The headline fee is only part of an estate agency appointment. Before choosing an agent, understand what service you are buying, when payment becomes due and what happens if the arrangement ends or another agent becomes involved.
Compare complete quotations
Ask for the fee in writing, whether VAT is included and which services are covered. Identify separate charges for marketing, photography or other work. Compare the total proposed service rather than treating every quoted percentage as equivalent.
If a fee is payable before a sale completes, ask what happens if the home does not sell. Keep that explanation with the contract.
Read the appointment terms
Check the length of the appointment, any exclusivity and how notice is given. GOV.UK warns that using more than one agent can lead to dual fees depending on the contracts and sole selling rights.
Ask the agent to explain the situations in which a fee could still be claimed after the appointment ends. Get professional advice if you cannot establish the effect of a clause; this article cannot interpret your particular agreement.
Understand recommendations
An agent may recommend a conveyancer, mortgage adviser or surveyor. GOV.UK says referral payments must be disclosed and that you do not have to use the recommended firm.
Compare the recommended service independently and ask what the referral arrangement involves. Convenience alone does not answer questions about scope, price or suitability.
Keep a record of changes
Retain the signed terms, fee schedule and later agreed variations together. If you change agents, check the existing commitment before signing another appointment. Keep a record of enquiries about buyers introduced by the previous agent.
There is no universal fee that this guide can promise. Obtain current quotations and choose on the basis of the service, evidence and terms you can understand.
Editorial review: 14 October 2026. This original Property Perpetuity guide replaces the imported text; the original archive publication date is retained.