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Estate agent fees information

Choosing an estate agent is one of the biggest steps you make when selling your home. And a lot of it comes down to fees.

estate-agents-fees-information

When it comes to estate agent fees, you might have a lot of questions. How much do estate agents normally cost? And how much should they cost? Why are online estate agents different — and how can they be so much cheaper? 

Don’t worry, there's actually a lot of variation when talking about typical estate agent fees. But we’ll take it one step at a time. 

How much are estate agent fees? 

In short? A lot. Traditional estate agents fees range from 0.75% to 3%, but normally they . So on a £250,000 house that’s a whopping £3,750. 

Typical estate agent fees in the UK are done as a percentage — but not everyone works in percentages. Some estate agents have started offering flat-rate fees. And some agents say they’re free, but the fine print says otherwise — that’s why we think it’s so important to be upfront. You should take the time to compare estate agent fees, and look closely, before making any decisions.

We can’t speak for everyone, because every estate agent is different. Some estate agents make you pay at the start, some wait until completion. Some even want you to pay regardless of whether or not they sell your home — but at Strike, we don’t think that’s OK. 

Things to look out for 

Transparency is at the heart of the Strike way of selling, but that’s not true for everyone. It’s always important that you read the fine print when considering UK estate agents. Here are additional costs you should keep an eye out for. 

1. Agreed selling price

If the price ends up higher or lower than you initially thought, you’ll want to think about any impact that might have on the estate agent costs. 

Sometimes, an agent might point you to additional services, but it's not always clear when there’s a fee attached."

2. Multiple agents 

Agents normally charge a different rate for shared listings, which are usually more expensive than their normal fee. If you want to list with a new agent, make sure you have stopped the contract with the previous agent to avoid paying more. 

3. Other selling costs

Typical estate agent fees aren't a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the estate agent, you may end up paying more for advertising costs or administration. 

We think you should make it clear what’s free and what isn’t, so there are no surprises, but not everyone agrees — so keep an eye out and make sure to ask questions if you’re not sure.  

4. Withdrawal fees

What if you change your mind? If you pull out of a sale or a listing, some agents will charge withdrawal fees — not just the advertising or administration cost, sometimes they’ll also try to charge a percentage of the commission. Don’t like the sound of that? Neither do we. That’s why we offer a free and transparent service.

5. An agent trying to get you to use their services

Sometimes, an agent might point you to additional services, but it's not always clear when there’s a fee attached — or when they’re getting a referral fee for the recommendation. In fact, last year the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team set new guidelines demanding more transparency

We’ll always let you know if we’re pointing you toward a partner and, if you don’t want to use them, that’s totally OK by us. We’ll still sell your house for free. 

6. Sales progression

When you're looking at how much estate agents charge, remember that some estate agents think you should pay extra for “sales progression” — which is estate agent jargon for moving the sale along from negotiations to the finish line. We think that’s all part of selling a home, don’t you? That’s why we offer these services for free. 

7. Contract length 

You might be tied in with an estate agent for a particular length of time — from four to 12 weeks. It’s good to know how long you’ve agreed to work with them, so don’t be afraid to ask. It's also worth comparing estate agents to see if others have more favourable contract deals.

8. Accompanied viewing 

We think that you’re the best person to sell your home — you know it better than anyone and nothing beats the personal touch. But if you can’t or don’t want to show buyers around, that’s completely fine. We offer a hosted viewing service. Not interested? That’s OK. We’ll still list your home and help you manage the sale every step of the way — you just take care of the viewings. 

Haggling over your fee

Haggling down your estate agent fee is a completely normal practice — the average estate agent fee in the UK will still cost you a bundle, so you should always see if there's room to negotiate. Even if they sound insistent at first, even if their fee is written in the materials they give you, it’s worth trying to negotiate — it could save you thousands on estate agent costs. Typical estate agent fees are often less (sometimes far less) than their first offer.

The most important thing is that you feel like you’re getting good value for your money, no matter what rate you end up with. (We think it should be 0%, but that’s just us.) But how do you get there?

  • Get quotes from multiple agents

  • Use lower quotes to negotiate

  • Double check what’s included in the fee

  • Try to negotiate a sliding scale where they get a bigger percentage if they sell for more 

  • If your property is more expensive (normally over £500,000, depending on the area), try to use that to negotiate a lower rate

It’s also important to remember that just because an agent charges more, that doesn't mean that they’re worth more. It also comes down to trust — your home is probably your most valuable asset, so you want to make sure it's listed with an agency you feel good about.

We still give you local experts, we still give you a top sales negotiation team, we’re still here to help — we just do it for free. That’s what sets us apart. "

How you can get more for less 

We think you can do better than typical estate agent fees — a lot better. Newer, digitally-focused agents will often charge less and usually do it in a flat fee, so you have no surprises. 

But everyone is different. Some will have you pay upfront, some will have you pay when you sell, but it will normally be less than traditional agents charge. 

At Strike, we like to take that one step further with a free service — yes, really, truly free — with some optional extras if you want them. It’s just simpler that way. We still give you local experts, we still give you a top sales negotiation team, we’re still here to help — we just do it for free. That’s what sets us apart. 

So how much can you save? Get an idea of how much you’ll save with Strike and learn more about how we sell for free.

Paying an agent

When do you pay your estate agent? With traditional agents, you won’t pay until you’ve closed on the property. Technically the fees are often due upon exchange of contract, but most estate agents will have a “no sale, no fee” rule — which basically means you don’t have to pay them until there’s money in the bank. 

If you see withdrawal fees or a “ready, willing and able purchaser” contract, you should probably keep looking for an estate agent with better terms.

Online estate agents may charge you upfront or they may charge you upon completion. 

As for us, we won’t ask you for a penny — ever. Or a yen. Or a buck. Or even a euro. If you choose to go with one of our partners, we’ll get a referral fee — but there’s never any pressure to use them. Really. We just want to sell your home, however works best for you. 

home valuation

Book a valuation

If you're seriously considering going on the market and want to know how much your home is worth, book a valuation with a Strike Agent.

There’s never any obligation to sell with us. If you do want to go ahead, we can have your home online in as little as a few hours. 

Frequently asked questions

Does it sound too good to be true? It’s not. Strike really does sell your home for free  — and now, Purplebricks will too. Firstly, we don’t have to pay expensive overheads because we don’t have any high street offices. That makes a huge difference. But our model is different from other estate agents in that we only make money through our partners or our optional extras.

If you choose to use one of them for mortgage advice or moving services, we get a fee — and we’ll always be upfront about that. If you don’t want to use them, that’s OK. We’re still happy to sell your home for free. We just want you to be happy with how you’re selling your home, whatever that looks like for you. Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to ask. We’re always happy to share.