What does that percentage actually cost?
Estate agent fees are quoted in percentages and paid in pounds. Enter your sale price and the quoted fees to see the real cost, sole agency against multi-agency, with the VAT shown rather than hidden.
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Estate Agent Commission Calculator
Sale price → fee % → commission in pounds, VAT broken out
Sole agency
£4,200
inc. VAT
Multi-agency
£8,400
inc. VAT
Breakdown
Commission rates are negotiable. UK average sole agency fee is around 1.2% inc. VAT. Multi-agency is typically 2–3% inc. VAT.
Reading an estate agent fee quote properly
A percentage hides the real number. “1.3%” sounds small in a living room conversation; £4,550 on a £350,000 sale is a different sentence. The first thing to do with any quote is convert it to pounds, which is what the calculator above is for. The second is to check three details the percentage doesn’t show.
Check one: VAT
A fee quoted “plus VAT” is 20% bigger than it sounds. 1.2% plus VAT is 1.44% all-in. Agents should be clear about this, but quotes still arrive both ways, so compare every quote VAT-inclusive. The calculator’s toggle does the conversion for you.
Check two: the contract type
Sole agency at a lower fee suits most sellers. Multi-agency costs more because several agents race for one payday, and in practice the racing rarely helps your price. The competition that genuinely works for you happens before you sign, when local agents compete for your instruction on valuation, fee and plan. Make that stage as competitive as possible.
Check three: the tie-in
The fee gets the attention; the contract length deserves it. A 16-week sole agency tie-in with a slow agent costs more than any fee saving. Eight to twelve weeks is normal and reasonable. Also scan for “ready, willing and able buyer” clauses, which can leave you owing a fee even if you pull out. Our estate agent fees guide walks through the full contract small print.
Sources and your rights
- Estate agent obligations and complaints: The Property Ombudsman
- How estate agents must treat you (Estate Agents Act): gov.uk/estate-agent-fees-and-contracts
Frequently asked questions
How much do estate agents charge in the UK?
Typical UK sole agency fees run from 1.0% to 1.5% of the sale price including VAT, sometimes higher in London. On a £350,000 sale that is £3,500 to £5,250. Multi-agency contracts, where several agents market the home at once, usually run higher because only the agent who sells gets paid. The calculator above turns any quoted percentage into pounds for your price.
Does the quoted fee include VAT?
Always ask. Agents are required to make clear whether a fee includes VAT, but quotes still arrive both ways. The difference is 20%: a '1.2% plus VAT' quote is really 1.44% of your sale price. The calculator has a VAT toggle so you can compare quotes on a level field.
What is the difference between sole agency and multi-agency?
Sole agency gives one agent the exclusive right to sell for a contract period, at a lower fee. Multi-agency lets several agents compete simultaneously, at a higher fee, paid only to the one who sells. For most homes sole agency is the better deal. The useful competition happens before you instruct, when agents compete for your listing, not after.
Are estate agent fees negotiable?
Yes, almost always. The figure quoted on a valuation visit is rarely the agent's floor. Fee, contract length and marketing package are all movable, and what moves them is competition: when agents know they are being compared against other local agents, the terms improve. That is exactly the dynamic ValuQ creates, with multiple local agents competing for your instruction side by side.
When do I pay the estate agent?
On completion, out of the sale money, usually via your conveyancer. Most high-street agents are no-sale-no-fee: if the sale never completes, nothing is owed. Watch the contract for exceptions, especially 'ready, willing and able buyer' clauses, which can make a fee payable even if you withdraw.
Is the cheapest fee the best deal?
Not by itself. A fee 0.3% lower saves around £1,000 on a £350,000 sale, but an agent who prices and negotiates well can move the sale price by far more than that. Judge the whole offer: valuation evidence, fee, contract length and marketing. Then make agents compete on all of it at once.
More free property tools
The fee is one line of the selling sum. Here is the rest.
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