Melbourne buyer’s agents use fixed fees, percentage fees and staged payment structures. The right comparison starts with the total cost, the work included and what happens if you do not buy.
Audience: owner-occupiers, first home buyers and upgraders
Category: Buyer Education
Quick Answer - How much does a buyers agent in Melbourne cost?
Most full-service buyers agents in Melbourne charge 2–3% of the purchase price plus GST, according to the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA), on top of an upfront engagement fee. Buy with Eliza works differently: our Search, Secure & Settle service is a fixed $9,800 plus GST, regardless of purchase price.
On engagement: $2,000 + GST
On success: $7,800 + GST
The difference shows up fast. On a $1 million purchase, a 2% fee is $20,000 plus GST and a 3% fee is $30,000 plus GST — more than double what Buy with Eliza charges for the same end-to-end service.
REBAA's percentage rates apply to full-service buyer advocacy — search, appraisal, due diligence and negotiation. Narrower services (just negotiation, or just auction bidding) cost less but aren't a like-for-like comparison with a complete service like BWE's.
What do Melbourne buyer’s agents charge?
There is no government-set fee for a buyer’s agent in Victoria. Consumer Affairs Victoria says fees can be negotiated and must be set out in the written agency authority: the contract between you and the agent. It recommends comparing the services included, the way the fee is calculated, any charges due if you do not buy, and the terms for ending the agreement. [1]
Most fee arrangements combine two variables: how the fee is calculated and when it is paid.
| Fee Structure | How it works | What Buyers should check |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Fee | One agreed amount for a defined service | The inclusions, exclusions, campaign length and any extra charges |
| Percentage fee | A percentage of the final purchase price or purchase budget, commonly quoted plus GST | The minimum fee and whether the adviser earns more when you pay more |
Either fee may be split into an engagement payment and a larger payment when the purchase succeeds. Check what triggers each payment, whether any amount is refundable and what happens if you stop searching.
Price alone doesn't tell you if a service is good value. Bidding at one auction is a different job - and a different price - from a full search through strategy, sourcing, due diligence, negotiation and settlement.
Compare Buy with Eliza’s service options to see how focused support differs from a complete search-to-settlement service.
Before You Read Further
This article provides general information for Victorian property buyers. Market data changes, and providers update their pricing regularly.
CHECK POINT
Compare the same service, not only the headline price.
- Ask for the total fee and GST treatment.
- Check the inclusions and payment triggers.
- Understand unsuccessful-search and exit terms.
before signing
Compare the service against the work you need.
Eliza can help you clarify the brief, service scope and buying support that fit your situation.
What does Buy With Eliza charge?
BWE charges a total fixed fee of $9,800 plus GST for its complete Search, Secure & Settle buyer advocacy service. The payment is split into:
- a $2,000 plus GST engagement fee when you appoint BWE; and
- $7,800 plus GST when the purchase contract becomes unconditional.
All prices shown in this article exclude GST.
Why is Buy with Eliza's fee structured this way?
Buy with Eliza is a boutique, buyer-only practice, so you work directly with Eliza throughout the buying journey rather than moving between account managers or junior staff.
The $9,800 plus GST fee covers the complete Search, Secure & Settle service, from strategy and property sourcing through to assessment, negotiation and settlement support. The fee does not rise simply because your budget or eventual purchase price is higher.
The engagement operates in renewable three-month periods. This keeps Buy with Eliza accountable and gives you the freedom to decide whether the service and performance continue to meet your expectations.
What is included in Buy with Eliza' Search, Secure & Settle service?
The service covers four stages of the buying journey:
Plan and search
Eliza helps clarify your brief, budget, timing, preferred locations and property priorities, then tests whether the search is realistic. Buy with Eliza reviews advertised, pre-market and off-market opportunities, filters unsuitable properties and personally inspects suitable shortlisted homes.
Assess the property
The assessment considers comparable settled sales, property characteristics, the street and location, likely resale appeal, campaign dynamics and buyer competition. Buy with Eliza provides a written property assessment and helps you set an evidence-based walk-away price before an offer or auction.
Coordinate specialist checks
Buy with Eliza helps organise due diligence and can recommend specialists it has worked with, including conveyancers or solicitors, building inspectors, brokers and other relevant professionals. You decide whom to appoint. Buy with Eliza follows up the required checks and helps bring the findings together, while each specialist remains responsible for their own professional advice.
Secure and settle
Once a property is suitable, Buy with Eliza helps choose the purchase pathway, whether that involves private negotiation, a pre-auction offer, auction bidding or post-auction negotiation. The service includes negotiation or auction representation, pre-settlement support and coordination through settlement and handover.
