Upfront fees are no longer unusual in estate agency; they’re becoming the norm. Our latest data shows 4 in 10 agents now charge buyers or sellers an upfront fee, with approaches ranging from modest admin charges to premium marketing packages. Here’s what we’re seeing across agencies, and why it matters.
Estate Agent Anti-Money Laundering updates 2025
On 9 September 2025, HMRC updated its AML risk assessment for estate agents, confirming property remains a high-risk sector for financial crime. Agents must now update their own risk assessments and ensure policies, controls and procedures reflect new red flags around money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. In short: review your process, evidence your compliance, and make sure your team can spot risk.
Best-Known Beats Best
At EA Masters, Simon Gates made it clear: the agents who win aren’t always the best — they’re the best known. Trust is built before a homeowner is ready to sell, and the 7-11-4 strategy is how you make that happen — 7 hours of content, 11 interactions, across 4 platforms. Consistent visibility beats one-off ads. If you want instructions in January, you need to start being seen now.
The rise of upfront fees and what we’re seeing across agencies
Upfront fees are no longer unusual in estate agency; they’re becoming the norm. Our latest data shows 4 in 10 agents now charge buyers or sellers an upfront fee, with approaches ranging from modest admin charges to premium marketing packages. Here’s what we’re seeing across agencies, and why it matters.
Making price testing effortless for Estate Agents
Estate agents face fee pressure, longer transactions, and cash flow challenges. Testing new fee strategies sounds simple but quickly becomes bogged down in admin. Kotini’s customisable fees embed payments directly into onboarding, making it effortless to trial upfront charges, flexible models, or new price points without extra work for your team.
Are you leveraging the power of your brand?
When clients see your brand throughout onboarding, they respond with confidence and follow-through. Our experiment proved branded experiences consistently outperform generic ones.
Is your tech stack holding you back?
Today’s clients expect digital-first speed and simplicity. Yet too many estate agents are slowed down by rigid systems and manual workarounds. In this blog, we explore why flexibility matters, the hidden costs of disjointed tech, and 9 red flags that signal your stack is holding you back.
Removing the pain from payments in Estate Agency
Estate agents lose hours each week chasing payments for EPCs, admin fees, and marketing packages. The work isn’t difficult, but it’s repetitive, error-prone, and frustrating for clients. Kotini’s new customisable fees solve this by letting agents set charges, take instant online payments, and reconcile automatically within one branded onboarding flow. The result: faster cash flow, less admin, and a smoother client journey.
Making sense of Material Information
In May 2025, the National Trading Standards removed their material information guidance causing confusion for agents. We pulled together a group of agency experts to discuss material information, whether it’s still something agents should care about and their top tips to keep compliant.
The Real Value of Material Information: Why the Best Agents Lean In
Material information isn’t just about legal compliance it’s a chance to raise your game as an estate agent. In this article, we explore how leading agents are using it to build trust, speed up sales, and stand out in a competitive market. From smarter marketing to stronger client relationships, this is how transparency becomes your most powerful tool.











You must be logged in to post a comment.