Compare agent proposals by separating commission, marketing expenses, optional items, rebates, GST treatment and when each amount is payable. Then test what service and campaign scope the written authority actually includes. The cheapest headline fee is not automatically the lowest total cost or best fit, and this comparison cannot interpret a particular authority for you.
Put every proposal into the same categories
Agent proposals are difficult to compare when one leads with a commission percentage, another bundles advertising and a third describes a service package without a total. Create common headings: commission, marketing and advertising, photography and creative, auctioneer or specialist costs, optional upgrades, third-party expenses, rebates, GST treatment and payment timing. Copy figures from the written proposal rather than reconstructing them from a sales conversation.
Use a notes column for assumptions. A fee may be calculated on the sale price, include a tier above a threshold, have a fixed component or be expressed in another agreed structure. Marketing may be payable upfront, later or under a separate arrangement. Do not assume identical words mean identical scope. The signed sales authority and related documents govern the actual arrangement, so unresolved differences need clarification before comparison.
Understand the commission structure without predicting a result
For a fixed fee, record the amount and when it becomes payable. For a percentage, identify the rate, basis and whether GST is included or added. For a tiered structure, write down the threshold, rate for each portion and a few clearly labelled hypothetical sale prices. Check the arithmetic independently. The examples are budgeting tools, not estimates of what the property will sell for.
Ask whether commission or another amount may remain payable after the authority ends or where a buyer was introduced during the authority period. Consumer Affairs Victoria's guidance discusses authority content and ending provisions, but only the actual agreement can answer the seller's position. Obtain advice rather than treating the comparison sheet as a contract interpretation. Avoid relying on an unverified market-average commission when the relevant question is the written proposal in front of the seller.
Break the marketing budget into deliverables
List each deliverable and quantity: photography, floorplan, copywriting, board, portal placement, social or database communication, print material, video, styling consultation and auction-related creative where applicable. Record the provider, production date, revision allowance, usage period and whether the asset can be reused if the campaign changes. A single marketing total does not show what the seller will receive or which items are optional.
Ask which audience and campaign purpose each item serves. More spend is not automatically more effective, while cutting a foundational item can weaken accurate presentation. Compare scope against the property's likely buyers, sale method and timing rather than a generic premium package. Any claim that an advertising product will produce a particular reach, enquiry level or price needs current substantiation; the proposal should not convert a media promise into a certain property outcome.
Compare the service behind the numbers
Record who will conduct inspections, handle buyer follow-up, prepare reports, lead negotiations, attend the auction or manage contract progression. Ask how often campaign evidence will be reviewed and what happens when the primary agent is unavailable. Do not assume a particular response time, team structure or buyer database strength unless it is written, current and approved. The seller is comparing a service process as well as a price.
Test whether the proposed method and preparation plan are supported by evidence. An ambitious appraisal paired with a lower commission is not automatically better value, just as a higher fee does not prove stronger execution. Compare the agent's explanation of comparable sales, buyer groups, campaign risks, reporting and fallback options. The whole proposal should remain coherent when the headline numbers are removed.
Calculate total exposure under stated scenarios
Build three or more hypothetical scenarios using clearly stated sale prices only for arithmetic: commission, confirmed marketing, optional spend selected and any other stated expense. Keep conveyancing, moving, preparation, tax and finance costs separate unless the same comparison genuinely includes them. Do not present the total as a personalised financial forecast. It shows how the agent proposal behaves under assumptions, not what the home will achieve.
Add a no-sale or withdrawn-campaign question. Which marketing expenses remain payable? What happens to unused services? Are there cancellation, renewal or continuing commission provisions? The answer must come from the documents and qualified advice, not a generic article. This downside view can be more informative than comparing one optimistic sale-price example because it shows the seller's financial exposure if the first plan does not complete.
Resolve the authority before choosing the proposal
Before signing, reconcile every verbal promise with the sales authority and attached schedule. Confirm the estimated selling price information, commission calculation, expenses, authority type and period, rebates, agent responsibilities, approval limits and ending process. Consumer Affairs Victoria and Victorian legislation provide the regulatory framework, but the seller should obtain legal advice if they do not understand the actual document or a continuing obligation.
The final choice can then reflect total cost, service fit, evidence quality, communication and risk rather than the lowest line in one column. No fee structure assures that an agent will obtain a higher price, and no comparison removes campaign uncertainty. The aim is a decision the seller can explain: what is being bought, what it may cost under the stated assumptions and which obligations were accepted in writing.
Questions sellers ask
Is the agent with the lowest commission always cheaper?
Not necessarily. Compare the commission calculation, marketing and other expenses, GST treatment, service scope and continuing obligations in the written proposal.
Can sellers negotiate an estate agent's fee in Victoria?
Fees and expenses are set out in the authority. Sellers can discuss the proposal before signing, but should ensure every agreed change appears accurately in the written documents.
Should marketing costs be compared separately from commission?
Yes. Itemise deliverables, optional upgrades, timing and payment responsibility, then combine them with commission only when calculating clearly stated total-cost scenarios.
What if the property does not sell during the authority?
Check the actual authority for marketing expenses, termination, authority period and any continuing commission provisions. Obtain advice rather than relying on a generic assumption.
Talk to Jason about the property
Meet Jason, test the supporting evidence and compare the complete selling plan before you appoint an agent.
Request an appraisal