--- title: "Selling with an agent vs selling privately: a real comparison" description: "Most Australians assume there are two ways to sell a home: hire an agent, or do it yourself. There's actually a third option now: flat-fee platforms that give you agent-grade tools without the commission. This guide compares all three so you can work out which fits." canonical_url: "https://hellohelm.co/guides/selling-with-agent-vs-privately" last_updated: "2026-06-26T02:27:44.111Z" --- Most Australians assume there are two ways to sell a home: hire an agent, or do it yourself. There's actually a third option now: flat-fee platforms that give you agent-grade tools without the commission. This guide compares all three so you can work out which fits. ## Option 1: traditional agent **What you get:** - Someone to run the whole campaign end-to-end - Access to realestate.com.au and Domain - Open-home management, buyer qualification, negotiation - Auction services if you go that route **What it costs:** - Commission: 1.8% – 3.0% of sale price (metro), higher in regional areas - Marketing (vendor-paid advertising): $3,500 – $8,000 typical; premium/auction campaigns can reach $10,000+ - Conveyancing: $800 – $2,200 - Total on a $1.2m sale: **~$30,000 – $36,000** **Who it suits:** - Sellers with complex properties (development potential, unusual layouts, premium markets) - Sellers who don't have time to run the process themselves - Anyone selling in a slow or declining market where an experienced negotiator moves the needle **The honest trade-off:** - It's the highest-cost route of the three, and the percentage structure means the bill scales with the sale price rather than the scope of work. - You're stepping back from the day-to-day decisions. That's the point of hiring someone, but if you'd rather be hands-on, this isn't the route for you. ## Option 2: fully private sale (FSBO) **What you get:** - 100% of the sale price (minus conveyancing) - Complete control **What it costs:** - Conveyancing: $800 – $2,200 - Your own time and marketing spend ($500 – $2,000 for basic DIY) - realestate.com.au and Domain don't accept private listings directly, so you'd need a gateway service - Total on a $1.2m sale: **~$1,300 – $4,200** **Who it suits:** - Sellers with deep real estate or negotiation experience - Family / neighbour sales where the buyer is already identified - Rural sales where the market is tight-knit **The honest trade-off:** - You lose access to the two portals that 90%+ of buyers use - Open homes, buyer screening, offer management: all on you - No professional photography, copy, or strategy unless you organise and pay for it separately - It's a real job, not a weekend project ## Option 3: flat-fee platform (like helm) **What you get:** - Full Domain listing (helm is an authorised listing partner) - AI-enhanced photos and professionally optimised listing copy - Offer scoring and negotiation insights, the analytical side of what an agent does - Buyer communication tools, open-home scheduling, digital offer submission - You stay in the driver's seat, but with software doing the heavy lifting **What it costs:** - helm Essential: from $349/week (2-week minimum, cancel anytime), or helm Complete: $2,499 one-off - Optional realestate.com.au add-on: $1,500 (passed through at cost) - Conveyancing: $800 – $2,200 - No commission. No sale-price-linked fees. - Total on a $1.2m sale: **~$3,300 – $5,700 all in** **Who it suits:** - Sellers who want agent-grade tools at a fixed cost - Well-presented homes in active markets where the fundamentals speak for themselves - Sellers who are happy to run their own open homes and make the final call on offers - Anyone who wants visibility into every offer and data point in one place **The honest trade-off:** - You still need to turn up to open homes and make decisions - If the property is genuinely complex or the market is soft, an experienced agent in the loop is often worth it ## A quick side-by-side
Factor Traditional agent Fully private Flat-fee platform
Cost on $1.2m sale $30,000 – $36,000 $1,300 – $4,200 $3,300 – $5,700
Domain / REA Yes No (usually) Domain via helm; REA optional
Pro photos & copy Yes (in marketing) DIY Yes (AI-enhanced)
Open homes Agent You You
Negotiation Agent You You, with data
Time commitment Low High Medium
*Figures exclude styling and pre-sale prep, which typically apply to any sale route. For a full cost breakdown, see how much it really costs to sell a house in Australia.* ## How to choose Three honest questions: 1. **Does the property broadly sell itself?** Well-presented homes in active markets often do. Unusual or premium properties often don't. 2. **Do you have 4–8 Saturday mornings over a campaign?** If yes, a flat-fee platform unlocks most of the savings. If no, an agent is probably the right fit. 3. **How confident are you saying no to a soft offer?** Negotiation is where agents earn their fee. If you're uncomfortable doing it, you'll want help, whether that's an agent or a platform that walks you through it. There's no single right answer, but there's a right answer for *this* sale. helm is built for sellers who want the option, not an ultimatum.