Few topics spark debate in the property industry quite like agency fees. They’re the LinkedIn lightning rod, the conference conversation that always turns heated — and, as Kotini’s Annalese Walmsley put it when opening a recent Kotini webinar, “the elephant in the room for estate agents.”

To get beyond surface-level opinions, Kotini brought together a panel of industry experts to discuss all things fees — from shifting consumer expectations to confidence, value, and what needs to change if the industry is to move forward.

The conversation revealed a deeper truth: this isn’t just about percentages. It’s about professionalism, perception, and how agents articulate the real value they deliver.

Meet the panel

The webinar featured a cross-section of senior industry voices:

• David Mintz – Revenue & Marketing Director, Kerfuffle
  
  
• Šárka Wild – Owner, Distinct Property Consultants
  
  
• Ann Durrell – Managing Director, Maddox Noel Estate Agents
  
  
• Kristjan Byfield – Co-founder, The Depositary and Base Property Specialists
  
  

Together, they offered a candid look at why fees remain so contentious — and what agents can do differently.

Five expert tips to improve your fees

The panel shared five practical takeaways for agents looking to strengthen their fee position:

Explain your value early
“It isn’t just putting the property on Rightmove.” Educate vendors on the marketing, negotiation, and compliance work that happens behind the scenes.
Ann Durrell, Managing Director, Maddox Noel

Fix broken KPIs
Stop rewarding agents solely for listings volume. Focus on conversions, quality, and client outcomes.
Kristjan Byfield, Co-founder, The Depositary

Position fees as fair, not flexible
You don’t haggle with a surgeon — estate agency should be no different.
David Mintz, Revenue & Marketing Director, Kerfuffle

Charge upfront to reduce risk and gauge commitment
“If people aren’t going to pay me for my photography, I don’t take the listing.” Upfront fees ensure both parties are invested.
Šárka Wild, Owner, Distinct Property Consultants

Shift focus from listings to revenue outcomes
“In any other sales world, it’s not about deals won, it’s about long-term revenue and relationships.”
Annalese Walmsley, Sales Director, Kotini

The perception gap

For too long, many consumers have viewed estate agency as a transaction rather than a service.

Durrell put it plainly: “There’s a misunderstanding of the value of what we do.”

Sellers still imagine agents “just putting the property on Rightmove,” unaware of the marketing strategy, negotiation skill, and psychological labour that goes into every sale. As Durrell explained, the role has shifted — agents are now marketers, mediators, and project managers — but the public rarely sees that.

This lack of visibility creates a perception gap. Clients see the final bill without understanding the unseen hours of photography, compliance checks, chain chasing, or emotional mediation between divorcing couples and nervous buyers.

The result is resentment over fees that, in reality, barely reflect the complexity of the work.

The solution, the panel agreed, isn’t defensive justification — it’s confident, consistent education.

A confidence deficit

Confidence emerged as one of the webinar’s strongest themes — or rather, the lack of it.

As Kristjan Byfield put it: “Whatever you set your fee as, you should have faith in being able to explain to a client why you’re worth that money.”

He shared an example of a seller willing to pay up to 2% for the right service. One agent started at 1% and immediately discounted to 0.75% — which Byfield described as “the biggest red flag you can give a client.”

That instinct to discount doesn’t just erode margins. It undermines trust.

David Mintz described it as an “industry self-esteem issue,” noting that agents often “walk up the garden path already negotiating with themselves.”

Value, the panel agreed, is communicated as much through conviction and posture as through price.

The wrong targets

Confidence is shaped by culture — and several panellists highlighted that many agencies still measure success by volume rather than value.

Byfield warned that this creates a mindset of “just get the property on, no matter what.” Durrell agreed, noting that agents who win instructions at any fee often leave colleagues to deal with fall-throughs and margin pressure later.

As Walmsley observed: “In any other sales world, success is measured by revenue and retention, not just deals thrown over the fence.”

If standards are to improve, success must be redefined from quantity to quality.

Paying for commitment

While many agents still operate on a no-sale, no-fee basis, some are challenging that norm.

Šárka Wild explained how upfront fees help build mutual commitment:

“If people aren’t going to pay me for my photography, I don’t take the listing. I’d rather sell fewer properties but deliver quality service.”

Her model includes minimum fees and upfront marketing or AML costs. It filters out casual vendors and fosters a partnership mentality.

Mintz noted that the vast majority of agents still don’t charge upfront — leaving them to shoulder risk for transactions that may never complete.

The industry, he argued, has normalised free labour.

Global lessons in value

Viewed internationally, the UK’s approach to fees looks even more challenging.

Byfield pointed out that average UK fees sit around 1.1%, compared to a global average closer to 5%.

Wild added: “It’s the same all over the world — the UK is the cheapest.”

Part of that, the panel agreed, stems from years of so-called disruptors whose core message was simply “we’ll do it cheaper.”

As Byfield put it: “They didn’t disrupt service, they disrupted value.”

From salespeople to professionals

Professionalisation emerged as a long-term solution.

Durrell shared how her agency embeds formal qualifications into progression: “We should be creating an industry of people who are professionally recognised — not just anyone selling houses on Instagram.”

Byfield agreed but warned that regulation without enforcement simply penalises good businesses.

Wild added that qualifications must be affordable and accessible: “We need to make people proud to be estate agents again.”

Mintz summed it up: training and regulation only work if standards are enforced consistently.

Shared responsibility: the role of portals and platforms

Property portals also came under scrutiny.

Byfield called for them to play a greater role in education and standards, while Mintz imagined a future where portals only showcased qualified agents.

If the industry wants to raise its profile, its biggest platforms must help carry that message.

The illusion of DIY selling

The growth of ultra-low-cost and self-listing portals was another concern.

Durrell acknowledged consumer choice but warned most sellers underestimate complexity. Mintz was more blunt: “You wouldn’t give yourself a kidney operation to save a few quid.”

Selling looks simple when done well — but that simplicity masks expertise.

Reform that works

On Government reform, the panel supported greater upfront transparency — but only if properly enforced.

Without accountability, new requirements risk becoming yet another burden on compliant agents while poor practice continues unchecked.

Technology will help — but it can’t replace regulation and enforcement.

Reframing the future

As the session closed, Walmsley asked each panellist to name one change they’d make:

• Byfield: Be confident in the value you deliver
  
  
• Wild: Educate people why you charge what you charge
  
  
• Durrell: Stop the race to the bottom
  
  
• Mintz: Keep training — confidence fades if you don’t practice it
  
  

Together, they outline a blueprint for modern agency: confidence, education, collaboration, and professionalism.

Behind the fee – ahead of the curve

The debate about fees will never disappear — and that’s healthy. But when competition becomes synonymous with discounting, everyone loses.

The next chapter of estate agency won’t be defined by percentages alone, but by the values behind them: clarity, confidence, and consistency.

As Walmsley concluded:

“There’s so much more to what agents do than the consumer ever sees. The more transparent we become about that, the more we lift the industry together.”

Behind every fee is a story of expertise, risk, and dedication.

It’s time the industry started telling it — proudly.

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