How much does an agent cost when selling a house?

When selling you usually pay commission on the sale price. On a €450,000 home at 1% to 2% that is roughly €4,500 to €9,000 excluding VAT. Extra costs such as the energy label, photos or start-up fees may be added. Always ask for a total including VAT.

What is the average agent commission?

There is no official national average. In practice selling commission is usually between approx. 1% and 2% of the sale price, and buying commission between approx. 1% and 1.5%. The more expensive the home, the lower the percentage often is.

What does a buying agent cost?

A buying agent usually charges a fixed fee of approx. €2,500 to €5,000, or 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price. For more expensive homes a fixed fee is usually cheaper. Buying agent fees are not tax-deductible.

Are agent fees including or excluding VAT?

Often excluding. Agent services carry 21% VAT. A €6,000 commission becomes €7,260 including VAT. Always compare quotes on the amount including VAT.

What are withdrawal fees?

You pay withdrawal fees if you cancel the sales mandate before the home is sold through the agent, for example because you decide not to sell or find a buyer yourself. The amount is in the engagement letter; often a fixed amount or part of the commission.

Is an online agent cheaper?

On paper yes: you pay a fixed package of approx. €800 to €3,000 instead of a percentage. You do more yourself though, such as viewings and often the negotiation. For a popular home that can work fine; for a harder-to-sell home personal guidance is often worth it.

Who pays the agent fees: buyer or seller?

Each party pays its own agent. The seller pays the selling agent, the buyer pays any buying agent. As a buyer you do not contribute to the seller's agent.

Can you negotiate agent fees?

Yes. Get several quotes, ask for a fixed fee on a more expensive home, have extra costs included in the commission and consider a tiered rate. Agree withdrawal fees upfront.

Dutch estate agent fees 2026: what does a makelaar cost?

What a Dutch estate agent (makelaar) costs depends on three things: whether you buy or sell, which fee model you choose and what the package includes. On this page you see all common fees side by side, with worked examples, the extra costs people often forget and an honest comparison between a traditional and an online agent.

Short answer

•Selling agent: usually a commission of approx. 1% to 2% of the sale price, or a fixed fee.
•Buying agent: usually a fixed fee of approx. €2,500 to €5,000, or 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price.
•Online agent: a fixed package, often approx. €800 to €3,000. You do more yourself.
•Fees are often quoted excluding 21% VAT. Always ask for the total including VAT and extra costs.

1% – 2%

Common selling agent commission (indicative)

€2,500 – €5,000

Common buying agent fixed fee (indicative)

+21% VAT

Often added on top of the quoted fee

Agent fees by model

These are the four fee models you will see most often in the Netherlands. The amounts are indicative ranges: the real price depends on region, property type, price range and what the package includes.

Model	How it works	Indicative fee	Often suits
Commission (percentage)	You pay a percentage of the final sale or purchase price, usually after the transaction.	Sale approx. 1% – 2%; purchase approx. 1% – 1.5%	Mid-range homes; if you want the agent to share in the outcome
Fixed fee	One agreed amount, regardless of the final price.	Purchase approx. €2,500 – €5,000; sale often a few thousand euros	More expensive homes, where a percentage adds up quickly
No cure no pay	You only pay the commission on a successful sale or purchase. Extra costs may still apply.	Often a slightly higher percentage than regular commission	Homes where a sale is uncertain
Online agent	Fixed package, often including a Funda listing. You handle viewings and negotiation (partly) yourself or buy them as extras.	Approx. €800 – €3,000 depending on package	Popular, easy-to-sell homes and sellers with time

All amounts are indicative and often exclude VAT. Always ask for a written quote with a total amount.

Worked examples: agent fees at €350,000, €450,000 and €600,000

This is what commission looks like at three common property values. It shows why a few tenths of a percent quickly make a difference of hundreds or thousands of euros.

Property value	Commission 1%	Commission 1.5%	Commission 2%	1.5% incl. 21% VAT	Purchase 1% – 1.5%
€350,000	€3,500	€5,250	€7,000	€6,353	€3,500 – €5,250
€450,000	€4,500	€6,750	€9,000	€8,168	€4,500 – €6,750
€600,000	€6,000	€9,000	€12,000	€10,890	€6,000 – €9,000

Amounts exclude VAT unless stated. For a more expensive home a fixed fee is often cheaper: a buying agent at a fixed approx. €2,500 to €5,000 is clearly cheaper at €600,000 than 1% to 1.5%. Want all purchase costs in one overview, including transfer tax and notary? Use the buyer's costs calculator. More examples per percentage are on the agent commission page.

Buying agent costs vs selling agent costs

A buying agent works for you as buyer, a selling agent for you as seller. The work differs, and so does the fee.

