COMPARE · 7 MIN READ
Unreserved vs helm
Two AI-led ways to sell your own home. helm is $749 once at its founding price ($999 standard). Unreserved Lite is $900. Here is what actually separates them.
Short answer
helm launched in 2026 and is a software platform: AI listing tools and offer scoring for $749 at its founding price ($999 standard). Unreserved is a licensed real estate agency: Lite is $900 with five portals, auctions and a For Sale board included, and Plus puts a licensed team on your sale. If you want the cheapest self-run listing on both major portals while the founding price lasts, that is helm. If you want a licensed agency behind the sale, or someone to run it for you, that is us.
Key takeaways
- helm: $749 once at its founding price ($999 standard), listed until sold. Unreserved Lite: $900 once.
- At the founding price helm is $151 cheaper. At its standard price it is $99 dearer.
- helm lists on realestate.com.au and Domain. Lite adds three more portals.
- helm is a software platform, not your agent. Unreserved is a licensed agency with a fully managed option, Plus.
- Auctions, reverse auctions and a For Sale board are included with us and not listed by helm.
The prices
| Unreserved Lite | helm | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900 once | $749 once (founding price), $999 standard |
| Listing period | Until it sells | Until it sells |
| Portals | realestate.com.au, Domain and three more | realestate.com.au and Domain |
| Licence | Licensed real estate agency | Software platform; listings under a licensed agent on the helm team |
| For Sale board | Included | Not listed |
| Auction / reverse auction | Included | Not listed |
| Someone to run it for you | Unreserved Plus: $2,000 up front, $4,900 on sale | Not offered |
Figures captured 2 October 2026 from hellohelm.co/pricing, hellohelm.co/compare and unreservedrealestate.com.au. Pricing moves; check before you buy.
At its founding price helm is the cheapest way onto both major portals in this category, $151 under Lite. helm says the founding price is for a limited time. At $999 standard, Lite is $99 cheaper and lists on three more portals.
Where the money goes
Founding prices endhelm says its $749 founding price is available for a limited time and that it will give notice before it ends. Check the live price on the day you publish, not the day you start comparing.
Whichever platform you pick, the price decides more than the fee.
A free AI valuation reads the comparable sales around your address and returns a defensible range in about a minute.
Get Free Instant ValuationWhat helm does better
Written honestly, because a comparison that finds nothing good in a competitor is not worth reading.
- Price, for now. $749 at the founding price is the lowest cost onto both realestate.com.au and Domain in this category.
- AI offer scoring. Every offer is scored on its terms (finance, settlement, deposit, conditions), so two offers at the same price stop looking the same.
- AI-enhanced photos and AI-drafted copy. Built into the core product rather than added on.
- A single product. No tiers to choose between, which some sellers will prefer to ours.
What we do differently
- We are a licensed real estate agency. That carries statutory obligations and gives you a regulator to complain to. It is a different relationship from using a platform.
- Auctions and reverse auctions. helm does not list either. If auction is the right method for your property, that decides it.
- Licensed humans, seven days. Our AI answers the phone; a licensed agent answers the hard question.
- Five portals and a board. realestate.com.au, Domain and three more portals, plus a For Sale board, in the $900.
- Someone can run it for you. Unreserved Plus puts a licensed team on your campaign for $2,000 up front and $4,900 on sale. helm says sellers who want that should use an agent.
The plans this page does not compare
helm publishes one price. We publish four plans, and the comparison above uses Lite at $900.
Every comparison on this page uses Unreserved Lite at $900, because that is the like-for-like: a listing on realestate.com.au and Domain that you run yourself. We sell three others: a $0 Free Listing, Basic and Plus. Depending on your situation, one of them may suit you better.
| Plan | Price | Portals | Who runs the campaign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $500 up front | Domain only | You |
| Lite | $900 up front | realestate.com.au + Domain | You |
| Plus | $2,000 up front, then $4,900 on a successful sale | realestate.com.au + Domain | A licensed campaign manager |
All three paid plans charge zero commission and all three include the AI Inspection Agent, the valuation tools and every sale strategy. Captured from our own pricing page, August 2026.
