What percentage are you paying to estate agents? And are you paying a "marketing fee" as well?

[ElleWoodsandBruiser]

We had an agent here yesterday who was offering 2.5% but wanted £1.5k + 20% VAT as a marketing fee as well so that's £1.8k upfront from us.

Another agent today has offered a fee 1.25% and "a small contribution to marketing" - I didn't ask how much as he is going to put it in writing.

We're not going to go with the first one but can anyone else say what they're being charged and how much £ you are paying in marketing fees. Or are you not paying anything in marketing fees? Thanks! We're in the South East.

I'm in Scotland and sold last summer. £995 flat fee inc marketing, would have been £895 If paid up front

We paid a fixed £1200 Inc vat to our EA for everything, only payable if the sale went through

Some agents will charge if they are producing a ‘posh’ brochure as they obviously do cost more to produce and send out. Unless you have a very expensive house its probably not worth paying for this, particularly as most people will download from rightmove and print off paper versions if they bother at all!

get at least 3 agents round, choose the one you like best and negotiate the fee.

Sold 2-houses on the last 12-months using "traditional' EA's, both were 1%+vat.

Had to pay 2% plus VAT in central London but outside of Central London I believe it’s cheaper. That included marketing costs which has been included with every estate agent we’ve had in the past too even at 1% or 1.5% commission rate.

Worked out just over 1% inc VAT all in. Expensive neck of the woods

1.5% including VAT for everything other than the EPC. Quotes ranged from 1.1% + VAT to something in the 2.5/ 2.7% range (I can't remember the exact figure as I immediately discounted them).

Scotland here, and we paid a £300 marketing fee, included photos, video, viewings. Another £480 for a home report and 1% fee.

1% + vat. Also had to pay £200 directly to photographer / floorplan guy.

They did ask for 2%, I said no. It is a negotiation and you’d be mad to accept their first suggestion.

The idea of paying a fee to the estate agent as well as a commission is ridiculous. It’s either/or.

Ps am in south east expensive commuter belt town.

We viewed a house recently where the buyer had to pay the estate agents fee. They had a few houses with the same agreement so I assume they must have been using it as a marketing tool to get people to list with them. It was 2.3% if I remember correctly and the house we were interested in still went for well over asking price plus the estate agents fee.

We paid 0.6% +VAT all in

Same as basement. 0.6% (special deal, typically 1%), no marketing. Payment on completion.

Where we are it's around 1% plus VAT. We went with Purple Bricks and paid £1499. Saved us about £8k.

Ive generally paid 1.5% plus VAT and would never pay for marketing.
I've sold houses for over £2m with glossy brochure but didn't pay any extra - obviously their fee is going to be bigger too!

1% including VAT plus £170 for photos and brochure. The £170 was paid upfront and the rest on completion.

Just sold in postcode KT8, not far from Hampton Court.

Had 3 agents to quote.
Flashier, more social media savvy agent wanted 2% and a 16 week contract. When I emailed as a courtesy to say I was going with another agent, he called to politely ask why? I said it’s purely cost based, as even though I was more impressed with his marketing brochures, etc., it came down to saving my expenses as the other agents had offered 1% on an 8 week contract. He said he would match that and furthermore would also ‘throw in’ the fee for the plan drawing and energy certification.

I must say they worked really hard for their commission and earned that 1%.

Regardless of where you are and the commission you agree, please be careful about the length of the initial contract period to avoid being tied to what may turn out to be a useless agent. Of course you also have to give them a fair period of time to market the house, so I think 8-10 weeks is reasonable. Otherwise, question them as to how quickly they think they’ll find a buyer.

In my case a buyer fell through so the EA had to start again, investing more time time and manpower, so I stuck with the same one as it was the potential buyer’s fault for pulling out, not my EA’s.

Once you have them onboard and establish a working relationship on YOUR terms (you are the client, afterall) regarding catch up calls and other communications, etc., you should be able to confidently leave the rest to them and let them earn the commission.

Another point to note is that with online selling sites, such as Rightmove et al, an EA is only as good as the people who work there. You get a feel for that in the preliminary stages, such as in the way they handle your initial enquiry, the follow up call, the pressure they try to exert before you’ve even signed, the promptness of producing the publicity material and so on.

I would NEVER pay any money up front for a service which hasn’t delivered. The EA’s only costs are a few man hours producing photos and floor plans etc. for an online brochure and phone calls to set up viewings.

It is such a stressful time so good luck!

Wow - every EA in my SE town is offering a straight 1% - prob about 6 EAs, I got valuations from the 3 I liked best and went with the one who came highly recommended from a friend.

1% + VAT for everything: photos, floor plan, EPC, sales progression, Rightmove, Zoopla, On the Market, viewings, the whole shebang.

Always used Purple Bricks and do my own viewings, very bad experiences with estate agents, please read what you sign , con artists they are .

I'd only ever pay anything to an agent upon completion, and last sale I negotiated 0.95%.

1% + VAT.
One Agent was charging 1%+VAT +£99 for better quality photos.
Greater Manchester.
Prices appear to have come down though. We last sold in 2019. Was charged 1.25 % + VAT after negotiating their initial fee of 1.5%+ VAT

1.25% plus 125 for photos and 90 for epc I'm in Kent

In my experience it depends on the house - I sold a house in 2014 and we paid £500 for the marketing brochure plus the 2% (I think) selling fee plus VAT. We didn't HAVE to have the marketing brochure but the property and its location was one that really needed it.

Last house that I sold in 2019 was smaller and on an estate in a small town so no posh brochure. Selling fees 1.5% plus VAT then option for flashier brochure if I wanted it. Ended up selling to a friend before it went on the market so didn't pay anything!

I'm in East London and most of the EAs nearby were charging 1% .
Ours was 1 1/2 but I think I would have given him my firstborn. He was our vendors agent. Let us view before ours was even on the market (I know) and then sold ours in six days. A magician.