Estate agent AML and other fees for selling

eddddy

Downthedrain said

We're also taken aback that photography and social media marketing is extra (?) requiring an upfront fee of £360 (minimum, for a basic marketing pack comprising a floor plan and photography with some video).

I've always avoided agents who add extra fees like this - especially if the fee is payable, even if they don't sell the property.

Downthedrain said

there's also an additional cancellation fee on top of £360 to cover their marketing costs.

Do you mean cancellation fee, or do you mean termination / withdrawal fee?

"Cancellation" normally means cancelling the contract during the first 14 days - the statutory "cooling off" period

"Termination" or "withdrawal" means ending the contract (after the minimum contract period) because the estate agent has been unable to find a buyer.

If an estate agent's contract specifies a Termination or Withdrawal fee, I wind up the agent by saying something like "You just told me that you can sell my property for £x. Now your contract is saying that if you're wrong and you can't sell my property for £x, you want me to pay you £360, because you failed to do what you said."

Downthedrain

I checked with another EA and their AML checks are £25 for us both combined as vendors, all pictures and marketing included in a 1% commission and no withdrawal costs. Another wanted £75 each + VAT, and when I commented that I thought this excessive they said it's only what it cost them. So right away this to me establishes a position of distrust.

Chief_of_Staffy

When I sold mine last year it was a 1.2% fee, which included 3 dozen excellent photos, virtual reality tour inside and out, video tour and all associated brochure and marketing, with no added costs for AML or any of that. I didn't pay an AML fee when buying either. So it can be done.