Agency Fees: A Call for Cultural Change

The Perception Gap

For too long, many consumers have viewed estate agency as a transaction rather than a service.
Durrell, Managing Director of Maddox Noel, put it plainly: “There’s a misunderstanding of the value of what we do.”

Sellers still imagine agents “just putting the property on Rightmove,” unaware of the marketing strategy, negotiation skill, and psychological labour that goes into every sale. As Durrell explained, the role has shifted – agents are now marketers, mediators, and project managers, but the public rarely sees that.

This lack of visibility creates a perception gap. Clients see the final bill without understanding the unseen hours of photography, compliance checks, chain chasing, or emotional mediation between divorcing couples and nervous buyers.
The result: resentment over fees that, in reality, barely cover the complexity of the work.

The solution, the panel agreed, isn’t defensive justification – it’s education. Agents need to articulate their expertise confidently and consistently.

---

A Confidence Deficit

Confidence emerged as one of the webinar’s strongest themes – or rather, the lack of it.
As Krystjan Byfield, co-founder of The Depositary and Base Property Specialists, put it, “Whatever you set your fee as, you should have faith in being able to explain to a client why you’re worth that money.”

He recalled an example of a seller who went into the process happy to pay up to 2% commission for the right service. One of the agents she invited in began at 1% and instantly discounted to 0.75% – “the biggest red flag you can give a client,” said Byfield.
That impulse to discount, he argued, doesn’t just erode margins; it undermines trust.

David Mintz, Revenue and Marketing Director at Kerfuffle, described it as an “industry self-esteem issue.” Agents, he said, “walk up the garden path already negotiating with themselves.”

It’s a powerful image – and a reminder that value is communicated as much by tone, posture and conviction as by percentage points.

The message was clear: you can’t expect a client to believe in your worth if you don’t believe in it first.

---

The Wrong Targets

Confidence isn’t just a personal trait; it’s shaped by the culture agents operate in.
Several panellists highlighted that many agency teams are still measured by volume – how many listings are won – rather than by conversion, profitability, or client satisfaction.

Byfield warned that such metrics drive “a simplistic psychology: just get the property on, no matter what.” Durrell agreed, noting that agents who win instructions at any price or fee leave colleagues to “deal with the fallout” later when sales fall through or margins disappear.

As Walmsley observed, “In any other sales world, success is measured by revenue and retention, not just deals thrown over the fence.”

If the industry is serious about improving standards, it must start by redefining success from quantity to quality.

---

Paying for Commitment

While many agents still operate on a no-sale, no-fee basis, some are challenging that norm.
For Šárka Wild, owner of Distinct Property Consultants in the Cotswolds, upfront fees aren’t just about covering costs – they’re about building commitment.

“I do take upfront payments,” she explained. “If people aren’t going to pay me for my photography, I don’t take the listing. I’d rather sell fewer properties but deliver quality service.”

Her model includes minimum fees and upfront marketing or anti–money-laundering costs. It filters out casual vendors and fosters a partnership mentality. “If people pay, there’s commitment on both sides,” she said.

Mintz noted that such practices are rare – “99% of agents still don’t charge upfront” – leaving the majority to shoulder risk for transactions that may never complete.
The industry, he argued, has “made a rod for its own back” by normalising free labour.

---

Global Lessons in Value

The undervaluation of UK agency work becomes starker when viewed globally.
Byfield reminded the audience that “the average sales fee in the UK is around 1.1%, while the global average is closer to 5%.”

Wild added: “It’s the same all over the world – the UK is the cheapest.”
Neither suggested copying foreign models wholesale, but both emphasised that fee expectations elsewhere are higher because consumers have been conditioned that way.

Part of that conditioning, the panel noted, comes from a decade of so-called disruptors whose marketing messages boiled down to: ‘we’ll do it cheaper’.
As Byfield put it, “They didn’t disrupt service, they disrupted value.”

The challenge now is to rebuild that value narrative – collectively.

---

From Salespeople to Professionals

If confidence is the short-term fix, professionalisation is the long-term one.
Durrell’s agency embeds formal qualifications into every team member’s progression. “We should be creating an industry of people who are professionally recognised,” she said, “not just anyone selling houses on Instagram.”

Byfield agreed but warned that if regulation isn’t properly enforced, “it becomes just another burden on good businesses.”
Wild added that qualifications must be affordable and accessible, particularly for smaller independents: “We need to make people proud to be estate agents again.”

Mintz summed up the opportunity succinctly: regulation and training “will only raise standards if government invests in enforcement – otherwise good agents carry the cost while bad ones carry on.”

Professional pride, the group agreed, must replace price-based competition as the industry’s driver.

---

Shared Responsibility: The Role of Portals and Platforms

Another part of the ecosystem came under scrutiny: property portals.
Byfield called for them to share responsibility for consumer education and standards. “They profit from the industry,” he said, “but they could do more to educate the public. Driving up standards benefits everyone.”

Mintz envisioned a future where portals showcase only qualified agents – “Imagine if every listing on Rightmove or Zoopla came from certified professionals,” he said. “That would change the game.”

These aren’t radical ideas – they’re logical extensions of the professionalism conversation.
If the sector wants to raise its profile, its biggest platforms must help carry the message.

---

The Illusion of DIY Selling

The rise of ultra-low-cost and self-listing portals was another recurring concern.
Durrell was open-minded: “If people want to try selling a house themselves, that’s their prerogative,” she said. “But most won’t know what they’re doing – the legislation changes constantly.”

Mintz, however, was more direct: “You wouldn’t give yourself a kidney operation to save a few quid,” he said. “Selling a property isn’t simple; it just looks simple when done well.”

The consensus was that consumer choice should come with accountability.
Without education and enforcement, “DIY” selling risks undermining not only transactions but public trust in the property process itself.

---

Reform That Works

When the discussion turned to the Government’s planned home buying and selling reforms, the panel struck a cautious note.
All agreed that more upfront transparency – for example, mandatory property information – could improve fall-through rates, but only if properly enforced.

Wild noted that “transparency will help buyers make informed decisions,” but warned it won’t necessarily justify higher fees on its own. Mintz added: “It’s all well and good telling us we need to do it, but unless it’s enforced, it’s just another burden for the good guys.”

Byfield was even more direct: “We don’t need another HIPs situation. Any reform has to be practical, efficient, and enforceable.”

Technology, the panel agreed, will play an essential role in making that happen – but tech alone can’t replace accountability.

---

Reframing the Future

As the webinar drew to a close, Walmsley asked each panellist to name one thing they’d change about the industry’s approach to fees. Their answers captured the spirit of the entire conversation:

• • Byfield: “Be confident in the value you deliver.”

• • Wild: “Educate people why you charge what you charge.”

• • Durrell: “Stop the race to the bottom.”

• • Mintz: “Keep training – confidence fades if you don’t practice it.”

Taken together, those insights outline a blueprint for modern agency: confidence, education, collaboration, and professionalism.

---

Behind the Fee – Ahead of the Curve

The debate about fees will never disappear entirely – nor should it.
Healthy competition drives innovation. But when competition becomes synonymous with discounting, everyone loses: agents, consumers, and the integrity of the profession itself.

The next chapter of estate agency won’t be defined by percentages on paper, but by the values that underpin them – clarity, confidence, and consistency.

As Walmsley concluded: “There’s so much more to what agents do than the consumer ever sees. The more transparent we become about that, the more we lift the industry together.”

Behind every fee is a story of expertise, risk, and dedication.

It’s time the industry started telling it – proudly.