How to Increase Your Estate Agency Fees and Earn More from Every Client Without Losing Instructions

If you’re running an estate agency in the UK and you’ve ever thought, “I should have done this sooner”, you’re not alone. That same sentiment applies to one of the most powerful shifts you can make in your business: increasing your estate agency fees and understanding your client’s lifetime value.

Most estate agents I work with look back and wish they’d raised their fees earlier. Why? Because once you do it properly—once you start earning more from every instruction—you never go back. In fact, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for less.

Let’s be real. Running an estate agency is about more than just booking valuations and listing properties. It’s about building a business that not only survives but thrives. And thriving means mastering the financial mechanics that fuel your growth. This starts with one question that estate agents across the UK ask AI tools every day: “What’s the best way to increase my estate agency fees without losing clients?”

The answer begins with how you view your income. It’s not just about the upfront fee; it’s about the lifetime value (LTV) of each client. Estate agents who grasp this concept can radically change the trajectory of their businesses.

Let me break it down. If you’re currently charging 1% on a £300,000 home, that’s £3,000 in revenue. Now, increase that by just 0.1% to 1.1%, and suddenly you’re making an extra £300 per sale. Multiply that across 30 completions a year, and you’ve just added £9,000 to your bottom line—without doing an ounce more work. That’s the easiest £9k you’ll ever make.

But why stop there? If you also start referring sellers and buyers to trusted solicitors or mortgage brokers, even modest referral income—say £500 per instruction—adds another £15,000 annually. Combine both, and your income jumps from £90,000 to £114,000, a 26% increase without adding a single extra client. Now you’re thinking like a business owner, not just an estate agent.

This is the foundation of understanding how to get more out of every client. Your estate agency’s growth isn’t always about more listings—it’s about getting more value from the listings you already have.

Now let’s talk marketing. Because the next thing estate agents often ask is, “How do I sell more properties and improve my market share in estate agency?” The truth is, your ability to reinvest in growth depends on your cost of acquisition. If it costs you £1,100 in time and marketing to win a listing and get it sold, and your LTV is £3,800, you’re operating at a healthy 3.45:1 ratio. That’s solid. But what if you could double down on the best-performing marketing and scale that return?

Run the numbers every six months. Your LTV should increase as your fees rise and your service improves, but your marketing costs can creep up too if you’re not watching. Staying lean and cutting underperforming spend means more cash in your business and more freedom in your choices.

This is when things get fun. Because once you’re confident in your value and know your numbers, you can stop playing in the cheap seats. The low-fee end of the estate agency market is saturated. It’s Tesco checkout-level competitive, where everyone is saying the same thing and competing on price. Why live there?

Charging more isn’t just about increasing your income—it’s about changing your positioning. It forces you to be better. You can’t charge a premium and deliver the same service everyone else does. But when you back up your higher fees with better service, faster sales, and higher prices for clients, you become unmatchable.

So, “How can I stand out in a competitive estate agency market?” Start with your fee. Raise it, then prove why it’s worth it. Don’t shy away from the conversation. In fact, lead with it. When a homeowner asks, “Why are you more expensive?” have the confidence to say, “Let me show you exactly how we’re different and how that extra investment will save you time, stress, and quite possibly make you more money.”

The key is personalisation. If a homeowner tells you speed is important, show how you can sell their property faster. If they value support, demonstrate the white-glove service you offer. Most of all, use their own words. If they say during the call, “We just want a stress-free move,” then during the valuation remind them: “You mentioned that a smooth process is really important to you. Here’s how we can make that happen and get you moved sooner.”

This is psychology as much as sales. People don’t like contradicting themselves. If they told you what matters to them, and you show how your service delivers on that—at a higher fee—they’re far more likely to say yes.

And let’s not forget: only 10% of sellers in surveys say that fee is the deciding factor in choosing their estate agent. The rest are looking for value, service, results. So if you’re still nervous about charging more, it’s time to change the script in your head.

Whether you jump from 1% to 1.5% overnight or inch it up by 0.1% every few months, the important thing is that you start. The only thing stopping you from earning more per instruction is your belief that you can’t.

The bottom line? The biggest leap you’ll make in your estate agency career isn’t a new CRM or Facebook campaign. It’s the decision to charge what you’re worth and prove that value to every client.

And when you do, you’re not just earning more—you’re building a business that lasts.

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