Estate Agent Fees Guide | What You Should Be Paying In 2026

Estate agent fees range from 0.75% to 3.5% depending on the location and value of your property.The percentage an property agent charges isn’t a direct reflection of their level of service but is usually based on the type of contract you enter into. Be sure to read the entire contract before signing.

If you don’t understand any part of it (including specific charges) ask your estate agent to explain. A few things to look for when examining the contract are:

• Am I locked in with just one estate agent? What are the penalty fees for changing agents?
• What happens if I find my own buyer without the help of the agent?
• If I’m unhappy with the agent’s performance, how quickly can I terminate the contract?

As with letting agent fees, estate agent fees are negotiable, so don’t be hesitant to haggle or ask for a better deal. Just avoid insulting an agent with years of experience or a proven track record of fast sales. You can also use an estate agent fee calculator to give you a better idea of how much a quality agent will cost.

1. Estate agent fee calculator

Use our estate agent fee calculator below to see how much it will cost you to hire an estate agent

You can also select additional services to calculate your cost of moving.

2. How much do estate agents charge?

We’ve taken a look at some of the big brands in the estate agent world and researched how much they charge sellers.

Also important, is we’ve assessed their average time to sell a property for those sellers looking for faster sales.

The data is based on estate agent fees in London and surrounding areas.

Estate Agent	Fee	Average time to sell (weeks)	Average asking price
	1%	17	£354,877 Read more
	£99	17	£324,612 Read more
	FREE	19	£297,519
	3%	19	£464,667 Read more
	1.18%	14	£369,987
	1.90%	16	£401,236
	1.32%	19	£375,292 Read more
	Now serving under the Purplebricks brand	–

3. The Role of an Estate Agent

Before we start calculating the fees of an estate agent, lets understand exactly what does an estate agent do?

The estate agent you hire is tasked with listing your home, helping you decide on a price, handling all inquiries, and settling all details surrounding the final sale.

Pricing Your Home

Choosing the right price for your home is a crucial step in the selling process. A lot of factors go into this decision and it can be an emotional one. Oftentimes, a seller thinks their home is worth more because of their emotional attachment to it. An estate agent offers an unbiased, objective opinion based on the current market value.

Agents can also provide sellers with comps or a CMA or comparative market analysis. This is a report of recent homes sold in your area. The report compares the size, location, and price of other homes like yours.

Your estate agent will consider the home’s specs, the number of days on the market, and the final selling price. This gives you a better idea of how much buyers are willing to spend based on the current market. The CMA is a useful tool for buyers as well and gives you leverage when it comes to negotiating a reasonable price.

Pricing yoru home can vary per estate agent. This is important to bear in mind when you calculator estate agent fees. One agent may be cheaper, however they may value your home lower and therefore you lose out in the long run.

Listing Your Home

Once you settle on a listing price, it’s time to advertise your home for sale. While this may sound simple, it’s actually quite involved and complicated. Some people choose to go it alone (or list their home as “for sale by owner”)  but using an estate agent puts you in a better position to sell.

Estate agents have access to some of the most popular selling platforms, such as Zoopla and Rightmove, which puts your listing in front of countless prospective buyers.

Most estate agents are also part of a core group that shares information, resources, and listings. One of your agent’s professional colleagues may have the perfect buyer for your home. Many agents also do walk-throughs where all agents from their office or company walk through your home to see if it’s a good fit for their clients.

Estate agents have connections throughout the real estate world, which means more eyes on your home than you’d be able to obtain yourself. They also have resources for advertising to a select group of buyers, which many homeowners don’t have access to. Estate agents greatly increase your pool of prospective buyers.

Handle Inquiries and Organize Viewings

Once you list your home and your agent starts advertising it, the calls should start flooding in. Now it’s your agent’s job to not only field these calls but schedule viewings that coordinate with your schedule.

The homeowner usually isn’t home during the viewing. This takes the pressure off the buyer and allows them to freely explore the home without the homeowner looking over their shoulder. Your agent will check with you and schedule a viewing on a date and time that works for you.

Most people can’t be bothered with countless phone calls and scheduling viewings at their home. This is where an estate agent comes into play. Estate agent fees cover a long list of tasks including scheduling viewings and fielding phone calls for inquiries.

Most people who contact your agent are interested in seeing your home first-hand. You might be at work, on vacation, or tied up with other obligations. That’s why having an estate agent means never missing the opportunity to show your home.

Keep Things Moving

There will inevitably be a time during your house sale when things grow quiet. Whether it’s following an influx of interest but no offers or after an offer has been made but while inspections, permits, and paperwork are being drafted.

This silence can be torture. You’ll drive yourself crazy wondering if the buyers changed their mind, if their financing fell through, or if something else went wrong. Your estate agent acts as the go-between for your lawyers and the buyer’s realtor. It’s their job to keep the sale moving forward.

They’ll follow-up with any contractors involved, the other realtor, lawyers, and inspectors. Some people believe that the estate agent’s job is done once an offer is made and accepted, but the opposite is true. It’s during this crunch time that reputable estate agents really shine through.

