Estate agent fees for renting

Jowo_2

I love all these 'don't estate agents charge such huge fees when the tasks are so quick and simple' threads. I'm thinking of cutting and pasting my response into the new ones which crop up on a daily basis.

In answer to the OP, yes the large fee for simple work is a way of getting money out of you and while they are hitting you with charges, they are also billing the landlord large fees that may not always require much time or effort.

I can produce a website in under an hour by using a free template and get it hosted for pennies but I will still charge the client as much as I can get away with because it took me ages to find the right template and the best hosting service, weeks to learn the software packages that cost £500 to help me edit them on my £1000 PC and considerable effort in marketing my services.

Any business, including the ones from the employer that provide the income to the tenants to pay their rent, is concerned with maximising profits and charging as much as the market will allow it while minimising expenditure. It's basic capitalism which is highly popular when you are the employee on commission but deeply unappealing when you are the customer.

If you don't like the charge, negotiate it or find another agent or landlord.