Sydney · Fees verified against REBAA · 8 October 2026

What a buyer's agent costs, and what you can do yourself.

A full-service buyer's agent in Sydney charges 2% to 3% of the purchase price plus GST. Half of that fee buys research you can now do free. The other half buys someone to find, negotiate and bid for you. Here is how to decide which half you need.

What a buyer's agent does

A buyer's agent is a licensed real estate agent who acts for the buyer rather than the vendor. The full service has four parts, and the fee is usually quoted for all of them together.

A crowd of buyers at a Saturday on-site auction outside a Sydney house
The part of the job you pay a human for: being at the auction, reading the room, and bidding to a limit you set together beforehand.
  • 1 · BriefWork out what you should buy, where, and at what price, against your finance.
  • 2 · SearchFind and shortlist homes, including off-market and pre-market listings.
  • 3 · Due diligencePrice, comparable sales, flood, bushfire, planning, strata, inspections.
  • 4 · Negotiate or bidRun the negotiation or bid at auction, then manage to exchange.

What it costs at each price

The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) puts the industry average for a full search and negotiation service at 2% to 3% of the purchase price plus GST, with an engagement fee paid when you sign. REBAA's NSW guidance gives the same 2% to 3% range for Sydney-based agents.

$0k$20k$40k$60k$800,000$1,000,000$1,200,000$1,500,000$2,000,000at 2%at 3%
Full-service fee before GST at REBAA's 2% to 3% industry average. A percentage fee rises with every extra dollar you bid, which is worth knowing when the same agent is advising you on the bid.
Purchase priceFee at 2% to 3%Including GST
$800,000$16,000 to $24,000$17,600 to $26,400
$1,000,000$20,000 to $30,000$22,000 to $33,000
$1,200,000$24,000 to $36,000$26,400 to $39,600
$1,500,000$30,000 to $45,000$33,000 to $49,500
$2,000,000$40,000 to $60,000$44,000 to $66,000

Percentage fees move with the price, so a higher bid costs you twice. Some agents quote a fixed fee instead, and partial services (negotiation only, or auction bidding only) are priced separately; ask for every number in writing, including GST and the engagement fee. Working out your budget first? Check your borrowing power.

Do you need one?

Pay for the full service when
You are buying from interstate or overseas, you cannot attend inspections and auctions, the market you want runs on off-market access, or you know you will overpay under auction pressure and want someone else holding the paddle.
Pay for part of it when
You can find the home yourself but want a professional to negotiate or bid. Negotiation-only and auction-bidding-only services exist for exactly this, at a fraction of the full fee.
Do it yourself when
You have the time to search and attend, and you want the research done properly rather than expensively. Price, comparable sales, flood, bushfire, heritage, zoning, power lines and road or rail noise are free for every NSW address; the inspection and the contract review are the two things you still pay for.

The research half, free

This is the part of a buyer's agent's job that software now does well, because it is data rather than judgement about people. For any NSW address, a knest free report gives you:

  • An independent price estimate with the comparable sales it was built from, so you can argue with it.
  • Flood and bushfire exposure, heritage listing, zoning and planning controls for the lot.
  • Power lines, and road and rail noise, the three things buyers most often notice after they move in.
  • Suburb prices, sales volume and trend, and every other address on the street.
  • An AI agent that answers questions about the property and tells you what to check next.

What it does not do: inspect the building, read the contract, negotiate, or bid. For those you need a building and pest inspector, a conveyancer, and either yourself or a human buyer's agent.

Start with the free report

Enter the address you are looking at. You get the price estimate, comparable sales and every risk layer in minutes, then decide whether the rest of the job needs a professional.

Get the free property report
FAQ

Buyer's agent questions, answered.

How much does a buyer's agent cost in Sydney?

For a full search, due diligence and negotiation service, the industry body REBAA puts the average at 2% to 3% of the purchase price plus GST, with an engagement fee paid upfront. On a $1.2 million home that is $24,000 to $36,000 before GST. Some agents quote a fixed fee instead; negotiation-only or auction-bidding-only services cost less. Get the fee in writing, including GST.

What does a buyer's agent actually do?

Four things: works out what you should buy and where, finds and shortlists properties including off-market ones, runs the due diligence on each (price, risks, planning, strata, inspections), and negotiates or bids on your behalf. Most of the fee pays for the last two.

Do I need a buyer's agent?

You need one if you cannot do the searching and bidding yourself: you are interstate or overseas, time-poor, buying in a market where off-market access matters, or you do not want to bid at auction. You do not need one for the research. Price, comparable sales, flood, bushfire, heritage, zoning and noise are all available free for any NSW address.

Is a buyer's agent worth it?

Only if they buy for less than their fee, or get you a home you could not have found or won alone. On a $1.2 million purchase at 2.5% plus GST, the agent needs to save you about $33,000 just to break even. That is possible in a competitive auction market and unlikely on a quiet private treaty sale.

Who pays the buyer's agent?

You do. A buyer's agent works for the buyer and is paid by the buyer. A selling agent works for the vendor and is paid out of the sale. An agent cannot act for both sides of the same transaction in NSW.

Are buyer's agent fees tax deductible?

Not for a home you live in. For an investment property the fee is generally treated as part of the property's cost base for capital gains tax rather than an immediate deduction. Confirm with your accountant before you rely on either.

What is an AI buyer's agent?

Software that does the research half of the job: an independent price estimate, comparable sales, flood and bushfire risk, heritage, zoning, power lines, road and rail noise, suburb data, and answers to your questions about a specific address. knest.ai does this free for any NSW property. It does not inspect, negotiate or bid, and it is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

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