Aligning Your Interests With Your Estate Agent
In this month’s blog, we’re looking at why it’s crucial that your interests and your estate agent’s interests are fully aligned. You don’t want to rely solely on trust, you want a setup where what’s good for you is also good for your agent. That’s how you create a genuine win-win situation. Below are three ways to make sure that happens.
Choose a Fee Structure That Incentivises the Best Result
We strongly recommend avoiding any upfront fees and instead agreeing to pay a percentage of your final sale price. This structure ensures your agent is motivated to secure the highest possible price, because their fee increases alongside your sale price.
This is far more effective than paying regardless of whether your home sells. When your agent’s earnings depend on achieving a great outcome, you’re both working toward the same goal.
Be Clear on Contract Length
Contract length is another area where alignment matters. Ideally, you want the freedom to stay with an agent because you’re happy with the service, not because you’re locked into a 20 week agreement.
From the agent’s perspective, not having a long tie-in means they have to earn your trust continuously. They must communicate well, keep you informed, and give you confidence that your property is in the right hands. When you’re free to walk away at any time, your satisfaction becomes their priority, exactly as it should be.
Avoid Gimmicks That Misalign Incentives
We recently came across a promotion where an agent offered to halve their fee if the property didn’t sell within six weeks. At first glance, it might sound appealing — who doesn’t like the idea of saving money?
But look a little deeper. If the agent earns half as much for selling quickly, how motivated will they be to find a buyer within six weeks? In reality, they’d profit more by letting the sale take longer.
As the seller, you want the opposite, a quick and efficient sale. A truly aligned incentive would reward the agent more for selling faster, not slower. That creates motivation that matches your goals.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the key is creating an environment where what works for you, works for your agent too. When your goals line up, you’re far more likely to achieve the outcome you want as a seller.
Of course, you’d like to think you’re working with an agent who genuinely cares, and at AKS, we take pride in ensuring our clients always feel exactly that.
Thank you for reading, and we hope you found this helpful!
