--- title: "Rent Roll and Real Estate Agency Valuation Melbourne" url: https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/industries/real-estate-agencies-and-rent-rolls/ description: "Valuations of Melbourne rent rolls and real estate agencies: management income, landlord retention, trust audits and sales team risk. From $1,495 + GST." updated: 2026-11-11 --- # Rent roll and real estate agency valuations for Melbourne principals. For selling or buying a rent roll, a whole agency or a share of one, a director leaving, and moving the business between entities. Fixed fee, set by turnover. [Talk to a valuer (15 min)](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/contact/)[All industries](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/industries/) A Melbourne rent roll is valued on the management income it earns from its landlords, how much of that income a buyer can keep, and what it costs to service. A sales business is valued separately, because its listings follow the agents who win them. Our valuers test landlord retention, the mix and location of properties, fee levels, property manager workloads and the trust account history, then value the rent roll and the sales side on their own terms before combining them. ## Two businesses under one sign Most Melbourne agencies run two businesses: property management and sales. They behave very differently. Property management income arrives every month from landlords who stay for years. Sales income is lumpy and depends on the people who win listings: if a top agent leaves, their vendors often go too. So the valuation splits the accounts into the two divisions, allocates shared costs such as reception, rent and software fairly between them, and values each one separately. A buyer of a rent roll alone is buying the management agreements and the systems to service them. A buyer of the whole agency is also buying the sales team, its brand in the suburb and its pipeline of listings. Our signed reports are a fixed fee of $1,495 + GST for a small business and $2,495 + GST for a medium business, and every one is independently reviewed by a suitably qualified business valuer. A small-business report is delivered in 2 business days and a medium-business report in 3 business days. Delivery time starts once payment and all required information have been received. Business Valuations Melbourne is not a registered tax agent. Get a fixed fee[Ask the valuer first](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/contact/) ## What a rent roll is, and why retention is the test A rent roll is a collection of management authorities: agreements under which landlords appoint the agency to lease and manage their property. Consumer Affairs Victoria tells landlords that in most cases they can immediately end an agent's management of their rental property by notifying the agent in writing, after checking the conditions of their authority. That is the central risk in buying a rent roll: the landlords are not locked in, so the value depends on how many stay with the new owner. The valuation looks at how long landlords have stayed with the agency, how many were lost in recent years and why, and whether the property managers who know the landlords are staying. Many rent roll sale contracts include a retention period with a price adjustment for lost managements. The valuer reads the actual contract terms rather than assuming them. ## The properties behind the income Two rent rolls with the same income can carry very different costs. A roll of houses in Point Cook, Tarneit or Craigieburn spread across new estates means more driving and different maintenance from a dense roll of apartments in Southbank, Docklands or St Kilda, where a property manager can inspect several properties in one building. The valuation looks at average weekly rent, the management fee rate and other fees charged, the spread of properties across suburbs, how many landlords own several properties (losing one of them can take a block of income at once), arrears, and how many properties each property manager handles. A roll that is already stretching its staff will need another hire, and that cost comes off the earnings a buyer can expect. ## Licensing and the trust account Running an agency in Victoria is a licensed activity under the Estate Agents Act 1980. Consumer Affairs Victoria says the licence must be displayed at every office, and the agency needs a principal office in Victoria from where the business is controlled. Rent, sales deposits, rental bonds for certain properties and money paid in advance for outgoings go into a trust account at an authorised financial institution, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says the trust account must be audited each year for the period 1 July to 30 June, within three months after 30 June, by an approved auditor. Trust money belongs to clients, so it is not part of the agency's value. The audit history is part of the risk picture: clean audits support value, while late audits or reported problems make a buyer cautious. Licence and trust account questions are for the parties' lawyers and Consumer Affairs Victoria. ## When Melbourne agencies and rent rolls are valued - Sale or purchase of a rent roll on its own - Sale of a whole agency, or of the sales business with the rent roll kept - A director or shareholder leaving and the others buying their share - Bringing a senior property manager or sales agent into ownership - Moving the business between family entities - Market value evidence for small business CGT concessions on exit (your accountant applies them) ## Common questions. How is a rent roll valued in Melbourne? + On the management income it earns, the share of that income a buyer can expect to keep, and the cost of servicing it. Agents often talk about rent rolls as a multiple of annual income. The report states that figure as a cross-check, but bases the value on retention, property mix, fees and staffing costs, because two rolls with the same income can be worth different amounts. Can landlords leave after I sell my rent roll? + Yes. Consumer Affairs Victoria says landlords can in most cases end an agent's management immediately by notice in writing, subject to their authority's conditions. That is why retention drives the value. Sale contracts often deal with this through a retention period and a price adjustment, and the valuation reads those terms. Is the sales side of my agency worth anything without me? + Sometimes less than owners expect. Sales listings tend to follow the agent who won them, so if most listings come from you, a buyer cannot count on them continuing. Where several agents write business and the agency's name brings in appraisals, the sales division holds more value. The report values the sales business separately from the rent roll. Does the trust account affect the valuation? + The money in it does not, because it belongs to clients. The audit history does. Consumer Affairs Victoria requires an annual audit of estate agent trust accounts. A record of clean, on-time audits tells a buyer the books are reliable, while late audits or reported problems add risk. We own our office. Is the building included? + The valuation separates the business from the property. Property is valued by a property valuer in Victoria; we value the agency and the rent roll, and use a market rent for the office in the earnings so the business value is not mixed up with the building. What does it cost? + The fee is fixed before work starts and set by annual turnover: $1,495 + GST under $2 million, $2,495 + GST for $2 million to $3 million, $3,495 + GST for $3 million to $10 million, and a written quote above $10 million. Small reports take 2 business days and medium and large reports 3 business days, counted from when payment and all required information have been received. Related industries - [Mortgage Broking Business Valuations in Melbourne](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/industries/mortgage-broking/) - [Professional Services Firm Valuations in Melbourne](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/industries/professional-services/) Sources - [Using a property manager or real estate agent](https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/starting-and-changing-rental-agreements/using-a-property-manager-or-agent), Consumer Affairs Victoria - [What is an estate agent trust account?](https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/licensing-and-registration/estate-agents/running-your-business/trust-accounts/what-is-a-trust-account), Consumer Affairs Victoria - [Auditing estate agents trust accounts](https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/licensing-and-registration/estate-agents/running-your-business/trust-accounts/auditing-trust-accounts), Consumer Affairs Victoria - [Establishing an estate agency](https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/licensing-and-registration/estate-agents/running-your-business/office-management-and-staffing/establishing-an-estate-agency), Consumer Affairs Victoria - [Estate Agents Act 1980](https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/estate-agents-act-1980), legislation.vic.gov.au Talk to a valuer ## Tell us what you need valued. A fifteen-minute call confirms the package, the fixed fee and the delivery date, before you commit to anything. 03 8375 4177 Mon to Fri, 9am to 5:30pm Melbourne time Send the form and we reply within one business day. No documents needed to start. Small Business Valuation $1,495 + GST For a business with annual turnover under $2 million. Signed report in 2 business days. Delivery time starts once payment and all required information have been received. The fee is fixed in writing before we start and never tied to the outcome. Larger business? Tell us in the form and we recommend the right package. [All fees](https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/fees/) Last reviewed 11 November 2026 by Business Valuations Melbourne, Level 7, 55 Collins Street, Melbourne. --- Business Valuations Melbourne · Level 7, 55 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 · 03 8375 4177 · https://businessvaluationsmelbourne.com.au/start/