Close the Deal

Closing a house deal requires specific paperwork, inspections, and other details that most homeowners aren’t familiar with. Property agents, on the other hand, know all the ins-and-outs of closing a deal.

They guarantee that no steps are missed and no-stone goes unturned. This is a benefit for both the buyer and seller. Your agent will also negotiate the price and deal. They are your point of contact and their fees cover all communication between you and the buyers. This helps maintain positivity during the sale and prevents any emotions from getting in the way.

4. Additional types of estate agent fees

Estate agents do more than just market and sell properties. For additional fees, estate agents offer a wide range of services, including but not limited to:

Mortgage Advice

When you hire an estate agent, you get access to more than just their personal knowledge and experience. They often have relationships with other professionals in the field, like mortgage lenders.

Not only can estate agents offer their own expertise on obtaining a mortgage and current rates, but they may refer you to a specific lender who can help.

Some agents charge a fee for this service while others get a kick-back from the lender. Research the mortgage lender your agent suggests to ensure they’re qualified and reputable.

Larger brands, such as Fine & Country, Dexters and Channellors have in house mortgage advisors, providing a one stop shop for your needs.

Surveying and Conveyancing 

Every property needs a survey prior to selling. The purpose of a survey is to verify the property lines and boundaries.

A surveyor will provide a legal description and documentation of the results. Some estate agents offer this service or know someone who does. 

Once you’ve obtained a buyer and the sale is almost complete, you’ll need a conveyancer to legally transfer your property to the new owners.

Most estate agents work closely with one conveyancer, saving you the time and hassle of finding your own. Similar to a mortgage lender, most agents receive compensation from the conveyancer for the referral. 

Property Improvements and Upgrades

Does your home need a facelift? Is it in need of major renovations or a few repairs or upgrades?

In the interest of getting a higher asking price, some estate agents will help with improvements and upgrades. This doesn’t mean the agent will pay for these changes, but instead, lend advice and recommendations for improving your chances of getting your asking price.

Many estate agents have good relationships with contractors in different industries from landscaping and plumbing to electrical and even general contractors. For an additional fee, you can not only get professional advice on money-making upgrades but also access to qualified professionals to get the job done right.

Renting or Letting Property

If you’re ready to move but not ready to sell your home just yet, a qualified estate agent can help you rent or let out your property. With thousands of renters in the UK, letting out property is a great investment opportunity.

Earn passive income to use towards your next dream home. Estate agents can help find and reference tenants, collect rent, and even perform maintenance and repairs.

Of course, all of these services come at a cost. Fully-managed services will cost you more than individual, fix-fees but mean less aggravation and stress. 

Sit down and do the math to make sure letting your property makes more financial sense than selling.

5. Are Online Estate Agents Fees Lower?

The biggest difference between online estate agent fees and high street agents like Savills is that through an online service you’ll pay fixed fees for specific services, whereas high-street agents charge a percentage. Online estate agents, such as PurpleBricks, also deliver basic services and usually deal with high street agents anyway. Most online agents work through websites and call centers.

There are two common types of online agents: online-only agents and hybrid agents. Here’s the difference.

Online-only agents require you to perform most of the work yourself. You’re tasked with taking photos, creating the advertisement, handling inquiries, conducting viewings, and even negotiating final offers.

Hybrid agents do most of the work online but also hire local property experts to conduct viewings, field inquiries, and negotiate offers.

Because online estate agents charge a fixed fee rather than a percentage of the sale, sellers with high-value homes will pay less using an online service. However, you may not get the extensive, hands-on service offered by high-street agents. This is why many sellers opt for a hybrid service that offers the best of both worlds. 

6. When Are Estate Agent Fees Are Paid?

Estate agents don’t get paid until the new owner (the buyer) becomes the legal owner of your property. Once you exchange binding contracts with the buyer, the estate agent will submit their invoice to your solicitor.

Once the transaction is legal, your solicitor will take the estate agent fees directly out of the sale proceeds.

The balance will then be transferred to you.  Not settling the agent’s invoice within a set number of days (usually detailed in the contract), can result in daily interest fees of 5% or more. Avoid these additional fees by settling the invoice in a timely fashion. 

7. Unconventional Fee Arrangements

Fees when selling your property can vary in terms of how you are charged. Some examples, with more details in this article, are below: 

• Sliding Scale Fee Incentive
• Profit Share Incentive
• Multi-Agency Incentive
• Personal Incentive

8. Should you negotiate estate agent fee?

Of course! A difference of a few decimal places on an estate agents fee can result in hundreds or thousands of pounds saved.

Haggling is part and parcel of the buying & selling process, and that includes negotiations with the agent on their fee. 

Negotiating on estate agent fees may involve:

• Playing hardball
• If you’re property is of high value, use that to your advantage
• Shop around and compare fees
• Use multiple agents
• Pick an online agent
• Pick a buying company (although, in this case you may have to be willing to accept a lower sale price).