Selling a home in the Australian Capital Territory without an agent is not a fringe idea – it is simply a decision to pay once for the advertising instead of paying a percentage of the sale price for the life of the campaign. Owners from Canberra through to Gungahlin, Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong do it every week.

How it works in ACT

The major portals only accept listings lodged by a licensed real estate agency. For Sale For Lease is a licensed agency, so we lodge your ACT listing on realestate.com.au and up to nine other sites for a once-off $799 until sold. Enquiries come straight to you: you hold the inspections, you negotiate the price, and there is no commission when the property sells.

What buyers in the Australian Capital Territory look at first

  • The lead photograph. Shot in daylight, tidy, lights on. It decides whether anyone reads the rest.
  • The price. Search comparable Canberra or local listings and price against what is actually selling, not what is being asked.
  • The floor plan. Close to mandatory now, particularly for apartments and townhouses.
  • The practical details. Bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, heating and cooling, land size, and the school zone and transport.

The paperwork in the Australian Capital Territory

In the ACT a complete contract for sale – including the prescribed reports, such as building and compliance inspection reports – must be held before the property is advertised. Allow time for this before you list. Advertising you can do yourself; the legal documents you should not.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change – confirm the current position with your conveyancer or solicitor.

the Australian Capital Territory at a glance

Demand in Canberra and in centres like Gungahlin, Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong moves at different speeds, and the portals let you see that for yourself. Before you set a price, filter your own suburb, sort by newest, and watch what happens to comparable listings over a fortnight. It is the cheapest market research available to you.

Get started

See what is included on the residential sale page, run the numbers on the commission savings calculator, or compare the two approaches on private sale vs real estate agent.

Leasing instead? See lease residential property privately in ACT. Commercial owners should start at commercial property in ACT.

Questions about ACT? Call 1300 622 300.