- Basic is the cheapest way onto a major portal. $500, Domain only. It suits sellers whose buyers are local and who are comfortable without realestate.com.au.
- Lite is the one everybody compares. $900, both major portals, the full toolkit. Most sellers should be on this.
- Plus is the one that removes the work. $2,000 up front and $4,900 only if it sells, so the larger half is contingent on the result. A licensed campaign manager runs the listing copy, pricing, buyer follow-up and negotiation. Photography is an optional upgrade, priced separately. You still open the door at your own open homes.
Ben’s insightThe reason Plus is split $2,000 and $4,900 rather than charged up front is that we think the bigger number should depend on the outcome. It is still a flat fee: it does not rise with your sale price the way a percentage does, so on a $1.2 million sale it is $6,900 against roughly $25,200 in commission at 2.1 per cent.
Which to choose
Both say AI. They mean different things
Every platform in this category now markets AI, which makes the word useless on its own. It is worth separating what each of us actually automates.
| What gets automated | Unreserved | helm |
|---|---|---|
| Listing copy | AI-assisted, you edit it | AI-drafted from your address |
| Photography | Free photo edits | AI-enhanced photos |
| Answering the phone | AI answers calls and SMS 24/7, routes to you | Not listed |
| Buyer questions | AI inspection agents | Buyer messaging and enquiry handling in one place |
| Scoring offers | You, with licensed support | AI offer scoring on every offer |
| Negotiating with buyers | You, with licensed support | You; helm gives negotiation insights but does not negotiate for you |
| Pricing | AI valuation plus weekly market reports | helm does not value your home |
Figures captured 2 October 2026 from hellohelm.co/pricing, hellohelm.co/compare and unreservedrealestate.com.au. Pricing moves; check before you buy.
The gap is narrower than the marketing suggests. Both automate the listing and help you read offers, and neither negotiates for you. The real differences are the licence, the extra portals, auctions, and having a managed option if you decide you want one.
What neither of us does
- Neither will attend your inspections. Both are self-run models. If you need someone physically at the property, that is a different product, and ours is Unreserved Plus at $6,900.
- Neither guarantees a price. Any platform implying otherwise is selling something.
- Neither replaces a conveyancer. Contracts and settlement sit with your legal representative on both.
Impressed by the AI valuation
“Used the AI valuation tool from Unreserved and was seriously impressed. Within a couple of minutes it generated a really detailed valuation report with smart insights around the property, the local market, and even value-add opportunities from renovations. It felt genuinely useful in mapping out our next steps, not just a generic automated estimate.”
Alistair Ferguson · Google · Local Guide
Still deciding between the two?
Fifteen minutes with a licensed agent who will tell you honestly if helm suits your property better. No obligation.
Talk to a licensed agentCommon questions
How much does helm cost?
helm charges $749 once at its founding price, which it says is available for a limited time, and $999 at its standard price. The listing runs until it sells. Unreserved Lite is $900 once. Figures captured from helm’s own site on 2 October 2026.
Is helm cheaper than Unreserved?
At its founding price, yes: $749 against $900 for Unreserved Lite, a difference of $151. At helm’s $999 standard price, Lite is $99 cheaper. Lite also lists on three more portals and includes a For Sale board.
What does helm do that Unreserved does not?
helm scores every offer on its terms with AI (finance, settlement, deposit and conditions, not just price) and drafts the listing from your address. helm says it does not negotiate for you and does not value your home.
What does Unreserved do that helm does not?
Auctions and reverse auctions, a custom For Sale board included in the fee, three portals beyond realestate.com.au and Domain, licensed agent support seven days, and a fully managed option, Unreserved Plus. We are a licensed real estate agency rather than a software platform.
Is helm a real estate agent?
No. helm describes itself as a software platform, not your agent, with listings run under a licensed agent on the helm team. Unreserved is a licensed real estate agency.
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.