Rental Scams on realestate.com.au
realestate.com.au is Australia's most-visited property platform, owned by REA Group. The site lists millions of rental and for-sale properties from licensed agents across all states and territories. Its dominant market position and brand trust mean scammers frequently clone its listings for use on less secure platforms.
Common Scam Types on realestate.com.au
Cloned Listings on Gumtree and Facebook
Scammers copy photos, descriptions, and pricing from realestate.com.au and post them on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace under a different name. Victims who find the cloned listing pay deposits to someone who has no connection to the property.
Fake Open Inspection Alerts
Scammers send SMS or email alerts mimicking realestate.com.au's notification style, directing victims to fake inspection pages that collect personal information or payment details for bogus holding deposits.
Private Rental Fraud
While most listings come from agents, some private landlord listings appear on the platform. Scammers exploit this by listing properties they do not own under private landlord accounts, collecting deposits from multiple applicants.
Bond Payment Interception
Scammers intercept the communication between a real agent and tenant, sending fake bank details for the bond and first month's rent. The tenant pays the scammer's account believing they are paying the legitimate agent.
Safety Tips for realestate.com.au
- ✓Only communicate with agents through the realestate.com.au platform or the agency's verified phone number.
- ✓Attend an open inspection before paying any money -- never pay based on photos alone.
- ✓Verify the agent's license number through your state's fair trading or consumer affairs authority.
- ✓Be wary of rental alerts from SMS or email that do not come from your realestate.com.au account notifications.
- ✓Cross-check the agent and agency details on the RateMyAgent website for additional verification.
How to Report Scams on realestate.com.au
Report suspicious listings through the 'Report' button on the listing page. For fraud involving financial loss, report to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and your local police.
Report a Scam →realestate.com.au Scam Risk Level
Low Riskrealestate.com.au is rated as low risk for rental scams due to its agent-based listing model. However, no platform is completely scam-proof. Scammers may clone realestate.com.au listings onto other platforms, so always verify through the official listing.
Check a realestate.com.au Listing Now
Paste any rental listing from realestate.com.au and get an instant scam analysis — completely free.
Check a Listing