Real estate agent fees on the Gold Coast are negotiated between the owner and the agent. Queensland does not set a maximum commission.
The commission must be agreed in writing when you appoint the agent, and the amount must include GST. The written appointment should also show the services, any advertising or marketing expenses, other charges and when each payment is due.
That gives you a clean way to compare quotes: put every proposal into dollars, check what is separate, then compare the work each agent has promised to do.
Start with the complete written cost
A commission percentage is only one part of a proposal. Before comparing two agents, separate the costs into these groups:
- Commission: the GST-inclusive amount or percentage payable for the sale service.
- Advertising and marketing: photography, floorplans, portals, signs, print or other authorised campaign expenses.
- Other fees or charges: any additional amount the appointment says you must pay.
- Payment timing: when each amount becomes due, including what may still be payable if the property does not sell.
- Services: the work the agent has agreed to perform.
The Queensland Office of Fair Trading says these details need to be set out in the appointment. Read the official commission rules before treating a verbal quote as complete.
Turn a percentage into dollars
If the commission is a percentage, use this calculation:
Actual sale price × agreed GST-inclusive percentage = commission.
Queensland law says that when commission is expressed as a percentage of an estimated sale price, the appointment must state that it is worked out on the actual sale price.
Ask each agent to show the dollar amount at the same three sale-price scenarios. Use a conservative result, the supported price opinion and a stronger result. This does not predict the sale price. It simply stops one quote being shown as a percentage and another as a dollar figure.
If a proposal uses a fixed amount, more than one percentage or another calculation, write out the complete result for the same scenarios. If you cannot reproduce the calculation yourself, ask for it to be explained and recorded before you sign.
Check whether marketing is included or separate
Do not assume the commission includes photography, portal advertising, signs, copy, floorplans or print. Do not assume every item in a marketing proposal is compulsory either.
For each item, ask:
- What does it cost, including GST?
- What job is it meant to do?
- Is it included in the commission or charged separately?
- When is it payable?
- What happens to that cost if the property does not sell?
The written appointment should match the marketing conversation. The broader Gold Coast selling-cost guide explains why commission, marketing, legal work and moving costs should not be mixed into one rough estimate.
Compare the work, not just the number
A lower fee is not automatically a better deal. A higher fee does not prove a better result either.
Ask every agent to explain the same parts of the job:
- Which recent sales support the price opinion?
- Who is most likely to buy the property, and what else can they choose?
- What is included in the launch?
- Who follows up with buyers after an enquiry or inspection?
- What feedback will you receive, and when?
- How will offers be handled?
- What will be reviewed if suitable buyers do not act?
The Gold Coast agent-choice guide gives you the full seven-question interview. The separate pricing guide explains how to test the evidence behind an appraisal.
If the lowest quote is tempting, watch this short explanation of why a free appraisal or cheapest-agent promise still needs evidence behind it. It supports the comparison, but it does not replace the fee details in the written appointment.
Read the appointment type
Queensland residential agent appointments use Form 6. The appointment type affects who can try to sell the property and who may be entitled to commission.
- Open listing: several agents can be appointed and the agent who sells the property is paid the commission.
- Sole agency: the appointed agent is generally paid when the property sells, unless the owner sells it themselves.
- Exclusive agency: the appointed agent can be entitled to commission regardless of who sells the property.
Queensland Government guidance warns that an owner could potentially pay two commissions if another agent sells during an exclusive appointment. Similar risk can arise if an appointment is cancelled incorrectly and another agent is appointed. Check the exact term, cancellation conditions and continuing rights before changing agents.
Read the Queensland guide to appointing a sales agent. Get independent legal advice if any part of the appointment or fee is unclear.
A five-minute quote comparison
- Write the same three possible sale prices across the top of a page.
- Calculate each commission in dollars at those prices.
- Add every separate marketing expense and other charge.
- Record when each amount is due and what may be payable without a completed sale.
- List the promised services beside the total cost.
- Check the appointment type, term and cancellation conditions.
- Mark anything that is still verbal or unclear.
You are not trying to guess the final sale price. You are making every proposal comparable before you choose.
Compare up to three agents side by side
The free Agent Comparison Scorecard helps you put each agent's price evidence, buyer plan, follow-up, fees and written terms in one place. No email is required.
Compare my agent quotes side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Are real estate agent fees negotiable in Queensland?
Yes. The Queensland Government does not set a commission limit, and the commission is negotiated between the agent and client. The agreed commission must include GST and be recorded in writing when the agent is appointed.
Does an agent's commission include GST?
Yes. Queensland's commission rules say the commission must include GST and this must be clear in the appointment.
Is a percentage commission based on the appraisal or final sale price?
If commission is expressed as a percentage of an estimated sale price, the appointment must state that the commission is worked out on the actual sale price.
Is marketing included in the commission?
Not automatically. Check the written proposal and Form 6. Advertising and marketing expenses should be listed with the other fees, charges, services and payment dates.
Can I have to pay two commissions?
It can happen in some appointment situations. Queensland Government guidance specifically warns about this risk with exclusive appointments and incorrectly cancelled sole or exclusive appointments. Get legal advice before appointing another agent if an existing appointment may still apply.
Should I choose the cheapest agent?
Not on fee alone. Put each quote into dollars, check what is included and compare the written sale plan. The cheapest and most expensive agents should both be able to explain their evidence, work and terms.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Read the completed appointment and obtain independent advice about your circumstances before signing.