Search, Secure & Settle is intended to continue until you find the right property. The engagement renews every three months, giving you a regular opportunity to decide whether you want to continue.
The total fee is fixed before the search begins. It does not rise if the property price rises, and Buy with Eliza does not receive commissions from vendors, specialists, developers or selling agents. If you do not reach an unconditional purchase contract, the $7,800 balance is not triggered.
What would different full-service fee models cost on the same purchase?
The main industry benchmark used in this comparison comes from the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA). It says a full search, appraisal, due diligence and negotiation service commonly costs 2% to 3% of the purchase price, plus GST and an engagement fee. [2]
Our research has identified at least one Victoria-based buyers advocate that publishes a a range of 1.65% to 2.75% of the buyers budget for its full service offerring.
The table therefore compares Buy with Eliza’s complete Search, Secure & Settle service with the REBAA industry stated range and the additional published Melbourne full-service range we have identified in the market. It does not compare lower-cost negotiation, auction bidding or single-property services. All figures exclude GST, and payment timing is not part of the calculation.
| Purchase Price | Buy with Eliza Full Service | Full Service at 1.65% of Buyer's Budget | Full Service at 2% of Buyer's Budget | Full Service at 2.75% of Buyer's Budget | Full Service at 3% of Buyer's Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $800,000 | $9,800 | $13,200 | $16,000 | $22,000 | $24,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,800 | $16,500 | $20,000 | $27,500 | $30,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $9,800 | $24,750 | $30,000 | $41,250 | $45,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $9,800 | $33,000 | $40,000 | $55,000 | $60,000 |
On a $1 million purchase, Buy with Eliza’s fee is $6,700 below the 1.65% Melbourne example, $10,200 below the lower end of REBAA’s range, $17,700 below the 2.75% Melbourne example and $20,200 below the upper end of REBAA’s range. All amounts exclude GST.
Is a fixed fee better than a percentage fee?
A fixed fee gives you certainty. You know the cost before the search begins, and the adviser does not earn a higher fee simply because the final purchase price is higher.
A percentage fee may still be reasonable where the work is unusually complex or the property brief is highly specialised. The practical question is whether the fee and incentive structure suit your search.
Before signing, ask the buyer’s agent to explain:
- the fee before GST, the GST payable and the total amount;
- exactly what is included and what will cost extra;
- whether the fee changes with the purchase price or has a minimum;
- what you pay if you do not buy;
- how long the agreement runs and how it can be ended; and
- whether the advocate receives referral fees or other benefits.
Clear answers are more useful than a low headline figure.
What can change the cost of buyer advocacy?
The main factors are the amount of work involved and the complexity of your brief.
Full search versus a single-property service. A complete search takes more time than appraising, negotiating or bidding on a property you have already found.
If you have already found a property and only need help assessing it, negotiating or bidding, see Negotiation & Auction Support.
The search itself. Tightly defined lifestyle needs, unusual property requirements, a wide search area or a tightly held suburb may involve more inspections, research and decision support. The work depends on the actual brief rather than whether you are an owner-occupier or investor.
Extra professional work. Conveyancing, building and pest inspections, engineering reports, tax advice and financial advice sit with the relevant specialists. Buy with Eliza can coordinate these checks and recommend professionals it has worked with, but you choose whom to appoint. Ask each provider to confirm their scope and fee.
Unsuccessful searches. Some firms charge only after a successful purchase. Others retain an engagement fee or charge for completed work. Neither approach is automatically better, but the terms should be clear before you appoint the agent.
The same thinking applies when your research suggests the home is worth less than the reserve. You do not need to adopt the seller's figure simply because it now appears in an official document; instead, use its disclosure as a reason to revisit your research and decide whether to proceed or put your time into another home.
Is a buyer’s agent worth the fee?
The answer depends on the support you need and whether it helps you make better decisions. A buyer’s advocate cannot guarantee that you will buy below market value or that a property will outperform the market.
The value may come from avoiding an unsuitable property, testing the selling agent’s claims, assessing comparable sales and setting a defensible limit before negotiations become emotional. For many buyers, the real comparison is not simply fee versus no fee. It is the fee weighed against the cost of buying the wrong property, overpaying, repeatedly missing suitable homes or spending months trying to interpret the market alone.
Key Takeaway: Compare the Same Brief
Ask each buyers advocate to price the same brief and list the same inclusions. Then compare the total amount, the payment triggers, the adviser’s independence and the person who will actually do the work.
A lower headline fee may cover less of the buying process or leave more work with you. A higher fee is not automatically better. What matters is whether the service fills the gaps in your buying process at a cost you understand before the search begins.
