RE/MAX Queensland: Commission Model, 100% Commission Structure and Agent Costs
You’ve just had coffee with a RE/MAX agent who mentions they “keep nearly everything” on every sale. Then you do the maths on your current 60/40 split and feel the gap immediately. Before you read too much into that conversation, it’s worth understanding exactly how the RE/MAX Queensland commission model works — what agents actually pay, what they actually keep, and whether the arithmetic holds up across a full financial year.
RE/MAX operates on a fundamentally different philosophy to most traditional franchise networks in Queensland. The model offers a high-commission split to agents, often allowing them to retain up to 100% of their commissions in exchange for fixed monthly fees and contributions to office overhead. That trade-off — high retention in exchange for fixed costs — is both the model’s appeal and its primary risk, and it demands a clear-eyed assessment before any agent makes the move.
How the RE/MAX Model Differs from Traditional Franchise Splits
Most Queensland agents working under traditional franchise arrangements operate on a percentage split. The agency takes a cut of each commission earned — commonly ranging from 30% to 50% — and in return provides office infrastructure, administration, leads, brand presence and supervision. The agent’s overhead is essentially built into that split. When they earn, the agency earns. When they don’t, neither does the agency.
RE/MAX inverts this relationship. Unlike most franchise businesses, RE/MAX franchises do not function as a company with employees and a corporate balance sheet. Instead, they operate as a collective — a business hub where a wide variety of agent types are all in charge of their own businesses, share office expenses, and operate under a high-commission concept. The agent is, in practical terms, running their own business inside a branded environment. The office recovers its costs through fixed fees rather than a slice of production.
RE/MAX has operated on a flat-fee business model since its inception. Companies like RE/MAX offer a model that is close to a 100% commission plan. With their primary option, agents pay a monthly desk fee and receive a 95/5 split. This structure appeals to established agents who prefer a predictable monthly expense in exchange for a higher share of their commissions.
That 5% retained by the network is typically described as a corporate marketing or brand fee. The company keeps 5% from the sale’s gross commission, which is also referred to as the corporate marketing fee, while the agent earns the remaining 95%. The company uses this fee to pay for advertisements and national systems. So in the strictest sense, “100% commission” is a marketing description rather than a precise figure — 95% is the standard split for agents on the desk-fee plan.
For agents used to handing over 30–40% of every commission cheque, 95% retention sounds transformative. Whether it is depends entirely on how you structure the rest of your cost base.
The 95/5 Split and Desk Fee Structure Explained
What Agents Pay Under the Core Plan
Under the primary RE/MAX commission plan, the agent keeps 95% of the gross commission and 5% goes to the brokerage. In exchange, agents pay desk fees and other overhead, which can run into the thousands of dollars depending on location.
The desk fee is a fixed monthly charge paid regardless of whether the agent closes any transactions that month. It covers access to the office, brand usage, administrative support, and technology tools. Desk fees can range from as low as $300 to as high as $2,500 monthly, even if you don’t have any transactions that month. It really depends on which benefits the agent is asking to enjoy — it can be an office spot, advertisements, broker fees, business cards, and so on.
In the Australian context, specific desk fee amounts for Queensland offices are not publicly disclosed by RE/MAX Australia — they vary by office and are negotiated at the franchise level. Some real estate brands charge up to 12% on sales and property management turnover, whereas RE/MAX fees are considerably less but still provide a full franchise offering. RE/MAX has a mix of fixed and variable percentage fees, meaning that the larger the business grows, the overall percentage decreases. Agents considering the network should request a full fee schedule directly from the relevant franchise principal before making any comparison.
It is worth noting that desk fees are payable whether or not any sales occur. An agent who has a slow month — or a slow quarter — still owes the office its fixed monthly amount. This is the structural exposure that experienced agents consider carefully and that newer agents can underestimate significantly.
Technology, Brand and Marketing Costs
On top of the desk fee, agents operating within the RE/MAX system typically bear their own marketing and technology costs. Agents on the 95/5 split may also need to cover additional expenses such as technology access and marketing costs. Some of these expenses may be included in the desk fee, but it’s important to check with your individual brokerage to see what’s covered.
The RE/MAX framework is based on a flexible model to run your business as you choose, and this includes the type of technology you use. There are several of Australia’s top CRMs available, and it is each business’s choice as to which one to go with. That flexibility is a genuine advantage for experienced operators with established systems. For agents who rely on a franchisor to provide their tech stack, it requires deliberate selection and additional spend.