	Buying agent	Selling agent
Common fee model	Fixed fee or 1% – 1.5% commission	Approx. 1% – 2% commission or fixed fee
Indicative amount	Approx. €2,500 – €5,000	Approx. €4,500 – €9,000 at €450,000 (1% – 2%)
Who pays?	The buyer	The seller
Included	Searching, viewings, valuation, bidding, contract check	Valuation, photos, Funda, viewings, negotiation, purchase agreement
When do you pay?	Usually after purchase; sometimes partly upfront	Usually after sale; extra costs sometimes upfront
No cure no pay possible?	Sometimes, often as a hybrid model	Regularly

More about buying agents

What does a buying agent do and when does it pay off?

More about selling agents

How a selling agent sells your home

Extra costs: what is not in the commission?

The fee on the quote is not always the total. These items are often charged separately, so always ask what is and is not included.

Energy label

Mandatory when selling. A certified advisor issues the label after a visit to your home. Expect, indicatively, a few hundred euros depending on property type. Still have a valid label? Then you do not need a new one.

Photography, floor plan and video

Included by many agents, a separate item at others. Think of professional photos, a floor plan with measurements, a 360-degree tour or drone. Separate prices range indicatively from approx. €150 to a few hundred euros per item.

Funda and advertising

Listing on Funda goes through an affiliated agent. Sometimes this is in the commission, sometimes in a start-up fee. Extra visibility (such as a featured listing) is often a separate item.

Start-up or publication fees

Some agents charge an amount upfront, even if the home does not sell in the end. That is not wrong, but you should know it beforehand.

Withdrawal fees

If you withdraw the sales mandate, or sell privately after all, the agent can charge withdrawal fees (intrekkingskosten). This is often a fixed amount or part of the commission and is stated in the engagement letter. Read it before you sign.

VAT

Many agents quote excluding 21% VAT. On €6,000 commission that is €1,260 extra. Always compare quotes including VAT.

Considering no cure no pay? First read how a no cure no pay agent works and which costs you still pay.

Traditional agent or online agent: an honest comparison

An online agent is cheaper on paper. The question is how much work you want and are able to do, and how much risk you accept. The differences without a sales pitch:

	Traditional agent	Online agent
Fee	Commission approx. 1% – 2% or fixed fee	Fixed package, approx. €800 – €3,000 (indicative)
Valuation	On site, with local comparables	Often online or remote; on site at extra cost
Viewings	Agent handles them	Usually you do them yourself
Negotiation	Agent negotiates on your behalf	Often yourself, with remote advice
Purchase agreement	Drafted by the agent	Usually included, or via the notary
Personal contact	Dedicated agent in your region	Varies, often by phone or chat
Suits	People who want it handled, complex homes, first sale	Popular homes, sellers with time and negotiation experience

To be fair: for a popular home in a tight market an online agent can work well and save thousands of euros. For a home that is harder to sell, with leasehold, an owners' association with overdue maintenance, or if you have little time, personal guidance more often pays for itself. There is no reliable national figure showing how much more or less a home sells for per type of agent, so be critical of providers that promise one.

Want to do it all yourself? Read the guide selling a home without an agent.

What is included in agent fees?

With full selling support you pay for more than a Funda listing. With buying support you mainly pay for market knowledge, a critical eye at viewings and a good bidding strategy. A full-service agent should include:

Selling package

•On-site valuation
•Sales strategy and asking price advice
•Professional photography and floor plan
•Listing on Funda and own channels
•Organising and hosting viewings
•Negotiation with buyers
•Drafting the purchase agreement and guidance to the notary

Buying package

•Mapping wishes and budget
•Property selection (including off-market)
•Viewings with a critical eye
•Valuation and bidding strategy
•Negotiating price and conditions
•Checking the purchase agreement
•Guidance until key handover

Negotiating agent fees: 6 tips

Agent fees are not fixed. With good preparation you can often agree a sharper fee or a better package.

Get at least three quotes

Compare not just the percentage but the total including VAT and extra costs.

Ask for a fixed fee

For a more expensive home a fixed amount is often cheaper than a percentage.

Agree a tiered rate

For example a lower percentage up to an agreed price and a higher percentage on the part above it. That rewards a high result.

Include the extra costs

Photos, floor plan and Funda listing can often be included in the commission.

Check withdrawal fees

Have it put in writing what you pay if you stop or sell privately.

Look at the fit and the approach

The cheapest fee is not always the best deal. Ask who handles viewings and how often you will be in touch.

Are agent fees tax-deductible?

Buying agent fees are not deductible for Dutch income tax. Only the financing costs of your own home are deductible, such as mortgage advice, valuation and the notary costs for the mortgage deed.

Selling your own home? Then you may deduct selling costs, including the agent's commission, from the sale price when calculating your home equity reserve (eigenwoningreserve). That is not a deduction on your tax return, but it can affect how much you must put into your next home. Read more in are agent fees deductible?

Frequently asked questions about agent fees

The most common questions about what a Dutch estate agent costs, answered briefly and honestly.

A selling agent usually costs approx. 1% to 2% of the sale price, or a fixed fee. A buying agent usually costs approx. €2,500 to €5,000, or 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price. An online agent works with a fixed package of approx. €800 to €3,000. These are indicative amounts, often excluding 21% VAT.

Want to know what it costs for your home?

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