Selling with an agent vs selling privately: a real comparison

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 the agent's 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: $1,000 – $2,500
• 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 genuinely can't make time for the process
• Anyone selling in a slow or declining market where an experienced negotiator moves the needle

The honest downside:

• You're paying a percentage that scales with price, not effort. A $2m sale doesn't take twice the work of a $1m sale.
• Agent incentives aren't always aligned with yours — a fast sale is often better for them than a higher sale.

Option 2 — Fully private sale (FSBO)

What you get:

• 100% of the sale price (minus conveyancing)
• Complete control

What it costs:

• Conveyancing: $1,000 – $2,500
• Your own time and marketing spend ($500 – $2,000 for basic DIY)
• realestate.com.au and Domain don't accept private listings directly — you'd need a gateway service
• Total on a $1.2m sale: ~$1,500 – $4,500

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 downside:

• 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: $1,000 – $2,500
• No commission. No sale-price-linked fees.
• Total on a $1.2m sale: ~$3,500 – $6,000 all in

Who it suits:

• Sellers who want agent-grade tools without the agent-grade bill
• 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, not just a phone call from the agent

The honest downside:

• You still need to turn up to open homes and make decisions
• If the property is genuinely complex or the market is bad, you may want an experienced human in the loop

A quick side-by-side

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, the agent's time becomes worth the commission.
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.

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.