How much does it cost to market a property in Victoria?

A line-item budget for a Melbourne listing

These are prices suppliers publish, or that REA, ABC News and local papers have reported, checked in October 2026. Use them to read an agent's marketing schedule, not as a quote. Some photo and video prices exclude GST.

Those lines add up to roughly REA's own figure. Its February 2026 selling-costs guide puts the average Melbourne campaign at $6,500 to $8,000. ABC News reported a seller in Melbourne's north-east who paid almost $5,880 in marketing for a unit in 2025, $3,289 of it for the realestate.com.au listing, with "no negotiating" on that line.

One Hampton Park agent told the Star Journal in June 2025 that the Premiere listing was "the biggest thing on our marketing budget". Prices also jump between neighbouring suburbs: the same report put Premiere at about $2,500 in Cranbourne and $1,200 in Clyde next door.

Costs outside the marketing budget

Commission and legal costs are separate from marketing. REA's February 2026 ranges for Victoria:

Commission is usually paid from the sale proceeds at settlement. Marketing is often due before that, which is why it's worth reading line by line.

Who pays for marketing, and when

In Victoria the seller pays. REA's guide puts it plainly: "The vendor covers the cost of marketing." The industry calls this vendor-paid advertising, or VPA. The amount is agreed in the sale authority. Ask when each item is due before you sign.

Paying later

Finance products cover the bill until the sale. CampaignAgent, which REA Group owns, lends up to $25,000 or 2% of the estimated sale price, whichever is greater, for a flat 7.65% establishment fee. On a $7,000 campaign that fee is about $536. You repay at the earliest of settlement, early release of the deposit, withdrawal from sale, the end of the agent's authority, or six months.

That last point matters: marketing pays for the campaign, not the result. If the home doesn't sell, withdrawal or the end of the authority still triggers repayment under CampaignAgent's terms. Check your own authority for what you'd owe if you pull out.

Commission is changing too. CAV says that from 1 July 2027 agents must not take commission directly from a deposit released before settlement or rescission.

What the agent must put in writing

Victoria's rules come from the Estate Agents Act 1980, and Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) sets them out for sellers. As of October 2026, a sale authority must:

• State the commission and expenses you've agreed, in dollars or as a percentage. A percentage needs a dollar example.
• Record marketing and advertising expenses, with GST shown separately. CAV says the amount spent on marketing is negotiable.
• Give the agent's estimated selling price, as one figure or a range of no more than 10%.
• Include CAV's approved rebate statement and a statement about complaints over commission and expenses.

Before you sign, the agent must tell you that commission and expenses are negotiable, and give you a signed copy. If they don't, CAV says the agent can't claim or sue for commission or expenses. There's no cooling-off period on a sale authority, so read the marketing schedule before you sign it.

Rebates come back to you

Agencies can get discounts or rebates on advertising. CAV is direct about it: "It is illegal for an agent to keep a rebate, either monetary or non-monetary." A rebate must be paid to you straight away, or taken off your expenses up front. Ask whether the portal prices in your schedule are before or after any agency discount.

New price rules from October 2026

From 1 October 2026 agents use a Property Price Statement in place of the old Statement of Information. For auctions and fixed-date sales from 16 October 2026, the agent must publish your reserve at least 7 days before the sale, or the sale can't go ahead. If your campaign runs to auction, your reserve will be public a week out. CAV has the details for agents.

This is general information, not legal advice. Have a conveyancer or lawyer check your sale authority before you sign.

Where to save without hurting the result

1. Get a quote for each portal tier. In September 2026 REA gave the ACCC a court-enforceable undertaking that includes more flexibility for agents to move listings to lower tiers. The ACCC encourages sellers to discuss listing options with their agent. In a quiet suburb, a mid-tier listing may do the job.
2. Time the top tier. Private-sale services sell the Premiere upgrade in 30-day blocks. Ask your agent how long theirs runs, and whether you need it past the first month.
3. Cut print before photos. Press ads and glossy brochures are optional. The listing photos are seen by every buyer who finds you online.
4. Use a day-to-dusk edit instead of a twilight shoot unless the home has a pool, lots of glass or garden lighting. See twilight vs day-to-dusk.
5. Stage the key rooms, not the whole house. Virtual staging an empty living room costs a fraction of furniture hire, as long as it's labelled. Compare the options in our staging cost guide.
6. Ask for every item and its supplier. One line called "marketing package" is hard to compare with another agent's quote.
7. Book video when it earns its place. A walkthrough or reel helps when the campaign leans on social media or the layout is hard to read from photos. See real estate video and reels.

Where not to save: the photos. A dark, crooked kitchen photo costs the same Premiere fee as a bright, straight one, and the listing is the first inspection for almost every buyer. Spend on the shoot and the hero shot, then choose the tier.

Where we fit

We shoot listing photos, walkthrough video and reels, twilight and day-to-dusk, and labelled virtual staging for Melbourne agents and private sellers. You get a fixed quote within 24 hours, and photos arrive the next business day, sized for realestate.com.au and Domain. We don't offer drone or floor plans yet.

Get a quote or see what's included in real estate photography. Selling without an agent? Read our guide to selling privately in Victoria.