How to compare estate-agent proposals when the commission is different

Turn each headline fee into a comparable total

Start with the price you realistically expect to accept, not an optimistic asking price. Ask each agency to show the fee at that price, the applicable VAT, any minimum fee and every separately priced service. Put the VAT-inclusive total in your comparison sheet. A percentage can look lower and still produce a higher bill because of a minimum or paid extras.

Portuguese law does not set one standard estate-agency percentage. Article 16 of Lei n.º 15/2013 requires the written mediation agreement to state the remuneration, whether fixed or percentage-based, the method of payment and the applicable VAT rate. If the proposal leaves any of those points unclear, ask for the draft agreement before comparing it.

• Fee at the expected sale price, including VAT
• Minimum fee and the price at which it starts to apply
• Photography, video, floor plan, portals or other paid extras
• Charges that remain payable if the property does not sell

Compare when and why payment becomes due

Two similar totals can carry different risk. Record whether the proposed remuneration is due at the promissory contract, at completion or at another point allowed by the agreement. Article 19 sets a general rule linked to completion of the mediated transaction and also allows payment at the promissory-contract stage where the mediation agreement expressly says so.

Read the exclusivity wording as well. In an exclusive agreement, the same article provides for remuneration in certain cases where the transaction does not complete for a reason attributable to the owner. That is not a universal answer for every failed sale: the signed clause and the facts matter. Ask a Portuguese lawyer or solicitador to review wording you do not understand before signing.

Keep a fixed service fee separate from success-based remuneration. A service can be payable for completed advertising and enquiry work even if no buyer completes. That is a different price model, not automatically a hidden commission.

Put the work into the same rows

Ask both agencies to complete the same list. Avoid labels such as ‘premium marketing’ unless the proposal explains what will be produced, where it will appear, who approves it and how progress will be reported.

• Check the property information and identify missing documents
• Prepare photographs, video, floor plan and listing copy
• Publish to named portals and keep the adverts consistent
• Answer enquiries, confirm viewing arrangements and protect private information
• Host viewings, collect useful feedback and arrange follow-up
• Record and relay offers, then support negotiation
• Coordinate the agreed commercial steps from accepted offer to completion

Match the service to the work you can do

The best proposal depends on the property and your availability. An owner who lives nearby, has suitable photographs and can host viewings may not need to pay for the same scope as an owner abroad who needs access, photography and viewings organised locally.

Write ‘owner’ or ‘agency’ beside every task. Then add the practical cost of your own time, travel and availability. This is not a claim that one route is always better. It is a way to stop an apparently cheaper proposal from transferring work you cannot reliably do.

Check the contract, not only the presentation

Confirm the agency in the IMPIC licence register and make sure the company named in the proposal is the company that will sign the agreement. Read the duration, renewal and notice clauses; the precise effects of exclusivity; the owner’s duties; permitted subcontracting; insurance details; and every accessory service.

Also ask what happens to keys, photographs, video, floor plans, signs and portal adverts when the agreement ends. A polished presentation does not replace clear written responsibilities.

Use a weighted decision, not a made-up score

Choose the three or four things that matter most for this sale, such as hosting viewings, local availability, reporting, price strategy or coordination after an offer. Give those items more weight and ask each agency for evidence in its proposed process. Do not invent precision by awarding points for promises that cannot be checked.

A useful final comparison has four columns: requirement, Agency A, Agency B and question still unanswered. If the unanswered column is long, you are not ready to compare the fees.

Where IMOJA Online Sale fits

IMOJA Online Sale costs €499 including VAT for one property and runs for 90 days from the first publication. The owner supplies the photographs and hosts the viewings; IMOJA prepares and publishes the listing, handles enquiries and relays offers within the agreed scope. The service fee is payable even if no sale completes.

Compare that offer with a full-service proposal row by row. If you need the agency to organise photography and conduct viewings, Online Sale does not include that work. If you can do those tasks, the fixed service may be relevant. Neither route guarantees a buyer, a completion date or a search ranking.

The seven answers to obtain before signing

Ask for the final answers in writing and keep them with the draft agreement. If the commercial summary and the contract conflict, resolve the difference before signing.

• What is the total price including VAT at my expected sale price?
• What minimums or extras can change that total?
• Exactly what work is included and what remains with me?
• When can payment become due, including if the sale does not complete?
• How long does the agreement last and how is renewal or notice handled?
• What does exclusivity prevent or require in this specific contract?
• How will enquiries, viewings, feedback and offers be reported?