What Does a Seller's Agent Do?

Represent the seller within clear obligations

A seller’s agent works for the seller, not the buyer. Victorian professional conduct rules require agents to act fairly and honestly, follow lawful instructions, use good estate agency practice and act in the client’s best interests within the limits of the law and the client’s instructions.

That duty does not mean promising an outcome or withholding information the seller needs. The agent should give candid advice, communicate material buyer feedback and explain the basis for recommendations. Before appointment, confirm whether the person is a licensed estate agent or an authorised agent’s representative and identify the licensed agency responsible for the work.

Research the property and frame the appraisal

The agent inspects the property, discusses the seller’s circumstances and researches comparable sales, competing listings and likely buyer behaviour. They provide an estimated selling price and explain the evidence behind it. In Victoria, the estimate must be reasonable and take account of the three properties the agent considers most comparable.

An appraisal is not a formal valuation and cannot guarantee what a buyer will pay. A useful agent explains how the subject property differs from each comparable, where uncertainty remains and which assumptions the campaign will test. The seller can then make a more informed choice about method, preparation and timing.

Document the appointment and agreed costs

The agent prepares a sales authority setting out the appointment. It records matters including the method of sale, authority period, estimated selling price, commission, marketing expenses and other agreed terms. Commission and outgoings are negotiable, and the agent must provide the required disclosures.

The seller should receive time to read the authority and obtain independent advice. There is no cooling-off period after it is signed. The agent’s role is to explain the commercial proposal accurately and record agreed changes, not to discourage scrutiny of a binding document.

Build and coordinate the campaign

Once appointed, the agent turns the agreed strategy into a working campaign. This may involve briefing photographers, floorplan providers, copywriters, stylists and an auctioneer; coordinating access; setting inspections; checking advertising; and keeping supplier tasks aligned with launch.

The agent should identify likely buyers and decide how the property’s features will be explained consistently. The seller approves the budget and final material. The agent must also correct information that becomes inaccurate and should never use presentation to hide or misrepresent the property’s condition.

Coordinate legal readiness without giving legal advice

The seller’s conveyancer or legal practitioner normally prepares the contract and Section 32 statement. The Section 32 must be given to a buyer before the buyer signs the contract, and an owners corporation property requires an owners corporation certificate and accompanying documents.

The agent can distribute the documents, manage requests and refer questions to the appropriate adviser. They should not draft legal advice, interpret complex rights for the seller or decide whether a proposed special condition is acceptable. Clear boundaries protect the seller from treating campaign coordination as a substitute for qualified legal guidance.

Run inspections and follow up buyers

At an inspection, the agent manages access, presents the property, answers factual questions and observes how buyers respond. Useful observations include what buyers compare, which concerns recur, who requests the contract, who returns and whether a practical next step has been agreed.

Follow-up should do more than ask whether a buyer liked the home. The agent needs to clarify interest, timing, conditions, unresolved questions and readiness to offer. They should report this information in a way that separates buyer statements, observable behaviour and the agent’s own judgement.

Communicate offers and negotiate under instruction

An agent must pass verbal and written offers to the seller unless the seller has instructed otherwise in writing. They should explain the complete proposal, including price, deposit, settlement period, finance or inspection conditions, inclusions and any special terms.

The agent may seek clarification, communicate a counter-position and manage discussions between parties, but the seller decides whether to accept, reject or counter. The legal adviser should review contract wording and consequences. In a private sale, the property is sold when buyer and seller have signed the contract, subject to applicable conditions and cooling-off rights.

Prepare and conduct the auction pathway

For an auction campaign, the agent monitors buyer readiness, discusses pre-auction interest and helps the seller consider campaign evidence before setting the reserve. The auctioneer must conduct the public auction under Victorian rules, including the required announcements and disclosure of vendor bids.

Auction contracts are unconditional and buyers do not receive a cooling-off period. If bidding does not reach the reserve or another acceptable price, the property may be passed in. The auctioneer must first invite the highest genuine bidder to negotiate; that process still applies when the property is passed in on a vendor bid. The agent then conducts the negotiation under the seller’s instructions.

Support the contract-to-settlement period

After signing, the conveyancers or legal practitioners manage the transfer and legal settlement. The agent may coordinate a lender’s valuation, access requests, the buyer’s pre-settlement inspection and practical communication about the property. The buyer is entitled to inspect at a reasonable time during the week before settlement.

The agent should keep relevant parties informed and refer contract disputes or legal questions to the correct adviser. Keys are released after settlement has been confirmed. The agent supports the process but cannot guarantee that finance, contract conditions or settlement will proceed without an issue.

Know what remains the seller’s decision

The agent recommends and coordinates; the seller instructs and decides. The seller approves the campaign, determines whether an offer is acceptable, sets the reserve or asking price, signs the contract and obtains independent legal and financial advice.

Before launch, agree on who owns every task, when reports will arrive, how offers will be communicated and what requires seller approval. That clarity makes the agent’s work measurable and gives both parties a practical framework when the campaign does not follow the expected path.

• The agent cannot turn an appraisal into a guaranteed selling price.
• The agent cannot require the seller to accept an offer.
• The agent does not replace a conveyancer, legal practitioner, valuer or building professional.
• The agent should not conceal difficult buyer feedback or present interpretation as fact.
• The agent must work within the seller’s lawful instructions and the applicable professional rules.