At the franchise level, franchisees are required to pay a monthly royalty of 5% of gross revenue and a monthly marketing contribution of $1,000 Australian dollars for national and regional advertising campaigns. These are franchise-owner costs rather than individual agent costs, but in a franchise where overheads are shared and passed through, understanding what the principal is paying informs what the agent will ultimately contribute.
The Alternative Payment Plan (RAPP): A Lower-Entry Option
RE/MAX recognised that the desk-fee model creates a barrier for agents who are not yet writing enough business to cover fixed monthly costs from their commission income. In response, the network developed the RE/MAX Alternative Payment Plan, commonly referred to as RAPP.
Agents can avoid monthly fees under RAPP, which offers three splits: 60/40 for newer agents, and 70/30 or 80/20 for more experienced agents. RAPP covers most office costs, though agents are responsible for some personal expenses like print and online marketing.
A commission cap is the maximum amount a brokerage takes from an agent in a given year. This structure benefits agents who close a high volume of transactions. Since RAPP eliminates monthly desk fees, agents are also protected from seasonal market fluctuations. RAPP is especially helpful for new agents who might otherwise struggle with high desk fees.
The trade-off is straightforward: RAPP agents sacrifice a larger percentage of each commission but avoid the fixed monthly liability. For an agent writing two or three transactions per month, the 95/5 desk-fee plan typically produces a better net outcome. For an agent writing fewer transactions, or one who is newer to the market, the lower-split RAPP structure often makes more financial sense — at least initially.
Other fees vary depending on the individual RE/MAX franchise. Each location is responsible for paying franchise and royalty fees and may pass these costs on to agents. This is an important caveat: because every RE/MAX office in Queensland is independently owned and operated, the specific fee structure an agent encounters will differ from office to office. There is no single, published schedule that covers every Queensland location uniformly.
The RE/MAX Queensland Commission Model: Income Potential in Real Terms
To understand whether the RE/MAX structure produces better income outcomes, an agent needs to model their own numbers against a realistic transaction volume. The Queensland market provides a useful anchor point.
The average commission rate in Brisbane sits around 2.45% of the property’s final sale price. Across the broader state, figures from multiple sources suggest the average Queensland commission runs between approximately 2.45% and 2.72%, depending on the data source and the market segment. High-demand inner suburbs such as Paddington, New Farm, and Teneriffe often see commission rates closer to 1.8%–2.2%, due to higher property prices and quicker sales. Outer and regional suburbs around Logan, Ipswich, and Caboolture may see slightly higher rates between 2.5%–3%.
Consider a Queensland agent closing ten sales per year at an average sale price of $850,000, charging 2.5% commission. That generates approximately $212,500 in gross commission income (excluding GST) before any split or overhead.
Under a traditional 60/40 split, the agent retains $127,500. Under a 70/30 split, they retain $148,750. Under the RE/MAX 95/5 model, the agent retains approximately $201,875 — before desk fees. If their desk fee runs at, say, $1,200 per month (a mid-range estimate for a Queensland metropolitan office), they pay $14,400 annually in desk costs, leaving a net of approximately $187,475.
At ten transactions per year, the RE/MAX model is clearly superior in net income terms. At five transactions per year, the calculation shifts. Five sales at $850,000 with 2.5% produces $106,250 gross commission. Under 95/5, the agent retains roughly $100,938 before desk fees. Subtract $14,400 in annual desk fees and the net is $86,538. Under a 70/30 split with no desk fees, the same agent retains $74,375. The desk-fee model still wins at five transactions — but the margin narrows considerably, and any months without a settlement become a cost rather than a break-even.
These figures are illustrative estimates based on industry-average commission rates and publicly reported desk-fee ranges. Individual outcomes depend on the specific office agreement, the agent’s market, and their transaction volume. Agents should model their own numbers before drawing conclusions.
What Agents Pay for Brand and Network Access
RE/MAX’s global scale is a legitimate asset. The company claims to sell more residential real estate than any other brokerage in the world and is described as the most recognised real estate brand in Australia. The company has more than 6,000 offices in nearly 100 countries and employs more than 135,000 agents across the globe.
RE/MAX is one of the most recognised real estate brands in the world, giving agents instant credibility with clients. Even new agents can leverage this brand recognition to compete for listings. In the Queensland context, where an agent’s personal brand increasingly competes with franchise brands for consumer trust, this network recognition has tangible listing-pitch value — particularly in urban and coastal markets where vendors are comparing multiple agents.
Each office is an independently operated business supported by a regional office that organises network-wide events, facilitates training, provides IT infrastructure, rolls out national marketing campaigns, and ensures that all use of the RE/MAX logo is brand compliant. For Queensland agents, this means access to national advertising reach, a structured professional development pathway, and the operational infrastructure of an established brand — without the principal having to build those systems from scratch.
