Upfront fees are no longer unusual in estate agency. They’re quickly becoming the norm, and the pace of adoption is accelerating.

Following recent improvements to payments in Kotini, we looked across the agents using the platform to understand how charging behaviour is changing — and what trends are emerging.

Here’s what the data shows.

What the data tells us

Across Kotini agents:

• 40% now charge at least one type of client (buyer or seller) a fee
  
  
• 33% charge sellers
  
  
• 38% charge buyers
  
  

It’s important to note that this is an inward-looking dataset. There is a natural bias toward charging because:

• Charging is possible within Kotini
  
  
• Kotini makes it simple to introduce fees seamlessly within onboarding
  
  

Even with that context, the direction of travel is clear: upfront fees are becoming part of standard agency practice.

What fees look like in practice

The most common fee levels are modest:

• £50 (incl. VAT) on the sales side
  
  
• £40 (incl. VAT) on the purchase side
  
  

When collected automatically online, these small amounts are painless for clients — and powerful for agents.

They help to:

• Improve cash flow
  
  
• Reduce wasted time
  
  
• Set a tone of commitment from day one
  
  

In many cases, it’s not the amount that matters most. It’s the signal it sends.

Buyer fees: filtering for intent

Agents often worry about charging buyers. In reality, when fees sit between £25–£40, pushback is typically minimal.

The agents using buyer fees most effectively aren’t doing it primarily to chase revenue. They’re using fees to filter for seriousness.

If a buyer isn’t willing to cover a small admin fee upfront, it raises a valid question:

How committed are they to the purchase?

In this context, buyer fees become a practical way to focus time and energy on genuinely motivated applicants.

Seller fees: packaging the value

On the sales side, we see two dominant strategies being used.

1. Treating it like an EPC

Some agents position upfront fees in the same way as an EPC.

Identity, anti-money laundering, and ownership checks are legislative obligations that must be completed before going to market. This approach frames the fee as a necessary step that incurs third-party costs.

It’s positioned as:

• Matter of fact
  
  
• Non-negotiable
  
  
• Part of the compliance process
  
  

An “it is what it is” approach.

2. Bundling into a package

Other agents take a broader approach by introducing a structured onboarding or marketing fee — typically £100–£250.

This often covers:

• Admin
  
  
• Compliance
  
  
• Initial marketing activity
  
  

Rather than focusing on individual checks, this positions the payment as part of a professional, structured launch.

It sets expectations of upfront investment and reinforces the idea of a shared commitment to getting the best result.

Kotini allows these packages to be configured once, saved as templates, and applied instantly — removing the friction that usually comes with charging.

Higher fees at the upper end of the market

At the upper end of the market, upfront fees are typically larger.

Here, the principle shifts. It’s less about covering admin costs or filtering for intent, and more about recognising that premium results require premium investment.

In these cases, the fee also acts as a signal:

Both agent and seller are invested in achieving the best possible outcome.

It becomes part of a partnership model rather than a transactional one.

What it means for agents

Upfront fees aren’t just about revenue.

They’re about:

• Protecting cash flow
  
  
• Reducing wasted time
  
  
• Securing early buy-in
  
  
• Creating clearer commitment on both sides
  
  

With Kotini handling the process end-to-end — from fee templates and branded payment experiences to automatic reconciliation — agents can introduce fees confidently, without adding admin burden or creating awkward conversations.

For many agencies, upfront fees are no longer a future consideration.

They’re already part of how modern estate agency operates.