Before you accept the cheapest fee..

Advice we think all home sellers should know.

Not all agents are out to get you..

Not all estate agents charging low fees are out to take advantage of sellers. There are agents who operate with integrity, who believe that a low price doesn’t mean cutting corners.

It’s completely valid to look for low‑fee agents. The cost of commission matters, especially when margins are tight. If a cheap-fee agent does the job well, they can absolutely be the right choice. Good service doesn’t always have to be expensive service.

Here’s the big ‘but’… cheap fees can sometimes hide less scrupulous practices. So whether you decide to use us to sell your home or not, sellers should be aware of some of the common tactics problematic agents might use, and why they can actually cost you more in the long run.

..but some are.

Low Fee, High Volume

This business strategy is a simple numbers game: Sign up lots of cheap‑fee clients to make up for poor completion rates. These agencies operate on the principle that even without a great deal of effort, a certain % of home will simply sell (30-40%). To ensure they make enough revenue, they take on as many clients as possible to off-set the poor completion rate. The problem for you as a seller? You may not get the dedicated effort, energy, or follow-through that your property deserves. Viewings might be fewer, marketing weaker, or responsiveness poor because the agent’s resources are stretched thin.

Overvaluing to Win Instructions

One of the most common sleights of hand is giving an overly optimistic valuation. Some cheap-fee agents know exactly which price will get a client to sign up, even if that price is unrealistic. Once your property is listed, it does not get the traction you were hoping for. Then what happens? A few weeks down the line, the agent quietly suggests a price reduction. The result: disappointment for the seller, and worse - a listing that goes stale, with buyer interest dwindling.

This not only delays a sale, but also raises the risk of the sale falling through. Let us explain..

The First 30 Days are Critical

Here’s where the numbers really matter: how fast your property sells has real financial implications. According to data analysed by property‑market commentators, homes that go under offer quickly have a much higher chance of completing.

One widely cited stat (Source: Christopher Watkin / TwentyEA) is that when a home’s sale is agreed within 25 days, there’s a ~94% probability of exchanging contracts and completing.

By contrast, if a property takes more than 100 days to agree a sale, the chance of that sale completing drops to around 56%.

Why does this matter? Because that first month is often where momentum is made or lost. If you skimp on quality marketing (poor photos, no video/360, poor agent response to enquiries), you’re missing out during the window when buyers are most likely to complete. Agents who don’t invest properly at this stage risk your property languishing, and that dramatically increases the risk of falling through.

Hidden Risks

A final point worth considering: cheap agents sometimes contract in ways that benefit them more than you. That might include longer sole-agency terms, or fees based on inflated valuations (so even if your sale price is lower, your agent’s commission is calculated on a higher number). These kinds of arrangements can make it harder for you to switch agents mid-way, even if things are going badly.

So what should you do?

  1. Ask for a realistic valuation — Push for data: comparable sales, local market trends, and how quickly similar properties have sold.

  2. Understand their business model — how many clients do they take on? What’s their average success rate? Do they rely on volume?

  3. Insist on quality marketing — photos, video, floorplans, good portal presence.

  4. Time matters — that first 30 days is critical. It’s when agents should be at their most engaged and proactive.

  5. Read the contract carefully — check for term length, fee basis, and what happens if things don’t go to plan.

Final Thoughts

Low fees are not inherently bad. They can be a smart, cost-effective way to sell your home. But like anything that seems cheap on the surface, it’s important to ask the right questions. Not all low-fee agents are bad, but some are, and their practices can cost you more than you think, either in time, stress, or lost opportunity.

At the end of the day, the quality of service matters just as much (if not more) than the headline commission rate. Your property deserves to be sold well, not just cheaply.