Selling a house in Adelaide usually costs commission of about 1.6% to 2.75% of the sale price, according to published comparisons, plus marketing of a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Wemark Real Estate charges 1.5% plus GST, $2,000 to $3,000 plus GST for marketing (nothing on an off-market sale) and a $550 plus GST admin fee. On an $800,000 sale that is about $16,005 to $17,105 including GST.
This guide is about selling. If you are looking for the cost of having a rental managed, that is a separate schedule on our property management page.
What does Wemark charge to sell a house?
Three fees, all written into the sales agency agreement before you sign:
| Fee | Before GST | Including GST | If it does not sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | 1.5% of the sale price | 1.65% | Not payable |
| Marketing | $2,000 to $3,000 | $2,200 to $3,300 | Payable |
| Admin fee | $550 | $605 | Payable |
| Off-market sale | No marketing fee at all | ||
What the marketing covers: professional photography, a video and a floor plan, listings on realestate.com.au and Domain, and a signboard. The range depends on the size of the campaign, and the exact amount for your home is set out at the appraisal.
Off-market: many of our buyers are investors already on our books through our property management side. If we sell your home to one of them without a public campaign, there is no marketing to pay for, so there is no marketing fee.
No cost up front: if you would rather not pay for marketing at the start, we offer a no-upfront-cost option through a marketing finance provider. The provider pays for the campaign, and the cost is still yours, paid to them rather than to us at the start.
How much will I actually pay?
Here is the total in agent fees at three sale prices, everything including GST:
| Sale price | Commission (1.65%) | Total with marketing and admin | Total if sold off-market |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | $9,900 | $12,705 to $13,805 | $10,505 |
| $800,000 | $13,200 | $16,005 to $17,105 | $13,805 |
| $1,000,000 | $16,500 | $19,305 to $20,405 | $17,105 |
On an $800,000 sale, that is $13,200 in commission, $2,200 to $3,300 in marketing and $605 in admin. Conveyancing is separate, and is covered below.
What do Adelaide real estate agents usually charge?
There is no official figure. The best guide is the comparison sites, which publish averages from the agents they track. None of them says whether its figure includes GST, so treat the numbers as indicative.
| Source | Average commission | Area | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAgent | 1.71% | Adelaide region | September 2026 |
| Local Agent Finder | 1.6% | South Australia | 2026 |
| Which Real Estate Agent | 2% to 2.75% | Adelaide | 2026 |
Marketing varies more. OpenAgent’s South Australian cost guide (August 2026) puts it anywhere from $400 to $5,000, and between $6,000 and $9,000 to advertise a $700,000 house for auction. Against the published range of about 1.6% to 2.75%, Wemark’s 1.5% plus GST sits at the lower end.
Is commission set by law in South Australia?
No. South Australian law sets no rate or scale. An agent can charge a percentage of the sale price, a set fee or a combination, and the fees and terms of the agreement can be negotiated (SA Government). Consumer and Business Services adds a warning worth reading twice: “Some agents charge a low commission rate but charge more for marketing and advertising” (CBS). Compare the total, not the percentage.
What must the agency agreement show?
Before an agent can act for you, the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994 requires a written sales agency agreement (the Act, version of 15 January 2026). It must include:
- the agent’s genuine estimate of the selling price, as a single figure (s 20(1)(a));
- every service, including advertising and marketing, that will be charged for separately, the amount and when it is payable (s 20(1)(c)(iv));
- any rebate, discount or other benefit the agent receives from a third party (s 20(1)(c)(v));
- when the agent is entitled to commission (Regulations 2025, reg 18);
- its length, which cannot exceed 90 days (reg 18(1)).
An agent also cannot charge you more for expenses than they actually paid, with a penalty of up to $20,000 (s 24D), and cannot advertise the home below their own estimate or your asking price (s 24A). The rest of the process is in our guide to selling a house in South Australia.
When do you pay commission?
When the agreement says, which at Wemark is only when your property sells. Two rules are worth knowing. Under a sole agency agreement, the agent is entitled to the agreed commission even if you end up selling the house yourself during the agreement (SA Government). And no commission is payable if the contract is rescinded under the Act (s 23).
What else does selling cost?
Conveyancing is the main one: OpenAgent puts it between $500 and $2,200 in South Australia, with $800 a reasonable estimate. You also pay out any mortgage, and may pay for repairs or styling before the photos. The full list is in our guide to selling a house in SA.
How do I compare agents’ fees?
Ask each agent for the total in writing: commission including GST, marketing, admin and anything else. Then ask what they think the home will sell for, and why, because half a per cent of commission matters less than the price achieved. Our principal, Parm Singh, is a licensed auctioneer, so auctions are run in-house. Start with a free property appraisal, which includes our fees in writing, or see your suburb’s median house price first.
Common questions
How much commission do real estate agents charge in Adelaide?
Published comparisons put the average at about 1.6% to 1.7% of the sale price, with some agencies charging up to 2.75%. Wemark Real Estate charges 1.5% plus GST (1.65% including GST), payable only when the property sells.
Is real estate commission negotiable in South Australia?
Yes. SA law sets no rate or scale. Commission can be a percentage, a set fee or both, and it must be written into the sales agency agreement before the agent acts for you.
Do I pay anything if my house does not sell?
Commission is only payable on a sale. At Wemark, marketing and the admin fee are payable whether or not the property sells, and every amount is in the agency agreement before you sign.
How much does it cost to sell a house in Adelaide?
With Wemark, an $800,000 sale costs about $16,005 to $17,105 including GST in agent fees, or $13,805 if it sells off-market, plus conveyancing.
Can I avoid paying marketing up front?
Yes. Wemark offers a no-upfront-cost option through a marketing finance provider, which pays for the campaign so you do not pay it at the start. The marketing is still your cost, paid to the provider.
Sources
- Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994, version 15.1.2026: sections 20, 23, 24A and 24D.
- Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Regulations 2025, version 1.9.2025: regulation 18.
- Hiring a professional for house and land sales, SA Government (updated 9 June 2026): commission types, negotiation, sole agency.
- Tips for selling a home, Consumer and Business Services: agency agreements and marketing costs.
- OpenAgent, Adelaide agents (September 2026), OpenAgent, cost of selling in SA (August 2026), Local Agent Finder and Which Real Estate Agent: published averages, not official statistics.