It’s time – you’re considering selling your home in London. But perhaps you’re selling after buying your first home, or it’s just been a while since your last more. Along with house prices and mortgage rates, estate agent selling fees are an essential cost you need to factor in. But what are the standard estate agent fees in London?
Fees vary greatly between agents, so check your contract carefully. If you choose an agent who works on a percentage of the sale price, your estate agent fees will be determined by your property sale price. But you have many options for your London home sale. You could select a high-street agent based in London, a national chain, or an online-only service.
There are different types of arrangement too, and you’ll generally pay a higher rate of commission if you place your home with more than one company. But most estate agent commission is charged as a percentage of the sale price, meaning estate agent fees vary significantly depending on how much you can sell your property for.
For example, the average flat price in Redbridge was £341,000 at the end of 2025, while average prices for detached properties in Upminster was an average of £876,000. Based on a 1% commission, the estate agent fees for selling the average flat in Redbridge would work out at £3,410, while the fees for selling the average detached property in Upminster would be £8,760.
Our step-by-step guide clarifies standard estate agent fees in London, and answers some of the questions we often get asked about estate agent fees and charges:
Buying and selling at the same time?
Here are 10 things that could go wrong, and often do go wrong, and what, if anything, you can do to avoid them.
Buying and selling at the same time?
Here are 10 things that could go wrong, and often do go wrong, and what, if anything, you can do to avoid them.
Lots of prospective sellers ask how much estate agents charge but you won’t usually find a precise answer on your agent’s website or brochures. Traditionally, agents set the rate of commission on an individual basis, following their appraisal of your home. While this is not very transparent, it means you can also haggle for a better deal.
Average estate agent fees in London and the rest of the UK usually range from 0.9% to 3.5% of the sale value – or between £4,500 and £17,500 on a £500,000 house sale.
According to Rightmove, the average sold price for London property in the last 12 months is £665,223, so typical estate agent fees based on the range of 0.9% to 3.5% would be between £5,987 and £23,283. Read on for a step-by step guide to London estate agent fees and how they are charged.
The most common way for estate agents to charge their fees is as a percentage of the sold price. Some agents offer a sliding commission scale, which means they charge a higher percentage for properties sold for higher values.
For example, they might apply a 1% fee for properties sold for under £300,000, 1.5% for properties sold for £300,001 to £400,000 and 2% for properties sold for over £400,001. You can use an online calculator for agent fees charged as a percentage.
Other estate agents offer a fixed fee, which is common for online estate agents. Fixed fees for estate agents in London tend to start from £999, although you may see online agents such as Purple Bricks offering to sell properties for ‘free’. However, services such as marketing the property and hosting viewings have charges, which can soon add up to a higher fee than you would pay on a percentage basis. Likewise, check carefully what the actual fees of ‘no sale, no fee’ online estate agents will be for your London property.
Agents may offer you a low fee if they really like your house and believe they can sell it for a premium or if they want more business in your location. Most traditional estate agents operate on a ‘no sale, no fee’ basis.
Long-established estate agents who have developed a strong reputation can usually command a higher fee, but they also need to stay competitive, especially if there are local or online estate agents offering low fees.
When selling your property, it is always a good idea to compare different estate agency fees and check what level of services they offer. You can often save money by choosing an agent offering minimal services, but may need to do more work, such as viewings. Because of the variables, you need to understand your contract before you sign.
A good estate agent will field a wide range of skills and experience to sell your home for the optimum price, and as quickly as possible in the current market. Services can vary from one estate agent to another, but generally, your fees will include:
You should certainly expect to get better service from more expensive agents, though this isn’t guaranteed. They commonly claim to offer enhanced services or access to a higher number of clients. However, they won’t necessarily be the best choice for you, and it’s important to look at a whole range of factors.
Be sure to check the complete list of services included in the price and look at online reviews to compare different estate agents. You should also ask around for recommendations from people you know who have recently sold a property in the area.
Before opting for the estate agent offering the lowest fee, consider that they might not be able to achieve as high a price for your property, so this would be false economy. Generally, more experienced and reputable agents will be able to get a higher price for your home by using their expertise and market knowledge.
Ask at least three agents to give you a valuation and compare fees along with other factors. As we’ve said, typical estate agent fees are likely to be between 1 and 3% of the home sales price, so you can expect to pay something in that range.
According to sellers’ advice service, The Advisory:
“Agents charging less than 1%+VAT make us deeply suspicious. Agents charging more than 2%+VAT for sole agency need to be able to demonstrate something exceptional. Agents charging anywhere between 1%-2%+VAT for sole agency (as long as they’re the best agent for the job) are actually pretty decent value for money.”
Before deciding, do your research and ask your prospective agents plenty of questions. You want to be sure that you are with the right estate agents for your needs and are getting value for your money.
These are some of the essential questions to ask estate agents before you decide which one to choose:
Trust your instincts when you meet the negotiators; you will need to work closely with them, possibly for some weeks.
It is always worth negotiating on the fee, as agents may be flexible, especially if you’ve received a lower quote from a different company, but would prefer to go with them. Some agents may agree to a sliding scale, where their fee increases depending on how much your home sells for.
Before you sign the estate agent contract, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, and what will happen if things don’t go as well as you’d hoped. The crucial thing is to read the contract carefully and ask about anything unclear.
Make a list of questions to ask before you sign – such as:
You need to get up to speed with estate agent jargon and the different types of arrangement which they might be offering. These include:
You need to pay VAT at 20% on your estate agent fees, but since a ruling by Property Ombudsman in 2016, this must be included in the price you are quoted. If you’re not sure whether VAT has been added, always check.
Online companies don’t have the overheads of high street agents. They often ask for a fixed fee, which you’ll need to pay regardless of whether, and for how much, your property sells, meaning they may have less of an incentive to sell your home. Using an online agent may cost you less, but their cheap estate agent fees typically mean doing more work yourself.
This could include:
It is possible to sell without an agent, especially in high-demand areas, but you must know what you are doing and be prepared for a lot of work. A big issue is that private individuals can’t post their homes on property portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla; the first port of call for substantial numbers of prospective buyers.
You will usually have to cover marketing costs. If the contract includes a ‘ready, willing and able purchaser’ clause, you may pay the full estate agent fees. The buyer must usually cover costs like credit score checks and searches.
An estate agent’s valuation for probate is different from a standard valuation, and is often free or low priced. However, a RICS probate valuation needed for estates over the inheritance tax threshold costs an average £300-£400.
Yes, landlords can deduct estate agent fees and other costs of selling their London buy-to-let property, like solicitors’ fees. Further guidance is given on gov.uk.
The exact estate agent’s fees on a leasehold property vary depending on your estate agent. However, solicitors’ fees are typically higher for leasehold properties.
You may not need to pay additional estate agent fees for reducing your asking price, but your contract may include a withdrawal fee if you take your property off the market.
Sellers typically pay slightly higher fees at a set percentage, which are split between the two estate agents. However, the exact fee structure depends on your contract so check before you switch.
Planning to sell before buying a property that better suits your needs, or buying your first home? If you would like to find out more about our services, including how we set our fees, please contact us. We’d be happy to offer you a valuation and talk further about how we might market your property in Forest Gate, Barking or Seven Kings.
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If you are looking for a fast house sale, there are several ways that you can improve the chances of a quick sale. Choosing an experienced local estate agent will help to speed up the sale but you can also get your paperwork prepared and make sure that your property is presented well to attract more viewings and prospective buyers.
Read our tips on how to sell a house quickly in East London for a full guide on the actions you can take to help to achieve a faster property sale.
