If you're about to choose an agent, their marketing quote is likely to be one of your biggest selling costs after commission, and you'll usually pay it even if your home doesn't sell.

Campaigns generally cost between $1,000 and $10,000, according to realestate.com.au's guide to selling costs (February 2026). Whatever your quote comes to, check what each item is for, who pays and when, and what you agree in writing.

Before you sign the agency agreement (the contract that appoints your agent), ask for every marketing item, its cost, the total and when it's due, in writing.

When marketing is charged on top of the commission, a quote often lists it as vendor-paid advertising, or VPA (the vendor is you, the seller). With every item in writing, you can compare local agents on their marketing plans as well as their fees.

Looking for what a realestate.com.au listing costs? That's in our advertising costs guide.

How much should you spend on marketing your home?

There's no set amount. An older rule of thumb is 0.5 to 1 per cent of your home's value, quoted in ANZ's guide to selling costs from 2016. Treat it as a rough starting point, not a target.

An example. On a home worth $800,000, that rule gives a budget of $4,000 to $8,000. A quote well outside that range isn't necessarily wrong, but it's worth asking the agent why.

What you'll actually pay depends mainly on:

• where your home is, because realestate.com.au prices its listings by area
• the listing level, called a tier, which sets how prominent your ad is
• what else the campaign includes, such as photography, video, a signboard and paid social ads
• how long it runs

Does spending more get you a higher price?

Not necessarily. A higher tier gives your listing more prominent placement, but whether that lifts your price depends on your home and your market.

So ask each agent to back their plan with results: how many enquiries and inspections similar homes in your area got on each tier, and what they sold for.

What should your marketing budget pay for?

Here's what to ask about each item on a quote.

To compare the totals between agents, use the quote checklist in our guide to advertising costs. For prices, see our guides to what a real estate photographer costs and the other costs of selling a house.

Who pays for marketing, and is it in the commission?

You pay. Some agents include part of the marketing in their commission, and others charge all of it on top. When it's charged separately, it's often called VPA.

So compare the commission and the marketing together, as one total. Our guides to real estate agent fees and what a commission includes explain how commission works.

An example, with made-up figures. If your home sells for $800,000, a 2 per cent commission that includes the marketing comes to $16,000. A 1.8 per cent commission plus $5,000 of marketing comes to $19,400, even though its rate is lower.

Marketing costs are negotiable, like the rest of an agent's fees. In Victoria, the agent must tell you before you sign that the commission and the marketing costs are open to negotiation.

When do you pay for marketing?

Your agency agreement should say when the marketing costs are due. It may be before the campaign starts, during it, or at settlement, the day ownership passes to the buyer.

In Queensland, if you pay for marketing in advance, the money must go into the agent's trust account, a separate account for clients' money. The agent pays each bill from that account, or pays it first and then reimburses itself the amount on the receipt.

A "pay later" offer from a finance company is a loan. Some agencies offer to defer your marketing bill this way. The two lenders we checked in October 2026 both charge fees, and their interest and repayment terms differ.

Both lenders make you repay as soon as one of these happens: you reach settlement, the buyer's deposit is released, you take the home off the market, or about six months pass. One lender also asks for repayment when your agency agreement ends.

With either lender, you repay even if the home hasn't sold, so ask for the total cost and the repayment terms in writing before you agree.

What if your home doesn't sell?

Paying for a campaign that might not end in a sale is a fair worry. You'll usually still pay the marketing costs you agreed to.

Consumer Affairs Victoria and WA's Consumer Protection both say you pay the agreed marketing even if the home doesn't sell, unless you negotiate a "no sale, no fee" arrangement. Elsewhere, it depends on what your agreement says.

If an agent offers "no sale, no fee", check exactly what it covers. Also ask what you'd owe if you take the home off the market, the campaign runs longer, or you change agents.

Our guide to structuring an agent agreement covers commission, the agreement's length and how to end it.

What are your state's rules on marketing costs?

In NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, WA and the ACT, an agent generally can't make you pay for marketing unless a written agreement you've signed sets out the costs. Tasmania requires the agreement to set out the expenses too. The details differ by state.

A rebate is money or a discount an advertising supplier gives the agent on ads you pay for. The last column shows what your state says about it.

If the agreement doesn't meet these rules, the agent may not be able to recover the marketing costs from you.

In Victoria, if you disagree with the amount you've been charged, tell Consumer Affairs Victoria within 28 days of getting the agent's bill, or the notice that money was withdrawn from the trust account, whichever is later. You can also ask for the dispute to go to VCAT, the state's tribunal.

What to agree in writing before you sign

Make sure the agreement, or a written marketing plan attached to it, covers:

• every marketing item and its cost, including the listing site, tier and how long it runs
• the total, including GST, and the most you'll pay
• when it's due: before the campaign, during it, or at settlement
• what you'll owe if the home doesn't sell, the campaign runs longer, you take the home off the market, or you change agents, and whether "no sale, no fee" applies
• any rebates or discounts the agent gets on your advertising
• that nothing is added or changed without your written agreement
• receipts or a statement showing what was spent

Ask for the same details from every agent you're considering, so you can compare like with like. For the rest of the selling process, start at our selling hub.

Frequently asked questions about marketing costs

Where these rules come from

Checked in October 2026. We couldn't find an independent Australian study showing that a bigger marketing budget raises the sale price.

• NSW: NSW Fair Trading, agency agreements, and the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 and Regulation 2022
• Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria, and the Estate Agents Act 1980
• Queensland: Queensland Government, commissions and costs, the Property Occupations Act 2014 and Form 6
• South Australia: SA Government, engaging professionals, and the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994
• WA: WA Consumer Protection, selling property, and the Real Estate and Business Agents and Sales Representatives Code of Conduct 2016
• Tasmania: Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016
• ACT: Agents Act 2003 and Agents Regulation 2003
• NT: NT Government, dealing with a real estate agent