Sydney Services & Moving Here Real Estate Agencies

The 8 Best Real Estate Agencies in Sydney (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 8 picks

The best real estate agencies in Sydney in 2026 include McGrath for its city-wide reach, BresicWhitney for the inner city and harbourside suburbs, Ray White Double Bay and Sydney Sotheby's International Realty for prestige eastern-suburbs homes, and DiJones for the North Shore. Highland covers the Sutherland Shire and Adrian William the Inner West.

How we chose

This is a shortlist of established Sydney agencies, not a ranking. Each one is a real, currently trading agency with its own website, a published office address and a clear patch of the city it knows well. We mixed large networks with independent and boutique agencies, and described what each says it does from its own site. Nobody paid to be included and there are no affiliate links.

We do not rank agents by sale prices or results, and nothing here is financial or legal advice. In NSW, real estate agents must hold a licence or certificate of registration from NSW Fair Trading — check any agent or agency on the NSW Fair Trading licence check before you sign an agency agreement or pay a holding deposit. Fees, staff and offices change; ask for everything in writing.

In Sydney the agent works for the seller (or the landlord), not for you as a buyer or tenant — that is worth remembering at every open home. Most homes sell at auction or by private treaty with a price guide, and rentals are listed with weekly rents. Pick an agency for the suburbs you care about: local market knowledge matters more than the logo on the door.

1. McGrath Estate Agents — Pyrmont (head office)

The big Sydney-born network, with offices across the city and its head office in Pyrmont.

Specialty Residential sales, auctions, property management, project marketingBest for Sellers, buyers and landlords anywhere in Sydney

McGrath is the network founded by John McGrath in Sydney's eastern suburbs, and today it has offices right across Sydney and beyond, with its head office and a full-service sales team in Pyrmont. Its strength is reach: a large buyer database, a slick auction and marketing machine, and an office in most of the suburbs people move to.

It suits sellers who want maximum exposure and landlords who want one agency to handle a rental from listing to management. Because each office is run locally, the agent you get matters more than the brand — meet the agent who will actually sell or manage your property.

Good to know: Use the office finder on its site to deal with the office in your suburb rather than head office.

Level 2, 19 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Google Maps Website

2. BresicWhitney — Darlinghurst

A Sydney-only property group covering the inner city, Inner West and harbourside suburbs since 2003.

Specialty Residential sales and leasing, property management, off-market salesBest for Inner-city apartment and terrace buyers, sellers and investors

BresicWhitney was founded in 2003 and works only in Sydney, from offices in Darlinghurst, Glebe, Balmain, Hunters Hill, Mosman and Woollahra. It describes itself as one connected group rather than a set of franchises, says it sells more than $2.5 billion of Sydney property a year and manages over 5,000 homes.

Its patch is the inner ring — terraces in Paddington and Surry Hills, apartments in Potts Point, family homes in Balmain and Mosman. It is a strong first call if you are buying, selling or leasing in those suburbs and want an agency that knows the streets.

Good to know: Sign up for its off-market alerts if you are buying: some inner-city homes sell before they reach the portals.

Level 2, 318 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

3. Ray White Double Bay — Double Bay

A long-running eastern-suburbs office, open since 1987, with a large prestige practice.

Specialty Prestige and residential sales, project marketing, property managementBest for Eastern-suburbs sellers, prestige buyers, overseas buyers

Ray White is Australasia's largest real estate group, but each office is run by its own principals, and the Double Bay office is one of the network's best known. It says it has been open since 1987 and covers sales, prestige sales, project marketing, property management and home loans across the eastern suburbs.

It suits sellers of high-value homes and apartments in Double Bay, Point Piper, Bellevue Hill and nearby suburbs, and buyers who want access to that market. It also highlights its international buyer network, which matters for harbourside property.

Good to know: If you are relocating from overseas, ask about its international buyer services before your first inspection trip.

357 New South Head Road, Double Bay NSW 2028

Google Maps Website

4. Sydney Sotheby's International Realty — Double Bay

The Sotheby's luxury brand in Sydney, with a global network for harbourside and prestige homes.

Specialty Luxury residential sales, international marketingBest for Prestige sellers and international buyers

Sydney Sotheby's International Realty is the Sydney arm of the Sotheby's luxury real estate brand, with its office in The Gallery on Cross Street, Double Bay. It focuses on prestige homes and sells the international reach of the Sotheby's network as its main advantage.

It is the agency to talk to if you are selling a high-end home that could appeal to buyers overseas, or buying at the top of the market. Like most Sotheby's offices, it is independently owned and operated.

Good to know: Ask which overseas markets your property will actually be marketed in, and what that costs.

The Gallery, Level 3, 45-51 Cross Street, Double Bay NSW 2028

Google Maps Website

5. DiJones — Woollahra

An award-winning agency with more than 20 offices, strongest on the North Shore and eastern suburbs.

