Estate agents across most major UK cities are earning more per property sale despite weaker housing market conditions as rising house prices push up the value of fees even while transaction levels remain subdued.
New research from GetAgent shows that the average fee earned per sale increased over the past year in the majority of large cities, highlighting how agents who are still completing deals are benefiting from higher property values rather than higher commission rates.
The analysis compared average house prices across 15 major UK cities with typical agency fee percentages, finding that although fee rates have stayed broadly unchanged, the amount earned per transaction has risen as property values edged higher in many parts of the country.
Across Great Britain, the average fee per property sale increased from £3,822 in the final quarter of 2024 to £3,909 in the final quarter of 2025, an uplift of £86 per transaction.
REGIONAL GAINS
Some regional markets saw far stronger gains. Liverpool recorded the biggest increase, with the typical fee rising by £210 per sale, while Manchester saw an uplift of £136 and Bradford £129. Edinburgh (£139), Glasgow (£108) and Newcastle (£100) also posted notable increases, with Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham and Sheffield all seeing smaller but positive rises.
The picture was not uniform, however. In areas where house prices softened, the value of the average fee also fell. London recorded the largest drop, with the estimated fee per transaction declining from £9,507 to £9,378, while Brighton and Birmingham also saw small reductions.
The figures come at a time when the wider housing market has been characterised by cautious buyers, longer selling times and ongoing affordability pressures, meaning many agents are completing fewer transactions even as the value of each completed deal rises.
ADDING VALUE
Colby Short (main picture, inset), Co-Founder and CEO of GetAgent, says: “Despite the more measured market landscape over the past year, agents across many of the UK’s major cities are still seeing the value of the typical fee earned per transaction increase as property values continue to edge up.
“More importantly, it underlines the role that strong agent performance plays in getting deals over the line when conditions are more challenging and buyer uncertainty and hesitancy is rife.
“Those agents who have continued to secure sales have demonstrated the value they bring to the transaction, navigating challenging market conditions and guiding deals over the line.”
