If you're selling a house in the NT, your biggest cost is usually your agent's commission. According to internal data, it averages 2.41 per cent of the sale price, including GST, or 2.39 per cent in Greater Darwin. On a $600,000 sale, that's $14,460 at the NT average.

On top of that, you'll pay for conveyancing (the legal work of transferring your home to the buyer), marketing and a few government fees. Here's what each one costs, and what's different in the Territory. You can also work out your own costs with our selling costs calculator.

Say you sell for $600,000 and have a mortgage. Start with $14,460 in commission at the NT average of 2.41 per cent. Add $1,490 to $2,200 for conveyancing and $181 to register the mortgage discharge, and you're at about $16,100 to $16,850, before marketing, searches and your lender's own fee.

Key costs to consider when selling your house in the Northern Territory

What's the average real estate commission in the NT?

According to internal data, the average real estate commission in the NT is 2.41 per cent of the sale price, including GST. That's above the national average of 2.01 per cent. Commissions in the NT can be as low as 1.35 per cent or as high as 3.50 per cent, including GST.

If an agent quotes you 2 per cent plus GST, that's 2.2 per cent including GST, a little below the NT average.

If you're in Greater Darwin, which includes Palmerston, the average is 2.39 per cent. It's 2.28 per cent in the Northern Suburbs, 2.37 per cent in the Darwin CBD area and 2.46 per cent in Palmerston. Our fees page has commission rates by area in the NT.

The NT Government says commission and other fees are negotiable, so it's worth comparing what each agent offers for their fee, including their recent sales in your area.

Before you sign, ask each agent for their rate in writing. Then ask:

• Does the rate include GST?
• If we go to auction, is the auctioneer's fee included?
• Is marketing itemised, and will I pay it if my home doesn't sell?
• If the rate rises when my home sells above a target price, where does the higher rate start?

Your agreement with the agent must be in writing. What you pay if your home doesn't sell depends on what it says, so check before you sign.

How much does an auctioneer cost in the NT?

If you're going to auction, the auctioneer's fee is often already in your agent's quote, so check your agreement with the agent. NT auctioneers don't generally publish a price. In Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, auctioneers who publish one charge $700 to $1,100 to call an on-site auction (October 2026).

In the NT, your auction must be called by a licensed auctioneer, and an auction campaign can cost more to market than a private sale. Our guide has more on what an auctioneer costs.

How much does conveyancing cost in the NT?

In the NT, a licensed conveyancing agent or a lawyer usually handles the legal side of your sale. The two NT businesses that publish a fixed price for a sale charge $1,490 to $2,200 (October 2026). That's before searches and government fees, so treat it as a rough guide.

Searches, such as the title and council rates searches, are extra. One NT firm lists a title search at $37.95 and a council rates search at $50 to $100.

There's no official fee scale for conveyancing in the NT. But when a conveyancing agent asks you to sign their appointment form, they must give you a quote for a fair and reasonable fee. See what conveyancing costs in each state.

If you have a mortgage, the Land Titles Office charges $181 in 2026-27 to register its discharge, which removes the mortgage from your title. That's on top of your lender's own discharge fee.

Any outstanding council rates and other charges are paid at settlement, the day ownership passes to the buyer.

How much does marketing cost in the NT?

Each agent will quote marketing for your campaign. The NT Government says an agent's job includes providing a marketing plan, so ask each agent you compare for a plan with every item priced, such as photography, online listings and signboards.

Not all agents include marketing in their commission, so it's a good idea to budget for it separately. Our guide covers what advertising a property costs.

Do you need an ATO clearance certificate?

If you're an Australian resident for tax purposes, you need a free clearance certificate from the ATO, and each co-owner needs their own. Without one, the buyer must hold back 15 per cent of your share of the price at settlement, so apply early: it can take up to 28 days.

Preparing your home for sale

You don't need a major renovation before you sell, but a clean, well-maintained home can help attract buyers.

If your home needs a few small jobs done, handymen across Australia who publish a price charge $80 to $165 an hour, with materials extra. If the garden needs a tidy, most gardeners across Australia who publish a price charge from $40 to $55 for a small lawn mow (both October 2026).

In the NT, one business publishes a vacate clean (the deep clean once you've moved out) of a three-bedroom home at $660.

Full staging of a three-bedroom home starts at $2,500 to $5,000 across Australia (October 2026). Few, if any, Darwin stagers publish a price, so it's worth getting two or three quotes. See what pre-sale repairs, home staging and gardening cost.

If you're moving, two NT removalists that publish a rate charge $130 to $250 an hour for two movers and a truck. Ask two or three removalists for a written quote. Our guide has more on what moving house costs.

What do you need to do before settlement in the NT?

Three things can add a task, and sometimes a cost, before settlement:

• Smoke alarms: your home needs approved smoke alarms, which are photoelectric and either hardwired or powered by a sealed 10-year lithium battery. If it still relies on older ionisation alarms, they must be replaced by the day before settlement, and hardwired alarms need a licensed electrician.
• Pools: if your block is under 1.8 hectares (18,000 square metres), the Land Titles Office won't register the transfer without pool paperwork, such as a compliance certificate if you have a pool, or a declaration that you don't. New documents can take five working days or longer, so start early.
• Building status report: the NT contract of sale approved by the Registrar and the Law Society NT expects a building status report to be attached to it, unless a special condition says otherwise. Ask your conveyancer whether your contract needs one.

Challenges with selling a house in the Northern Territory

Remote and rural locations

Greater Darwin takes in Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) classifies the Territory outside it as remote or very remote. It can be harder to find buyers in these areas, and properties may take longer to sell.

If you're selling outside Greater Darwin, ask each local agent how many homes they've sold near you in the past year, and how long they took to sell.

Frequently asked questions