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ACCC Secures Contract Changes from REA Group Over Exclusive Listing Practices
By Drooid · · How we work
ACCC Forces REA Group to Remove Exclusive Listing Clauses
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has secured an enforceable undertaking from REA Group, the owner of realestate.com.au, requiring the company to delete contract provisions that compelled real-estate agencies to list all properties exclusively on its portal. The regulator said the clauses limited agents’ choices and hindered rival listing services. REA must now allow agents greater flexibility in how they advertise properties for sale or rent.
Background: REA’s Market Dominance and Prior Concerns
REA Group, a News Corp-controlled ASX-listed firm, has long been the dominant property-listing platform in Australia. Its contracts previously forced agencies to list every client property on realestate.com.au and to use higher-priced tiers such as Premiere or Luxe. Over the three years preceding a 2024 investigation, the cost of top-tier listings on REA’s portal and its rival Domain rose by roughly 30%, with premium listings in inner-city Sydney or Melbourne reaching up to $4,000 per property. Guardian Australia reported that agents believed REA was leveraging its market position to raise listing fees, a practice they argued contributed to higher house prices.
Official Statements & Responses
REA Group responded that it had engaged constructively with the ACCC and reaffirmed its strategic focus on “choice, value and flexibility” for customers, emphasizing its commitment to improving the property experience for buyers, sellers and renters.
Criticism & Opposition
Industry observers and consumer-advocacy groups have long criticized REA’s contract terms as anti-competitive. The Guardian’s earlier reporting highlighted multiple complaints lodged with the ACCC, alleging that the mandatory exclusive listings and tiered pricing structure inflated agents’ costs and limited competition.
Verbatim Quote
- “This is a win for competition in the real estate listing market and is expected to enable real estate agents to offer their vendor or landlord clients the listing service that best meets their property advertising needs,” — Gina Cass-Gottlieb