PHOTO: Forget commissions – private selling is exploding as Aussies fight back against soaring agent fees. FILE
📌 Fast Facts:
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📉 Homeowners ditching agents to save $30,000+
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📷 Listings done via third-party flat-fee sites
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🔥 Private sales up 25% in just 18 months
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💰 One seller says he added $150K to his result
With sky-high commissions, falling trust, and a sluggish market, thousands of Australian homeowners are turning their backs on real estate agents — and doing it themselves.
And many say they’re saving tens of thousands in the process.
Barry Johnston (left) decided to sell his home privately to avoid paying a heft commission
🏡 “Agents Undervalued My Home by $170K”
Meet Barry Johnston, a Queensland homeowner in his 60s, who says going solo was a no-brainer. After 14 years in Logan Village, agents told him to list his four-bedroom home at $1.25 million.
But Barry believed it was worth more — and he was right.
He privately listed it for $1.42 million, photographed it himself, and within 5 days, had a firm offer at his asking price — plus another above it.
“The agents undervalued our place,” Barry said. “They just wanted a fast sale.”
The total cost of selling himself?
➡️ Just $2,000 — less than what one agent quoted just for the photos.
Homeowners are using third parties to list their home on sites like realestate.com.au
💰 “I’ll Save $30,000 in Commission — Maybe More”
Sure, Barry admits it was “a lot of work,” but said most of it he’d be doing even if an agent was involved.
“There’s nothing they do that I can’t do myself.”
“In today’s economy, saving $30K is huge.”
In the end, Barry believes selling privately will:
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Save him $30,000+ in commission, and
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Add up to $150,000 to his final sale price.
Real Estate Institute of Australia president Leanne Pilkington (pictured) said real estate mistakes can be costly
📈 A Booming Trend
Real estate expert Neil Jenman says more homeowners are waking up.
“Aussies are bluffed and manipulated into thinking they have to use an agent.”
“In reality, with a few hours’ research, anyone can do what most agents do.”
Private sale rates in Australia are still low globally — but they’re growing fast.
Sites like ForSaleByOwner.com.au allow sellers to list on realestate.com.au and Domain for a flat fee — without involving agents at all.
“Enquiries are up 25% in the last 18 months,” says FSBO founder Colin Sacks.
“It’s getting busier every single week.”
🏦 “Cutting Out the Middleman Saves Both Sides”
Michael Fotheringham from AHURI says:
“There are three parties in every sale: buyer, seller, and the middleman.
When you cut the middleman out, everyone can win.”
He says while still a minority, more Aussies are choosing DIY — especially in this tough market.
⚠️ BUT It’s Not for Everyone
Joanne White, who tried to sell a unique commercial property in rural Victoria, struggled with the process.
“My place was too unique. I needed an agent.”
Even so, she says she’d try selling privately again — just not with such a complex listing.y
⚖️ Industry Pushback
Not surprisingly, the real estate industry is pushing back hard.
Leanne Pilkington, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia, warns:
“Selling involves more than listing online. There’s compliance, contracts, negotiations.
Mistakes can be expensive and time-consuming.”
But for many Aussies, like Barry, the message is clear:
“Why would I pay someone $30,000 to do what I can do in a week?”
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL
