It is the question everyone asks themselves — and that few ask out loud. We answer it here, with the real figures and without beating around the bush.
The agency's commission is one of those costs that are always discussed under one's breath. We prefer to write it down on a page of our website: how much we take, when, and — above all — to do what. That way you can decide with the figures in front of you, not sight unseen.
For a sale our commission is normally 3% + VAT (IVA) on the sale price. It can vary from case to case — the type of property, how complex the paperwork is, the price — but whatever the figure, you know it before we start: it is written into the agency agreement, in black and white. It does not turn up as a surprise at the end, and it does not change along the way.
On the lower prices a percentage would make no sense: the work needed to sell a home at 40.000 € is certainly not half of that needed for one at 80.000 — the documents, the photos, the viewings and the notarial deed (rogito) are exactly the same. For properties under 70.000 € we therefore apply fixed fees, agreed in advance and matched to the price: the lower the value, the more the fee adjusts. These too are always written into the agency agreement before we begin.
Only when the sale is completed. No advances, no expense refunds, no "administration fees": if we do not sell, you owe us nothing. It is the simplest way to align our interests with yours — we earn only if you get to the signing.
The commission covers all of the work, not just "the sign outside":
Selling on your own is possible, and some people even do it well. But the wrong price at the start, the months spent watching a listing grow stale, viewings by the merely curious, a badly drafted preliminary contract (compromesso) or a missing document discovered at the deed all cost money — sometimes far more than a commission. Our job is to make sure the final tally works out better for you: in the price achieved, in the time it takes and in your peace of mind. We talk about this in our guide to selling as well.
A guide by the team at Danesi Immobiliare — FIAIP-certified estate agents, in Caltanissetta since 2008.