No cure no pay agent: how does it work exactly?

No cure no pay literally means: no cure, no payment. With an agent this is used as a commission model: you only pay commission when the agent actually closes a sale or purchase. No result, no commission. It shifts a large part of the commercial risk from the client to the agent.

This model is most common with selling agents. With buying agents it is rarer because the work effort is similar whether or not the purchase succeeds.

Note: "no cure no pay" usually only applies to the commission itself. Additional costs you pay anyway, regardless of result:

• Energy label (mandatory for a sale; indicatively a few hundred euros)
• Professional photography or styling (€150-€500)
• Funda listing and advertising costs
• Possibly a startup fee at the start of the partnership

So read the contract carefully: a real no-cure-no-pay arrangement only charges commission on success. With a half-arrangement you pay additional costs (often hundreds, sometimes over a thousand euros) even if the home does not sell. See which items these can be in the overview of estate agent fees.

For sellers no-cure-no-pay is attractive if your home seems hard to sell (unusual location, high entry price, specific target audience). You shift the risk to the agent, who then has an extra incentive to deliver.

For buyers it is rarely ideal: a buying agent's work (searching, viewing, assessing) continues whether or not a deal materialises. Some buying agents work with a reduced fixed fee plus a success fee on purchase — a hybrid model that is fairer for both sides. Read more about fees and approach on the buying agent page.

Commission with a no-cure-no-pay selling agent is often a fraction higher than regular commission: 1.5-2.5% of the sale price instead of 1-2%. The agent thus prices in the risk of unpaid effort.

At Ons Soort Makelaars we always discuss upfront which model best suits your situation. Sometimes a fixed fee is cheaper, sometimes commission, sometimes a hybrid arrangement. We are transparent about it.

Say you sell a home for €450,000. The amounts below exclude 21% VAT and are an example, not a fixed rate.

• Regular commission 1.5%: €6,750, plus any extra costs you also pay if the sale falls through.
• No cure no pay 2%: €9,000, only on a sale. If the home does not sell, you pay (depending on the contract) nothing or only the extra costs.
• Fixed fee: an agreed amount regardless of the sale price. Often the cheapest for a more expensive home.

The difference between 1.5% and 2% here is €2,250. That is effectively the premium you pay for the risk the agent takes over. For an easy-to-sell home that risk is small, so regular commission or a fixed fee is usually cheaper. More examples: estate agent fees 2026 and agent commission.

• Withdrawal fees: if you withdraw the mandate or stop selling, the agent may still charge a fee. With no cure no pay this is sometimes higher, because the agent has already done work.
• Tail clause: if you sell after the mandate ends to someone who came in via the agent, commission may still be due. Check the period.
• Definition of 'cure': is it signing the purchase agreement, or only the transfer at the notary? What if the buyer cancels on the financing condition?
• Minimum price: some contracts state a minimum price. If you refuse an offer above it, commission may still be due.
• Term: how long does the mandate run and how can you cancel?

Always ask for the contract upfront and have unclear points clarified in writing.