Who pays the agent?

There is no single rule for who pays a real-estate agency — it depends on the contract with the agency.

The brokerage contract decides

An agency works on the basis of a written brokerage contract with its client. It states:

• who the client is (the seller, the buyer, the owner or the tenant),
• the commission — a percentage of the price or a fixed amount,
• when it becomes due — usually only when the purchase or rental contract is signed,
• whether the agency works exclusively and for how long.

Buying or renting through an agency

Ask at the first contact whether you will have to pay a commission and how much. If you sign anything at a viewing, read it: you may be agreeing to pay a fee. A serious agency will tell you up front.

Avoid paying twice

If you found the property yourself on Estate24 and contact the owner directly, you owe no commission to anyone. If two agencies offer the same property, you pay only the one whose contract you signed and that actually brought you the deal.

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