REA advertising costs explained

What determines the price of a campaign

• Suburb and price bracket — rates are set by area, and higher-value areas cost more to advertise in.
• Listing tier — the depth of the listing product is usually the single largest line item.
• Campaign duration — longer campaigns and mid-campaign refreshes add cost.
• Add-ons — photography, floorplan, video, virtual tour, signboard, brochures and paid social are separate charges.
• Agency packaging — most vendors buy a marketing package assembled by the agency, so the portal cost arrives bundled.

Why nobody can quote one number

Portal rates vary by area, are revised periodically, and reach vendors through agencies rather than as a single public price list. Two identical homes in different suburbs can carry very different advertising costs.

What vendors typically pay to advertise on realestate.com.au

A portal listing is rarely bought on its own. By the time a typical metropolitan campaign is signed, the vendor is paying for the listing plus the upgrades and marketing the agency packages around it. That loaded total is the number worth planning for: $3,000 – $6,000+ for a typical metro campaign.

That range includes the listing itself plus the upgrades most vendors are sold: a higher-visibility listing tier, professional photography, floorplan, video or virtual tour, signboard and brochures, and social or search advertising bundled into the agency’s marketing schedule. It is a loaded total, not a listing fee.

• Typical metro campaign — $3,000 – $6,000+ (standard suburb, listing plus the usual upgrade package and marketing collateral).
• Regional or lower-value campaign — $1,200 – $3,000 (smaller markets, lighter upgrade packages, shorter campaigns).
• Premium metro campaign — $6,000 – $15,000+ (top-tier placement in a high-value suburb, extended duration, full production).

We do not quote a portal’s entry-level listing price as if it were the typical cost. Very few metro campaigns are sold at the base tier, so an entry price tells a vendor almost nothing about what they will be invoiced.

Estimates, not advertised prices. The figures above are ListHQ estimates compiled from publicly available material — portal rate-card pages, agency vendor-paid-advertising schedules and published campaign quotes — as at August 2026. They are not any other company's advertised prices, they vary by suburb, agency and campaign, and they can change at any time.

The honest comparison

We cannot publish another company’s prices, and we will not pretend an estimate is one. What we can do is publish ours in full. A ListHQ subscription is what the agency pays for the platform — it is not a vendor advertising campaign and does not replace one.

How much does it cost to advertise a house on a major portal?

For a typical metropolitan campaign, plan for roughly $3,000 to $6,000 or more once the listing, upgraded placement, photography and the rest of the marketing package are included. Regional campaigns are usually lower and premium metro campaigns considerably higher. These are ListHQ estimates from public sources, not advertised prices.

Who pays for the advertising — the vendor or the agent?

In most Australian sales the vendor pays, through a vendor-paid advertising schedule agreed before the campaign starts. Some agencies offer to defer the cost until settlement. Ask for the schedule in writing and read what each line covers.

Can a vendor choose a cheaper listing tier?

Yes. The listing tier is a choice, and it is usually the largest single line on the schedule. Ask the agent to price the campaign at more than one tier so the difference is visible before signing.

Keep reading

• What real estate advertising really costs in Australia
• Portal fees for agents: what you actually pay
• See ListHQ plans and prices
• Start a ListHQ account