Your team already tells new tenants and buyers to sort out their power, gas and internet. Most agencies answer that question every week and are never paid for it.
This page sets out how a utility connection service for real estate agents works, what it earns, the admin it removes and how referral disclosure fits.
20+ retailers and providers compared for every client you refer
The utility connection service for real estate agents starts when a tenant signs or a sale goes unconditional: you share one link and we connect every service.
Roughly one in three managed properties turns over each year, and every sale that settles means another move. Each of those clients needs power, gas and internet connected, and your agency is the first place they ask.
Referring changes one thing. The question goes to a specialist instead of a property manager, and the connection becomes extra revenue for real estate agencies rather than unpaid admin. The link can sit in the welcome pack, the signing email or a QR code at reception.
Franchise groups need results per office, not one national total. A real estate franchise partnership is reported branch by branch, so every principal can see what their own team referred and earned.
Your agency earns an agreed commission on each service that connects, paid monthly per completed connection, never per referral made.
Commission is paid on connections that complete, not on referrals made. A real estate electricity connection counts once the service is live and stays active through the qualifying period, and gas and internet each count on top.
Your client is never charged. Tenants and buyers choose their retailer and pay that retailer's advertised rates, and the retailer stays bound by consumer protections overseen by the Australian Energy Regulator (checked September 2026). Retailers fund the commission paid to your agency.
Every payment arrives on a monthly statement showing which client and which service it relates to, so the office can reconcile it in minutes. The same basis applies across every partner type in the full partner program, whether you refer one tenant at a time or hand over a whole rent roll for us to manage on your behalf.
The estimator at the top of this page treats each lease or settlement as one move, assumes a conservative share connect, and applies two services at an indicative rate. Your real schedule comes in writing.
| What triggers payment | What does not | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| A connection that completes and stays active through the qualifying period | A referral that does not convert | Monthly with a statement per client |
| Each service connected (electricity, gas, internet) | A client who declines | Monthly |
| Both residential and commercial where applicable | A duplicate or test referral | Monthly |
Services we offer your clients
Fewer utility questions for your team and fewer move-in complaints from clients matter as much to an agency as the commission itself.
Utility questions land on property managers and sales assistants at the worst possible moment, usually the week a tenancy starts. One link hands those questions to a team that explains how we connect a client's electricity, books it against the move-in date and deals with the retailer, so nobody in your office has to chase it.
Most clients want more than one service, and the timing between them matters. Where a property has both, we arrange electricity and gas connected together on the same date wherever the retailer and distributor allow it, which removes one of the most common reasons a new tenant calls the office in their first week.
"Who do I call for power?" is one of the most common questions a leasing team answers. With a real estate referral program in place, the answer is a link, and internet connected for the move-in date is handled alongside power and gas, so the question never comes back to your desk or lands on a property manager's phone.
More than 20 retailers are compared for every address, so the recommendation your agency makes stands up if a client checks it. That matters when your agency name is attached to the referral.
A real estate agency partner program that reports per office, not as one national figure. Commission is itemised monthly, so each principal, or each franchise office, can see exactly what their team earned.
Gas can take several business days, and new meters longer. We flag cut-offs early, and utility connections for new tenants are booked against the lease start, not after the keys are handed over.
Tenants who prefer to handle it themselves still get clear direction. Your team can point them to a plain guide on how a tenant connects power in a rental, covering the timing, the cut-off and what to have ready before they call a retailer themselves, so the first week of the lease starts smoothly.
An independent connection service compares more than 20 retailers for each address instead of being owned by, or steering clients to, one retailer.
Some connection services used by agencies are owned by an energy retailer, and say so in their own disclaimers. Ask who owns the service your agency uses today, then check how the connection services compare on ownership, panel size, commission terms and whether the old address is disconnected in the same call to the client.
An independent panel also makes referral disclosure in real estate simpler, because the arrangement you disclose is a genuine comparison. Clients can test any recommendation against Energy Made Easy, the government comparison site run by the Australian Energy Regulator (checked September 2026).
| Feature | Independent | Retailer-owned |
|---|---|---|
| Compares across retailers | 20+ on the panel | Check their disclaimer |
| Owned by an energy retailer | No | Sometimes |
| Commission schedule in writing | Before you sign | Usually on request |
| Exclusivity required | None | Varies by agreement |
| Old address disconnected | Yes | Often not included |
Describes retailer-owned service models generally, not any single provider.
Is your current service owned by an energy retailer?
How many retailers does it compare per address?
Is the commission schedule in writing before you sign?
The same model across partner types
Leasing and property management teams in the same office often refer separately, which splits the reporting. It is worth seeing how this works for property managers, because a rent roll can be handed over in bulk rather than one tenancy at a time, with every referral still reported to the office.
On a sale, the conveyancer sees the settlement date as clearly as your agent does, so the two referrals can overlap. Check how this works for conveyancers, so a buyer who is already connected through the agency does not receive a second call in the weeks before settlement day.
Buyers who finance their purchase through a mortgage broker often hear about utilities from several advisers at almost the same time. Seeing how this works for mortgage brokers helps your agency agree who raises it, so the client hears one consistent, independent recommendation instead of three different ones.
A benefit for referring a client generally has to be disclosed to that client, and the exact requirement varies by state and licence type.
The arrangement in writing with the commission schedule, plus disclosure wording for your agency agreement.
Advise you on your obligations. This is general information, not legal advice.
State agent conduct rules generally require an agency to disclose a benefit it receives for referring a client to a service provider. In NSW, intermediaries who receive a commission or referral fee must take reasonable steps to make the consumer aware of the arrangement before acting on it, as NSW Fair Trading explains (checked September 2026).
Other states apply their own agent conduct rules, so confirm your position with your licensee or legal adviser. The Real Estate Institute of Australia and your state institute are a useful starting point on professional standards (checked September 2026).
Handled openly, a disclosed referral is simply ancillary revenue for a real estate agency, in the same way many agencies already disclose conveyancing and finance referrals. This is general information, not legal advice.
We may receive a commission if you choose to connect your utilities through our referral partner. You are free to use any provider.Example disclosure line, to adapt with your licensee
The service is free for every client in every state, and retailers fund the commission paid to your agency. If a client wants the detail on what a connection actually costs the client, including any retailer connection fees, the guide sets it out plainly before they speak to anyone about signing up with a retailer.
We call back within one business day. Nothing to sign to have that conversation.
Every lease your team signs already starts a move. Add one link to the welcome pack and the calls, the comparison and the booking are handled, with commission on each connection. Start with a single referral to Move-In Connect and see how it runs.
