Online estate agents compared
Online estate agents sell your home for a fixed fee, typically £500 to £1,500, instead of a percentage of the sale price. They list your home on the property portals and run the sale centrally. You often pay upfront and may show buyers round yourself. A high street agent averages about 1.3% including VAT and usually handles everything.
The right choice depends on how much of the work you want to do, how much your home is worth and how well a particular agent sells homes like yours in your area. This guide explains how online and hybrid agents work, what their fees cover and how to compare them fairly with local high street agents.
In this guide: How online estate agents work | Fees | What is and is not included | Pay now or pay later | When an online agent suits | How to compare online agents | Questions
How online estate agents work
An online estate agent does the same legal job as a high street agent: it markets your home, passes on offers and helps the sale through to completion. The difference is in how the work is organised. Instead of running local branches, an online agent works from a central office and takes enquiries by telephone, email and an online account. It often uses self-employed valuers or local staff for home visits.
Valuation
Some online agents value your home from a desk, using recent sold prices for similar homes nearby, the size and layout of your home and any improvements you describe. Others send a local valuer to see the property. Ask which method the agent uses, because a desk valuation cannot take account of condition or features that do not show in the data.
Marketing
Online agents rely on the property portals, where most buyers start their search. Check which portals are included in the fee. Photographs, a floorplan and a description are usually part of the listing; a for sale board, professional photography or a premium portal position may cost extra.
Viewings and offers
Many online agents expect you to show buyers round your home yourself, with accompanied viewings available for an additional charge. Offers usually come through the agent’s central team or online account. You decide whether to accept, reject or negotiate, as you would with any agent.
Hybrid agents
A hybrid agent combines a central team with local valuers or property experts on the ground. The local person usually values the home and may conduct viewings, while marketing and administration are handled centrally. Hybrid agents usually charge fixed fees but may also offer a percentage fee payable on completion.
The same rules apply
Online and hybrid agents are estate agents in law. They must give you their terms in writing before you sign, including the fee and when it becomes payable. They must pass on every offer to you promptly and in writing. They must also belong to an approved redress scheme, so you can take a complaint to an independent body if the agent does not resolve it.
Online estate agent fees
Online agents typically charge a fixed fee of £500 to £1,500 including VAT, depending on the service (Rightmove, 2025). The fee does not rise with the price of your home, so the saving compared with a percentage fee is larger on more expensive homes.
| Type of agent | Typical fee | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Online agent, fixed fee | £500 to £1,500 | Often upfront, whether or not the home sells |
| Online agent, pay on completion | Usually more than the upfront price | On completion of the sale |
| High street agent, sole agency | Usually 1% to 1.8%, up to 2.5% | On completion of the sale |
| High street agent, average | About 1.3% including VAT | On completion of the sale |
Sources: Rightmove, “How much are estate agent fees and how do they work?”, read 20 October 2026; Which?, “Estate agent fees and contracts”, updated 8 June 2026.
On a home sold at the UK average price of £272,611 (HM Land Registry, July 2026), a fee of 1.3% including VAT comes to £3,543.94. A fixed fee of £500 to £1,500 is lower, but it buys a different level of service. Use the estate agent fees calculator to work out the figures for your own home.
What is and is not included
Fixed fee packages vary more than percentage fees, so read the list of what is included before you compare prices. Items that online agents commonly price separately include:
- professional photographs and a floorplan
- the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which you must have before your home is marketed in England and Wales
- accompanied viewings
- a for sale board
- premium or featured listings on the portals
- help with negotiation and sale progression after an offer is accepted
A low headline fee can rise quickly once these are added. Compare the total cost of the service you actually want, including VAT.
Pay now or pay later
Many online agents ask for the fee upfront and keep it even if your home does not sell. Some let you pay later, on completion, but usually at a higher price. High street agents normally charge only when the sale completes.
Paying upfront has two consequences. First, you carry the risk: if the sale falls through or you decide not to sell, the money is gone. Second, the agent has already been paid, so its reward does not depend on the price achieved or on whether the sale completes. A percentage fee paid on completion ties the agent’s reward to both.
If you choose a pay later option, check what happens if you withdraw, whether a minimum fee applies and whether the contract contains a “ready, willing and able purchaser” clause, which can make you liable to pay even if you decide not to sell.
When an online agent suits and when a high street agent may achieve more
An online agent may suit you if:
- your home is likely to sell readily at a clear market price, for example a typical house or flat in an area with plenty of recent sales
- you are happy to show buyers round and talk to them directly
- you are comfortable dealing with an agent by telephone, email and an online account
- your home is valuable enough that a fixed fee saves a meaningful sum compared with a percentage fee
A high street agent may achieve a better net result if:
- your home is unusual, hard to value or in a market with few recent sales
- you cannot be present for viewings or would prefer not to negotiate yourself
- you want a single local contact who knows buyers already looking in the area
- you are in a chain and want the agent to chase the other sales and the conveyancers
The fee is only part of the result. A slightly higher fee can be the better choice if the agent sells faster or achieves a higher price. Our guide to the cheapest way to sell a house works through the arithmetic.
How to compare online agents
Compare online agents with each other and with local high street agents on the same terms:
- Total fee including VAT for the service you want, with all extras added.
- When the fee is paid and whether any of it is refundable.
- Track record in your area: how many homes like yours the agent has sold recently, how long they took and how close the sale prices came to the asking prices.
- Portals used and whether a premium listing is included.
- Who values the home, whether in person or from a desk.
- Contract terms: the tie-in period, the notice period and whether the contract grants sole selling rights.
- Reviews from recent sellers.
easyProperty is a free estate agent comparison service. Enter your postcode and you can see local high street and online estate agents side by side, with their fees, services and track records, before you contact any of them. For more on the questions to ask, see how to choose an estate agent.
Frequently asked questions
Are online estate agents cheaper?
Usually, on the headline fee. Online agents typically charge £500 to £1,500, while the average high street fee is about 1.3% including VAT, which is £3,543.94 on a £272,611 home. Extras such as accompanied viewings can narrow the gap. The fee is also often paid upfront.
Do online estate agents do viewings?
Some do and some do not. Many online agents expect you to conduct viewings yourself and offer accompanied viewings for an additional charge. Hybrid agents often have a local person who can show buyers round.
Do I pay an online estate agent if my house does not sell?
If you pay upfront, usually yes: the agent normally keeps the fee whether or not the home sells. A pay later or pay on completion option avoids this but usually costs more. Read the contract before you sign.
Are online estate agents regulated?
Yes. Online agents are subject to the same law as high street agents, including the Estate Agents Act 1979. They must give you their terms in writing, pass on all offers promptly and belong to an approved redress scheme.
Will an online agent list my home on Rightmove and Zoopla?
Most online agents list on the main portals, but packages differ. Check which portals are included in the fee and whether a premium listing costs extra.
What is a hybrid estate agent?
A hybrid agent combines a central online team with local valuers or property experts. The local person usually values the home and may conduct viewings, while marketing and administration are handled centrally.
Before you choose, compare local high street and online estate agents’ fees free on easyProperty. It takes a few minutes and there is no obligation. To see what a percentage fee or a fixed fee would cost on your home, use our estate agent fees guide and calculator.
