Broker pricing in Australia is not standardised, and the structure matters far more than the headline number. Here is how the models differ and what you should actually be comparing.
The two remuneration models
Some brokers are paid by the dealer they place you with. Nothing appears on your invoice, but the broker's income depends on where the deal lands, which is a conflict you cannot see.
Others, including Ventura, charge the client a disclosed fee and accept nothing from the supplying dealer. The fee is visible, and so is the incentive: to secure the best vehicle at the best price for you.
Typical fee ranges
For a straightforward new vehicle, client-paid fees generally sit in the low thousands. Prestige, allocation-constrained or interstate sourcing usually attracts more, because the work is genuinely greater.
Fleet and business engagements are more often structured per vehicle or on a retained basis, reflecting a longer relationship and repeat volume rather than a single transaction.
Working out whether it pays for itself
Compare the fee against four things: the price achieved versus the best figure you obtained yourself, the trade-in result when it is negotiated separately, the specification chosen for resale strength, and the finance and add-on costs avoided.
On most transactions the price and trade-in movement alone exceeds the fee. Where it does not, the time saved and the risk removed usually decide it.
Questions worth asking any broker
Ask how they are paid, whether they receive anything from dealers or finance providers, how many dealers they will approach, and whether the fee is refundable if they cannot deliver.
A broker who answers all four directly and in writing is telling you something useful about how they work.