The question I get asked most before a listing goes live is a blunt one. "What's this actually going to cost me?" Fair enough. The honest answer is that it depends, your property, your agent, the choices you make on the way through. But "it depends" isn't much help when you're trying to plan, so let me give you the real categories and some honest ballpark figures.
Everything below is typical for Cairns and the wider Far North as at June 2026. Treat the numbers as a guide, not a quote, and check anything that affects your bottom line with your own solicitor and accountant. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Agent Commission
This is usually the biggest line. In Queensland there's no fixed rate and nothing set by law, so commission is negotiable and every agency quotes a little differently. Across regional Queensland you'll typically see something in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 percent plus GST. It might be a flat percentage or it might step up above a certain sale price.
Here's where I'll be straight with you. The headline rate matters less than what the agent puts in your pocket at the end. An agent who markets the place properly, knows the buyers and holds firm in the negotiation can easily net you more than you'd ever save by chasing the cheapest rate in town. So weigh the number against the result, not on its own.
Marketing and Advertising
To sell a Cairns home in 2026 you're looking at a listing on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au, professional photography, a floorplan and a properly written description as the baseline. Step up the price bracket or the lifestyle appeal and video walkthroughs and drone footage become close to standard.
Packages commonly land somewhere between about $1,000 and $5,000 or more, depending on how much exposure you want and which portals and extras you choose. Some agencies fold a basic spend into their commission. Others itemise it. Either way, ask for the breakdown in writing before you commit, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
A lot of our buyers are inspecting from interstate, particularly around Palm Cove and Redlynch, and they form their first impression on a screen. For those homes the premium photography and prominent placement usually earn their keep.
Smoke Alarm Compliance
The simple version: all residential properties require compliant smoke alarms for the sale. In Queensland that means interconnected photoelectric alarms in the prescribed locations, which broadly comes down to an alarm in every bedroom, in the hallways linking bedrooms to the rest of the home, and on each storey. Interconnected means that when one sounds, they all sound.
The rules are phased and building-type specific, with 1 January 2027 the date by which every Queensland dwelling being sold or leased must comply. Because the exact requirements depend on your property, confirm your position with a licensed smoke alarm specialist and your solicitor early in your prep. Sort it before you list and it stays a non-event, usually a few hundred dollars, rather than a settlement-week scramble.
Pool Safety Certificate
Got a pool or spa? Queensland requires a compliant pool safety certificate when you sell. You'll either supply a current certificate or, if you can't, give the buyer a notice and they take on the obligation to bring it up to standard within a set period. Either way it needs sorting, so book your pool safety inspection alongside the smoke alarms.
Legal and Conveyancing
You'll need a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to draw up the contract and run settlement. For a straightforward residential sale, budget roughly $1,000 to $2,000. Complex titles, leases or off-market arrangements can push that up.
One thing to raise with them early. Since 1 August 2025 the Queensland Seller Disclosure Scheme means you have to give the buyer a Seller Disclosure Statement (Form 2), along with the prescribed certificates, before the contract is signed. It's a genuine shift in how sales are documented here. Make sure whoever you engage is fully across the current requirements, and ask them what certificates they'll need from you so you can gather them without holding up the contract.
Styling and Presentation
You don't have to pay for professional styling, but more often than not it pays for itself. A styled home photographs better, shows better at inspections and helps a buyer picture themselves living there. That counts for a lot when someone's seeing the place for the first time from two thousand kilometres away.
The spend ranges widely. At the light end it's a consultation plus a few cushions, some artwork and good decluttering advice. At the full end it's a complete furniture hire. What's right depends on the home's current state, the likely price and your budget.
Even with no styling budget at all, the basics move the needle. A proper clean, tidy gardens, fresh paint where it's tired, fly screens that aren't torn, a sparkling pool. None of it costs much and all of it changes how a buyer feels walking through.
Pre-Sale Repairs
If there are known defects or jobs that'll light up in a building and pest report, think hard about whether to fix them first. Buyers love using inspection findings as a lever in the negotiation, and a clean report takes that lever away and lowers the odds of a conditional contract falling over.
Worth knowing: the buyer usually pays for their own building and pest inspection, not you. What you're deciding is whether to fix things in advance or wear them in the price later. I'll happily walk your place and tell you which repairs are worth doing and which won't shift a buyer's view a cent at your price point and in your suburb.
Government Costs and Your Mortgage
Sellers don't pay stamp duty in Queensland, that's the buyer's cost. You may, though, be up for capital gains tax if the property isn't your principal home. That's a conversation for your accountant, not your agent, and it's worth having before you lock in a timeline.
If there's a loan on the property, check with your lender about discharge fees or any early-repayment costs. They vary by loan type and how long you've held it.
Adding It Up
Costs swing a long way depending on the home. A modest property with a lean marketing spend and a straightforward agent arrangement looks nothing like a high-value home with the full package. The only number worth trusting is one built around your actual property.
Book a free appraisal and I'll walk you through the likely costs for your situation alongside an honest read on what the place would fetch right now. No pressure and no guesswork. Just a clear conversation about your numbers.