What It Costs to Advertise a Property for Sale in Australia

Advertising costs are the part of a property campaign owners tend to discover late, usually in a marketing schedule attached to an agency agreement. Unlike commission, these costs are generally payable whether or not the property sells, so it is worth understanding what sits in the list.

What a marketing schedule normally contains

• Portal listings. The listing on realestate.com.au and equivalent sites, often with paid upgrades that push the listing higher in search results. This is usually the largest single line.
• Photography. A professional shoot, sometimes with twilight photos or drone imagery.
• Floor plans. Increasingly expected by buyers, particularly for apartments.
• Signboard. A photo board costs more than a plain one.
• Copywriting, brochures and print. Print advertising has fallen away in most markets but still appears in some schedules.
• Social media boosting. Paid promotion of the listing.

Which of these actually shift buyers

Buyer behaviour has narrowed. Most buyers find a property on a portal, judge it on the first photo and the price, then check the floor plan and the location. Photography, the floor plan and the portal listing itself do the work. Print advertising and brochures rarely change who turns up.

That matters because it tells you where to spend if you are running the campaign yourself: good photographs and a well-written listing, not volume.

Upgrades and whether they are worth it

Portal upgrades genuinely increase visibility, but their value depends on how much competing stock is in your suburb. In a suburb with fifteen comparable listings, prominence is worth paying for. In one with three, it is far less critical. Ask how many similar properties are currently listed before committing.

The once-off alternative

Because the major portals only accept listings from licensed agencies, owners historically could not buy portal advertising directly. As a licensed agency we lodge the listing for you: $799 once-off until sold for a residential property, $200 once-off until leased for a rental, and $795 for commercial. There is no commission at the end.

Details are on the residential sale, residential lease and commercial sale pages, and there is more on listing on realestate.com.au without an agent.

Before you sign anything

Ask for the marketing schedule itemised, ask which items are optional, ask when each becomes payable, and ask what happens to those costs if the property is withdrawn. All four answers should be in writing.

Call 1300 622 300 if you want a second opinion on a schedule you have been sent.