Most Kiwi homeowners only really look at the cost of selling once they have made the decision. By that point, the headline price feels like the main number and the smaller costs blur into the background. That is a mistake, because the small numbers add up fast. The honest cost of selling a home in New Zealand is higher than most people realise, and most of it is concentrated in one line. Here is what those costs actually look like, in plain language.

The real numbers behind a typical sale

On a $900,000 home using a traditional commission, you can expect somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000 in commission and marketing levies, plus another $1,500 to $4,000 in advertising and signage if it is not bundled. Conveyancing usually sits between $1,200 and $2,000. A LIM, if you choose to provide one, is around $300 to $500 depending on the council. Mortgage discharge fees and minor account closing costs add another $200 to $400. The headline cost is overwhelmingly the commission line.

When you sell privately with a flat fee marketing service, the commission line disappears entirely. You still pay for the listing, photos, signage and online campaigns, but the total tends to land in the low to mid thousands rather than the tens of thousands. Your lawyer fee is unchanged. The LIM cost is unchanged. Everything except the biggest single line stays the same. For most homeowners, this single change is the difference between a comfortable next move and a very tight one.

How Market My Place is priced

Market My Place charges a flat marketing fee, with no percentage commission attached. You get photography, signage, a floor plan, the listing on the major property websites, and social media campaigns. You handle the open homes and the offers, with our team available in the background. The pricing is transparent, the inclusions are clear, and there is no extra slice taken from the sale price at settlement. That is the difference, and it is a meaningful one.