Fixed-fee and low-commission agents in Perth: what you get

A fixed-fee agent quotes a dollar amount. A commission agent takes a percentage of the sale price. Either can be cheaper once you add GST and marketing, so ask for the total at the price you expect to sell for. Then check who will do the work.

We charge a fixed fee at KeyHive, so this is a comparison written by one of the businesses you might be considering. We have linked the other providers and labelled our assumptions. At some sale prices, a low commission quote can cost less than ours.

What work comes with the price?

Provider information checked on 23 October 2026. This is a small set of examples, not a ranking of every Perth agency.

Sources: One Percent Realty WA's advertised rate, KeyHive Modern Agent inclusions and For Sale By Owner's packages. Where we have left an inclusion open, ask the provider. We do not know enough to mark it as excluded.

A listing service can be appropriate if you want to run the sale. It is not an equivalent quote for an agent to attend inspections and negotiate. Read the private portal-listing guide if that is the route you want.

What does 1% cost beside a fixed fee?

A rate of 1% excluding GST becomes 1.1% including GST. The figures below calculate that fee at three sale prices. They do not assume that a competitor's marketing is free or separately charged; add whatever its written quote specifies.

At $800,000, the 1% fee including GST is $8,800. If the separately quoted marketing were $1,000 including GST, the combined bill would be $9,800. If it were $3,000, the bill would be $11,800. Those marketing amounts are illustrative, not One Percent Realty WA quotes.

Put your own quote through the commission calculator and enter the rate, whether GST is included, and marketing costs separately. Settlement, lender charges and other selling costs sit outside this agency comparison.

What the advertising costs us

We pay for portal advertising ourselves, which is why I look closely at that line in a quote. Our 2026/27 examples across Mandurah, Rockingham, Hammond Park and Fremantle put Premiere Unlimited at roughly $1,200 to $2,000 per listing, including GST. Standard was roughly $150 to $350.

Those are rounded examples under our Premiere+ agreement, checked on 15 October 2026 and explained in our FSBO and Guided guide. They are our costs for the portal listing, not another agency's rates or the retail price of a complete campaign. Photography and the other work still have to be paid for. When two quotes say they include REA, ask which advertising product each one buys.

Does a percentage give the agent more incentive?

A percentage does create an additional fee when the sale price rises. For example, an extra $40,000 at 2.5% adds $1,000 to the agency's fee before GST. That arithmetic does not tell you how an individual agent will negotiate, what their employment split is, or what sale price either model would achieve.

With a fixed fee, the agent earns no extra commission from that higher price. Their reputation and future work still matter. I would ask them to explain the comparable sales behind their appraisal and how they follow up interested buyers. When an offer arrives, you want someone who can explain the reasons for accepting it or holding out.

You cannot judge that work by the number of days alone. A home may sell quickly because the right buyer was ready, or take longer because of its condition or the market. Ask the agent to explain the result rather than treating speed as proof of either a good job or underpricing.

What I would ask before signing

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  What is the total including GST at my expected sale price? Is there a minimum fee or a tiered rate?
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  Which marketing items and portal tiers are included? What is optional, and who approves extra spending?
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  Who answers enquiries, attends home opens, follows up buyers and negotiates? How will I hear from them?
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  What is paid upfront, at settlement, on withdrawal or if the property does not sell?
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  How long does the agency agreement last, and could a previous agent still claim a fee for an introduced buyer?

I would be concerned if an agent could not explain the total after I asked, or wanted me to sign before I had read what was included. I would also want sales evidence behind the appraisal. A low fee is worth considering, but it tells you very little about the person doing the job.

For the agreement terms, read our WA agency-agreement guide. For more on Perth fees, see Perth agent fees.

What KeyHive's fixed fee includes

Modern Agent is $10,500 total including GST and the standard campaign: $2,500 to launch and $8,000 at successful settlement. A licensed agent handles the campaign, buyers and negotiation. Any work beyond the included service must be agreed separately.

Compare the full Modern Agent service with the written alternatives. Your settlement agent's fees remain a separate cost whichever selling agency you choose.