However, the model’s lead-generation expectations deserve honest scrutiny. Agents on the 95/5 split may face very high monthly expenses, creating pressure to close transactions quickly to maintain profitability. While the brand carries weight, agents are largely responsible for generating their own leads. Unlike some competing networks that provide centralised lead generation or digital marketing at the agency level, RE/MAX’s model places prospecting responsibility squarely on the individual agent. The brand opens doors — but the agent still has to knock on them.
Franchise Ownership Versus Agent Membership: Two Different Decisions
There is an important distinction between joining a RE/MAX office as a licensed agent and becoming a RE/MAX franchisee. The two carry very different financial and operational commitments, and Queensland agents considering the network need to be clear about which path they are evaluating.
For individual agents, the relevant costs are the desk fee (or RAPP split), any technology or marketing contributions required by their specific office, and the ongoing 5% corporate fee on every commission. These are manageable ongoing costs calibrated to production.
For principals considering a RE/MAX franchise in Queensland, the investment profile is substantially larger. The total investment for a RE/MAX Australia franchise typically ranges from $100,000 to $250,000 Australian dollars. This includes all necessary costs to start your business, such as initial franchise fees, office setup, technology infrastructure, and working capital. The franchise fee for joining RE/MAX Australia is $45,000 Australian dollars.
Franchisees are granted the right to operate an office at a specific address-only location that must be approved by the company. There is no exclusive territory. Franchisees may face competition from other RE/MAX franchisees, from outlets that RE/MAX directly owns, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that the company controls.
The absence of exclusive territory protection is a meaningful consideration for any Queensland principal running a growth strategy. An agent building a strong profile in, say, the Sunshine Coast hinterland or South-East Queensland coastal markets has no contractual guarantee that another RE/MAX office won’t establish a competing presence nearby. This is standard in many franchise arrangements but warrants specific attention during due diligence.
How the RE/MAX Model Compares Against Queensland’s Regulatory Framework
Queensland’s commission deregulation under the Property Occupations Act 2014 removed regulated caps on what agents can charge vendors. In May 2014, the Queensland Government passed the Property Occupations Act 2014, which deregulated real estate agent commissions. This reform gave agents the freedom to set their own fees and compete based on service quality, marketing approach, and results, not just price.
That deregulation is relevant to the RE/MAX model in a specific way: the network’s premium on agent autonomy aligns naturally with a deregulated environment where individual agents can price their services competitively rather than conform to agency-wide rate cards. Under the RE/MAX structure, because agents are effectively operating as independent contractors within the franchise umbrella, each agent has latitude to set their own commission rate (subject to their franchise office’s expectations), respond to market conditions, and differentiate on service rather than simply on price.
Queensland agents can charge any fee they see fit, provided it’s clearly outlined in the Form 6 Appointment of Real Estate Agent, the official contract between the agent and the vendor. The contract must state the exact commission structure — percentage or fixed fee — and whether GST is included. This applies regardless of the network an agent operates under. RE/MAX agents in Queensland are subject to the same disclosure requirements, Form 6 obligations, and conduct standards as any other licensed agent under the Act.
What This Means for Queensland Agents
The RE/MAX Queensland commission model is a high-autonomy, high-fixed-cost structure that rewards productivity and penalises inconsistency. For an established Queensland agent writing consistent volume — broadly, six or more transactions per year at average state commission rates — the 95/5 retention advantage typically outweighs the desk-fee liability and produces a materially better net income than a traditional split arrangement.
For agents earlier in their career, or those working in lower-turnover markets where sustained volume is harder to predict, the RAPP option reduces downside exposure at the cost of a lower retention rate. That trade-off is rational, and RE/MAX’s provision of this alternative plan reflects an understanding that not every agent enters the network as a high producer.
What deserves the most careful scrutiny before joining any RE/MAX office in Queensland is not the headline commission percentage, but the full monthly cost burden: desk fee amount, technology costs, marketing contributions, and any other pass-through charges from the franchise principal. These vary by office. Two RE/MAX offices in Brisbane may present meaningfully different cost structures to an incoming agent. The due diligence question is not “what split does RE/MAX offer?” but “what is my total monthly overhead in this specific office, and how many transactions per month do I need to close before I am net-positive?”
Run that number against your trailing twelve months of production. If the RE/MAX model puts more in your pocket than your current arrangement, it deserves serious consideration. If it doesn’t — or if the break-even transaction count is higher than your realistic monthly pipeline — then the appeal of a 95% split needs to be weighed against the certainty of a fixed monthly cost, not just compared in the abstract.
The model itself is sound. The fit depends entirely on your numbers.