Specialty Residential sales, property management, off-market sales, commercialBest for North Shore and eastern-suburbs families, downsizers, investors

DiJones has offices across Sydney and NSW — Woollahra, Mosman, Neutral Bay, Chatswood, Lindfield, St Ives, Wahroonga, the Northern Beaches, the Hills and the Southern Highlands among them. Its Woollahra office says it won Residential Agency of the Year at the AREA awards in 2020 and 2021.

It is a natural choice for family homes on the Upper and Lower North Shore and in the eastern suburbs, and it offers a bundled sell-and-buy service for people trading up or down. Its Southern Highlands and Central Coast offices are useful if you are moving out of the city.

Good to know: Moving within Sydney? Ask about its sell-and-buy service so one team handles both sides.

Level 1, 124 Queen Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

Google Maps Website

6. Highland Property — Cronulla

The big name in the Sutherland Shire, with offices from Cronulla to Double Bay and Newtown.

Specialty Residential sales, rentals, property management, project marketing, commercialBest for Shire buyers and sellers, investors, families moving south

Highland is the agency most Sydneysiders associate with the Sutherland Shire, with offices in Cronulla, Sutherland and Taren Point plus Double Bay, Newtown (Inner West), Bowral and the Gold Coast. It covers residential sales and rentals, off-market and auction listings, project marketing for developers and commercial property.

It suits buyers looking at beachside Cronulla and the Shire, and sellers who want a local team with a wider Sydney reach. It also offers a concierge service to help with the move itself.

Good to know: Its Cronulla office is the one to call for the beachside suburbs; Sutherland for the western Shire.

Parc Cronulla, 3/140 Cronulla Street, Cronulla NSW 2230

Google Maps Website

7. Adrian William — Newtown

An Inner West agency on King Street that knows Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville inside out.

Specialty Residential sales, auctions, rentals, new terraces and apartmentsBest for Inner West buyers, sellers and renters

Adrian William is an Inner West agency based on King Street in Newtown, covering Newtown, Enmore, Marrickville and neighbouring suburbs such as Petersham, St Peters and Lilyfield. It handles sales, auctions and rentals, and markets new terrace and apartment projects in the area.

It suits first-home buyers and renters looking at the terraces and warehouse conversions of the Inner West, and sellers who want an agent who works these streets every week rather than a CBD office.

Good to know: Ask for a rental appraisal if you are an investor; it publishes the Inner West rentals it manages.

270-276 King Street, Newtown NSW 2042

Google Maps Website

8. Ballard Property — Double Bay

A boutique eastern-suburbs agency focused on leasing and property management.

Specialty Property management and leasingBest for Landlords and tenants in the eastern suburbs

Ballard Property calls itself a boutique agency and says it has worked across the eastern suburbs for about 20 years, with rentals in Bondi, Woollahra, Paddington, Coogee, Randwick and Double Bay. Its focus today is property management and leasing; its sales team now works as part of Sotheby's International Realty.

That focus makes it a good fit for landlords who want a smaller, hands-on manager and for tenants hunting in the eastern suburbs. Its site has tenant tools for repair requests and notices.

Good to know: Landlords: ask how many properties each manager looks after before you sign.

459 New South Head Road, Double Bay NSW 2028

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

How much do real estate agents charge to sell a home in Sydney?

Sydney agents usually charge a commission of roughly 1.5% to 2.5% of the sale price, plus GST, with marketing (photos, listings, signboards) paid separately — often several thousand dollars more. Commission is negotiable, and it is common to compare two or three agents' written proposals before signing an exclusive agency agreement.

What is the cooling-off period when buying in NSW?

For most residential private-treaty sales in NSW the buyer has a five-business-day cooling-off period after exchange of contracts. If you pull out during that time you forfeit 0.25% of the price. There is no cooling-off period when you buy at auction, so have the contract reviewed by a solicitor or conveyancer and finance approved before you bid.

How much is stamp duty in NSW?

NSW transfer duty (stamp duty) is charged on a sliding scale and runs to tens of thousands of dollars on a typical Sydney home — use Revenue NSW's calculator for an exact figure. First home buyers can pay no duty below a threshold and reduced duty up to a higher one, and foreign buyers pay an additional surcharge purchaser duty on top. Your conveyancer settles it at completion.

Can foreigners buy property in Sydney?

Non-residents and most temporary residents need approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and generally may buy new dwellings or vacant land rather than established homes; the federal government paused most foreign purchases of established homes from April 2025. Foreign buyers also pay NSW surcharge duty and land tax surcharges, so take advice before you bid.

How does renting work in Sydney?

You apply for a specific property after inspecting it, usually with ID, payslips and references. The bond is capped at four weeks' rent and must be lodged with NSW Fair Trading, not kept by the agent. Rents are quoted per week. If you are new to the city, see our best hotels in Sydney for somewhere to stay while you search.

1. McGrath Estate Agents — Pyrmont (head office)

2. BresicWhitney — Darlinghurst

3. Ray White Double Bay — Double Bay

4. Sydney Sotheby's International Realty — Double Bay

5. DiJones — Woollahra

6. Highland Property — Cronulla

7. Adrian William — Newtown

8. Ballard Property — Double Bay

Frequently asked questions

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