate in your state. These are the figures from the Unreserved Commission Report 2026, applied to each capital city’s median house value.
| State | Capital | Median house value | Typical commission | Commission on the median (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Sydney | $1,600,301 | 2.35% | $37,600 |
| VIC | Melbourne | $972,734 | 2.35% | $22,900 |
| QLD | Brisbane | $1,222,906 | 2.80% | $34,200 |
| WA | Perth | $1,087,507 | 2.75% | $29,900 |
| SA | Adelaide | $1,006,099 | 2.80% | $28,200 |
| TAS | Hobart | $796,682 | 3.25% | $25,900 |
| ACT | Canberra | $1,049,789 | 2.23% | $23,400 |
| NT | Darwin | $732,769 | 3.00% | $22,000 |
Median house values: Cotality Hedonic Home Value Index, capital cities, April 2026. Typical commission rates: 2025-26 industry surveys. Method and full table: Unreserved Commission Report 2026. These are commission only: marketing and campaign costs sit on top. None of the agencies on this page publishes 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. On a $1,200,000 sale, commission at 2.1 per cent is $25,200, and a typical $6,000 marketing spend takes the total to around $31,200.
Before you negotiate, know what you are negotiating over.
The agency 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 keepAgency by agency
What changes from one network to the next is where it operates and how its offices are run. What does not change is that none of them publishes a rate.
Ray White commission rates
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.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and Ray White offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise Ray White percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a Ray White quote, and ask the Ray White agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
McGrath commission rates
McGrath is a national network with a strong presence in Sydney and along the east coast. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and McGrath offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise McGrath percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a McGrath quote, and ask the McGrath agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
Harcourts commission rates
Harcourts is a national franchise network operating across every state. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and Harcourts offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise Harcourts percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a Harcourts quote, and ask the Harcourts agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
LJ Hooker commission rates
LJ Hooker is a long-established national franchise network. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and LJ Hooker offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise LJ Hooker percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a LJ Hooker quote, and ask the LJ Hooker agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
Barry Plant commission rates
Barry Plant is a Victorian network with offices across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and Barry Plant offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise Barry Plant percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a Barry Plant quote, and ask the Barry Plant agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
Jellis Craig commission rates
Jellis Craig is a Victorian network concentrated in Melbourne’s inner and eastern suburbs. Like every other major Australian network, it does not publish a commission rate anywhere on its website.
Commission is negotiated per listing, and Jellis Craig offices can quote differently for similar homes. Any site quoting you a precise Jellis Craig percentage is guessing. Treat the state table above as the market context for the conversation, not as a Jellis Craig quote, and ask the Jellis Craig agent for one all-in figure in dollars.
What 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 has four plans. This section compares Lite and Plus, the two that list on realestate.com.au. Unreserved Lite is $900 one-off, whatever your property sells for, and lists on realestate.com.au, Domain and three more portals. You open the door at your own opens and the platform runs the enquiries. Unreserved Plus is $6,900: $2,000 up front and $4,900 on successful sale, with a dedicated campaign manager who writes and builds the listing and handles buyer enquiries. Photography, video and floor plans are optional upgrades, priced separately. A standard For Sale signboard is included on every paid plan.
On a $1,200,000 sale, commission alone at 2.1 per cent, a conservative rate at the low end of the 1.8% to 3.5% range. Against that commission, Lite leaves you $24,300 better off and Plus leaves you $18,300 better off. Marketing sits on top of the agent bar.
Ben’s insightNone of this makes any of these agencies 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 do Ray White, McGrath, Harcourts, LJ Hooker, Barry Plant and Jellis Craig charge?
None of them publishes 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 quote from any of these agencies.
Is agency 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 commission cost on a typical house?
It depends on the rate you agree and the state you are in. At the typical rates in the Unreserved Commission Report 2026, commission on a capital-city median house runs from about $22,000 in Darwin to about $37,600 in Sydney, 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 these agencies?
We charge a flat fee rather than a percentage. There are four plans. Unreserved Lite is $900 one-off and lists on realestate.com.au, Domain and three more portals, with licensed agents available 7 days a week by phone, email or chat. Unreserved Plus is $6,900, paid as $2,000 up front and $4,900 on successful sale, and adds a dedicated campaign manager who writes and builds the listing and handles buyer enquiries. Unreserved is a licensed agency in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA and WA.
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.