Real estate marketing
Real estate
advertising rules.
Price advertising rules have changed in NSW and Victoria, and Queensland bans auction price guides. In NSW, for agency agreements from 17 November 2026, sale ads must show a price or range, not below the estimate. In Victoria, reserves must be published at least 7 days before auctions and fixed-date sales from 16 October 2026. In Queensland, agents can't give price guides for auction properties. Photo and rental rules sit on top.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.NSW:
a price in every ad.
For agency agreements signed from 17 November 2026, every residential sale ad, online or offline, must show a price or price range. It can't be below the estimated selling price, the highest bid at a passed-in auction, or a written offer rejected only for being too low. Online ads that fall out of line must be fixed within 1 business day, and for agency agreements entered into after 8 February 2027, online ads must also carry the Statement of Information.
Penalties are going up too: from 17 November 2026 the maximum for underquoting is $110,000 or 3 times the commission. In April 2026 an agent was disqualified for 10 years for misconduct including underquoting, affecting more than 100 property transactions.
Victoria:
reserves up front.
Victoria allows a single figure or a range of up to 10%, and bans 'offers above', 'from' and '+'. The price can't be below the estimate, the seller's asking price or a rejected written offer.
For auctions and fixed-date sales from 16 October 2026, the reserve must be published as a single figure at least 7 days before, and the sale price published within 7 days of going unconditional. Victoria's taskforce issued 48 underquoting infringements worth $564,300 in 2024-25.
Queensland:
no auction price guides.
Agents must not give a price guide, estimate or reserve for auction properties to anyone except people acting for the seller. Portals can use a price only to place the listing in a search band, and must show set wording instead of a price.
Every deadline
in one list.
Enter the state and dates for a campaign.
Campaign calendar
Every deadline
in one list.
Enter the state and dates. It lists the price rules and the dates they fall on. Checked 2 November 2026.
Your deadlines
A marketer's checklist, not legal advice. Dates depend on when the agency agreement was signed; check the regulator's page.
Names, interests
and prospecting.
In NSW, ads must include the licence holder's name and disclose any interest the agent has in the property, and a property can't be advertised as being in a suburb it isn't in.
Appraisal prospecting by email or text falls under the Spam Act: consent, your details and a working unsubscribe. Take care with bought lists: you're still responsible for having consent.
Reviews and 'sold' claims fall under the Australian Consumer Law. Use your own sales and real reviews, and the ACCC's rules on online reviews apply.
Photos and
rentals.
NSW agents can't digitally add or remove features, and must label off-site photos 'location shot'. NSW has passed a law requiring disclosure of altered or AI-generated rental photos that hide faults, expected to start in 2027.
Rental ads must show one fixed rent in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. NSW ads can't say 'no pets' and can't invite offers above the rent. Victoria banned all rent bidding from 25 November 2025.
What I see most often
What I'd check first
in agency ads.
- 1
Old price wording
'Offers above' and '+' still in templates after the rules changed.
- 2
Edited photos
Powerlines and neighbours removed from photos to make the street look better.
- 3
Rental ranges
'$650 to $700 a week' rental ads, which aren't allowed.
The honest bit. This is a marketer's summary, not legal advice, and the rules are moving quickly. Check NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Queensland Government before each campaign.
Questions
people ask.
Do real estate ads have to show a price in NSW?
For agency agreements signed from 17 November 2026, yes: a price or price range, not below the estimate.
Can agents use 'offers above' in Victoria?
No. Victoria bans 'offers above', 'from' and '+' in price advertising.
Can agents give a price guide in Queensland?
Not for auction properties. Queensland bans it.
Can rental ads say 'no pets' in NSW?
No. NSW rental ads can't say 'no pets', and must show one fixed rent.
What is the underquoting penalty in NSW?
From 17 November 2026, up to $110,000 or 3 times the commission, whichever is higher.
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