Running your own real estate brand is the dream. You’ve got the logo, the reputation, the local presence that took years to build. But behind that shopfront or home office sits a reality most independent agents know all too well: the overhead grind.
Software subscriptions. Trust accounting. Professional indemnity insurance. Compliance. Graphic design. CRM platforms. Marketing materials. The list doesn’t stop and neither do the monthly invoices.
For many boutique agency owners across Australia and New Zealand, the cost of independence is quietly eating into the very income they set out to protect.
The Hidden Tax on Independence
Industry data paints a confronting picture. Real estate franchise costs in Australia continue to climb, with agencies grappling with rising technology investments and tightening compliance requirements. Meanwhile, agents operating independently face a similar squeeze from the other direction paying retail prices for every tool, service, and subscription that larger networks negotiate at scale.
The maths is stark. An independent agent assembling the same toolkit that a major franchise provides CRM, data subscriptions like Pricefinder or RP Data, trust account management, insurance, electronic forms, marketing support, and graphic design would typically spend upwards of $1,700 per month. That’s before rent, before staff costs, and before a single listing hits the market.
It’s no wonder that agent turnover remains one of the most discussed issues in the industry. The traditional model forces a brutal choice: sacrifice your brand identity by joining a franchise, or sacrifice your income by going it alone.
But what if there was a third option?
Enter OASIS: Your Brand, Their Back Office
OASIS powered by @realty is a model built specifically for agents who already have or want to create their own brand, but don’t want to carry the full weight of running an independent operation.
The concept is deceptively simple. You keep your brand name, your logo, your identity in the market. Behind the scenes, @realty’s head office team of more than 40 professionals handles the operational heavy lifting: trust accounting, compliance, settlements, tech support, marketing production, and graphic design.
The entire support package including a purpose-built CRM, national data subscriptions, insurance, electronic forms, electronic signatures, in-house graphic design, and marketing support comes in at $250 plus GST per month. That represents roughly 84% in savings compared to sourcing those services independently.
And there are no locked-in contracts or exit fees.
What the Agents Are Saying
Jenny Magill, who launched her own boutique brand Magill Country Real Estate through OASIS after being part of the @realty network since 2019, describes the transition as smooth and rewarding. With over $95 million in career sales across the Port Macquarie region’s rural and lifestyle property market, Jenny says the in-house marketing team created a brand that reflects her identity in the marketplace.
Her custom website was designed, built, and launched in just four weeks. The compliance, settlements, and tech teams provide consistent, professional support whenever she needs it.
Jenny is one of more than 200 boutique agencies now operating under the OASIS model across Australia and New Zealand.
How It Actually Works
The OASIS setup process is designed to get agents operational quickly:
Step one — @realty’s marketing experts work with the agent to research their marketplace, uncover their unique qualities, and create a professional logo and brand identity that stands out from local competition.
Step two — the in-house design team develops bespoke digital and print marketing materials: business cards, letterheads, property signs, brochures, presentation folders, social media tiles, listing kits, newsletters, open home signs, pull-up banners, flags, and even settlement gifts.
Step three — the new brand is launched across social media platforms and the agent’s custom website goes live.
From there, agents have full access to @realty’s CRM platform, which includes digital listing proposals, automated tasks, action plans, database matching, mass email and SMS templates, property price update tools, social media tile generators, and offer management, all under their own branding.
The Network Effect Without the Network Cost
One of the less obvious advantages of the OASIS model is scale. @realty’s network includes over 950 members who have collectively transacted more than $20 billion in property sales. That buying power translates to better supplier rates, broader market data access, and a support infrastructure that no individual boutique agency could replicate on its own.
OASIS agents operate as independent contractors not employees. They set their own commission rates, choose their own territories, work their own hours, and make their own business decisions. There are no mandatory meetings, no KPIs imposed from above, and no office attendance requirements.
For agents who want to run a property management arm, @realty also supports agents owning their own rent rolls a feature that many franchise models either restrict or don’t offer at all.
Who Is OASIS Actually For?
OASIS is designed for a specific type of real estate professional:
Established agents with their own brand who are tired of paying premium prices for basic business infrastructure. If you’re already running under your own banner but spending thousands a month on software, insurance, compliance, and design services, OASIS offers the same support at a fraction of the cost.
Agents at franchise groups who want to break free but are daunted by the operational complexity of going fully independent. OASIS removes the barrier by providing the entire back-office stack from day one.
Small agency owners feeling the compliance squeeze. With regulatory requirements intensifying across both Australia and New Zealand including upcoming changes like Payday Super in Australia from July 2026 the contractor model that OASIS operates under sidesteps many of the employer obligations that traditional agency structures face.
Experienced agents ready to build a legacy. For agents who’ve spent years building someone else’s brand, OASIS offers a path to finally put their own name on the door with professional support to make it look and feel like a premium operation from the start.
The Bottom Line
The traditional real estate model asks agents to make an uncomfortable compromise: give up your brand for support, or give up support for your brand.
OASIS powered by @realty rejects that premise entirely. Over 200 boutique agencies have now launched under this model, each with their own distinct brand identity, all backed by a national support team, purpose-built technology, and a network with more than $20 billion in transacted sales behind it.
No locked-in contracts. No exit fees. Full brand ownership. And a back office that most independent agencies can only dream of.
If you’ve built something worth keeping, maybe it’s time to stop paying the independence tax.
Ready to explore what OASIS could look like for your brand?
Book a 15 minute brand discovery session on www.atrealty.careers/oasis