Is It Normal To Charge Extra For Advertising On The Internet?

[Postdog]

A friend of a friend has a property she wants to sell. Apparently she was asked for a fee to include details on the internet, and I am wondering if this is normal or if she is being fleeced. After all, their aim is to sell it so they get their percentage of that sale.

It just strikes me as being ridiculous to charge for what is no real work at all.

[hc4361]

Has she got a copy of the contract? That should list all the extras.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd query it although I have no experience of such things, precisely for the reasons you state. It is in their own interest to maximise the chances of a quick but still high priced sale. If fact a quick turnover is more important than a high price to them. The price is more important to your friend. If unhappy go to a different seller.

[Buenchico]

Most house-hunters probably never go anywhere near to an estate agent's window. Neither do they look on any particular estate agents' website. Instead they simply go to Rightmove.co.uk, PrimeLocation.com and/or Zoopla.co.uk. The vast majority of houses offered for sale appear on at least one of those sites, with many being listed on all three. (A lot of house-buyers probably never look anywhere other than on those three websites).

Sellers can't advertise directly on those websites, as they only accept adverts from recognised estate agents (and charge them fairly hefty fees for doing so). It's probably listings on those 'external' websites (rather than on the estate agent's own website) which your friend is being asked to consider paying for. If so (unless she's prepared to seek out another estate agent, who includes those external advertising fees within their percentage) she'd be mad to decline the offer, as she'd be losing well over 90% of potential buyers.